The Horrifying Toll of "Shin Godzilla"

Creature features of the 1950s were built around the fears and anxieties of nuclear fallout in the wake of the atomic bomb. Its very construction opened a door that could never be shut, unleashing a new brand of evil upon the world. The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki may have been partially responsible for bringing World War II to an end, but the physical and psychological effects still linger. Postwar Japan had to grapple with the unspeakable horrors of such a magnificently powerful weapon's existence, one that permanently scarred its country's identity. One such manner of reflection was through the power of cinema. In 1954, Toshirō Honda's "Godzilla" introduced audiences to the destructive reptilian that would become widely known as the King of the Monsters, but his reign was anything but fun. The imposing creature was a response to the collective trauma of nuclear annihilation, one that could trample buildings with a single step. In the decades since, Godzilla's tonal flexibility has seen him embody everything from a destroyer of worlds to a hero of Earth. While Gareth Edwards's 2014 film is the best American-produced Godzilla movie about his terrifying stature in the world, it should come as no surprise that the monster's best movies have emanated from his home country. 2023's "Godzilla: Minus One" received worldwide acclaim across the board for its compelling human drama amid the Kaiju destruction. It's one of that year's very best and, arguably, one of the best Godzilla movies ever made. About seven years before it, however, Toho Studios gave the King of the Monsters his long overdue return to the big screen with 2016's "Shin Godzilla." It was the character's first official big screen appearance overseas since 2004's "Godzilla: Final Wars," but this wasn't just any franchise resurrection, it was a cultural reckoning. Directors Hideaki Anno ("Neon Genesis Evangelion") and Shinji Higuchi made a Godzilla movie that acts as a shrieking wail through multiple generations, going so far as to reuse certain sound and music cues from the '54 film. I recently had the opportunity to see it in theaters through a gorgeous 4K remaster and gained a newfound appreciation for the contemporary nightmare. In many ways, "Shin Godzilla" is a brilliant satire on bureaucratic systems amid unprecedented disasters. Most of the film takes place in clean buildings, with government officials reacting to the hell on earth transpiring outside. It made me laugh every time a new development in Godzilla's rampage required moving to a whole new conference room to debrief. When it comes to the big guy himself, he's never been as scary as he is here. It's not just one big creature, but a gradual metamorphosis from one horrifying form into another. Godzilla always looks as if he's bleeding in perpetual agony. Its very existence is pain, having fed off of American radioactive waste in Tokyo Bay for decades before crawling onto land. There's really no angle where it's not haunting to look at. A common criticism I've seen from this film's detractors is that there's not a lot of Godzilla in it, and while that's technically true, it's also missing the big picture. Every appearance means something. The one time it changes color from red to purple is quiet, still and incredibly terrifying. "Shin Godzilla" is a great film, not because of the Kaiju destruction, but because of the helplessness that it invites into the soul of a country well familiar with abrupt violence against its people. With Godzilla's presence comes an existential gravity both physically and culturally. In trying to figure out how to neutralize such a monumental threat, there's this dark cloud hanging over Japan with yet another US-sanctioned attack that would have ramifications for decades. It's at this juncture where officials like Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Rando Yaguchi (Hiroki Hasegawa) commit to pulling off the impossible no matter what. They must try. "Shin Godzilla" is apocalyptic, both in its annihilation of Japan and the response to it. There are way too many names to keep track of, with some officials holding more responsibility than others. It's in the film's second half where that collective gives everything they have to a potential Hail Mary that may or may not work but pushing it through is the last resort for the soul of Japan. Seeing them pool their efforts brings a levity and catharsis to an otherwise dark film. The 4K remaster should be available on digital and physical media within the coming months, but I can't stress how much more effective it will be in a theater if it's playing near you.