Godzilla – Gojira Deluxe Collector’s Edition (2 DVD set) (1956) | DVD Review

As the box cover states – Available on DVD for the first time in North America! Classic Media and TOHO studios have released the original Japanese, uncut 1954 classic Gojira (Godzilla) in a handsome Deluxe Collector’s Edition complete with the Hollywood remake : Godzilla, King of the Monsters.

Gojira is the epic tale of a prehistoric creature inadvertently dislodged from his nest on the ocean floor by nuclear warheads, and the frantic struggle to destroy him as Tokyo is turned into an apocalyptic battleground.

Essentially, Gojira (Godzilla) is an anti-bomb film from Japan, the only country to have ever suffered a nuclear attack, and the director who was profoundly affected after witnessing firsthand the destruction at Hiroshima. Directed by Ishiro Honda, Godzilla was used as a metaphor for the destructive power of the A-bomb, a symbol, a representation of the worst aspects of mankind’s destructive prowess. The scenes of devastation in the wake of Godzilla are treated in a way that vividly recall the horror the Japanese experienced a decade earlier when Nagasaki and Hiroshima were flattened by American bombs. Through his film, Honda, who had a pessimistic view of government and the military, appealed to those within the scientific community to use reason and moral judgment to find a solution to the global nuclear threat, using his own country’s painful experience as his example. The film is, as the subject matter suggests, dark and violent.

Sensing the opportunity to commercially exploit Gojira (which was not filmed with subtitles) in the West, American producers came up with the budget conscious idea of reshooting scenes involving one of the original film’s character’s with an American actor and sandwiching the new scenes between the original footage to create an Anglicized version of Godzilla. Thus, Godzilla, King of the Monsters is the American ‘hybrid’ version of Gojira starring Hollywood actor Raymond Burr as Steve Martin, a foreign correspondent working for United World News.

There are two discs which form this special edition. Disc 1 includes the original 1954 Japanese version of Godzilla (Gojira), and disc 2 features the U.S. remake (Godzilla, King of the Monsters). Both films come with their respective original theatrical trailers and audio commentary by Godzilla enthusiasts/historians Seve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski. Each of the two commentaries are a literal cornucopia of information regarding the films, and combined with the 16 page booklet (written by Ryfle) which comes with the set, you will have been given more than enough information regarding the background and execution of each of these films. Also included are two 13 minute featurettes : Making of the Godzilla Suit and Godzilla: Story Development, both written and produced by Godziszewski.

In the decades since Gojira, Godzilla has become a cultural icon and lovable franchise ‘star’. This set is an opportunity to see the creature as he was originally intended and not the kitschy, karate kicking Godzilla most people have come to think of. Also, being able to view each of these two films together is an opportunity to form your own opinion regarding how successful the remake was and whether American producers deliberately watered down the original film’s anti-nuclear themes. For those such as myself who have never seen either of these two films, this set is something of a revelation. For those who have only ever seen the U.S. version, I imagine you’ll find the original far more rewarding.

Movie rating – 4

Disc Rating – 3