Godzilla is a film that, by modern standards, is rather lackluster in its visual effects and acting. Nonetheless, it displays exceptional screenplay and cinematography when compared to other films of its time, and explores many important themes which keep the audience thinking. It is an exceptionally old film which reflects the fears of the general population at the time. Specifically, Godzilla warns of the dangers of nuclear testing: a fear which was grounded in relatively sound reasoning. Mere months before the filming of Godzilla, the nuclear testing of America’s “Castle Bravo” irradiated the nearby Japanese boat Daigo Fukuryu Maru, a connection that can be drawn directly to the beginning of the film, wherein a fishing vessel is destroyed in the creature’s first display of power.

This real life incident, like its counterpart in the movie, caused mass panic in Japan, as much of the crew became ill, with one even dying from radiation poisoning (Kapur). Godzilla explores a narrative wherein nature strikes back at humanity for their irresponsible ways, and inspired a myriad of other films which explore the same topic. In the specific context of ecohorror, Godzilla explores themes of fear of the unknown, as well as the overwhelming power of nature and how it relates to mankind’s overall hubris. Additionally, this film is an exceptional (albeit dated) example of ocean ecohorror, which is why it specifically deserves a spotlight in this list.

Fear of the Unknown

Fear of the unknown is an incredibly common theme in ecohorror, and is present in other entries within this work. Through film, it can be exceptionally hard to depict in such a way that is convincing. As old as Godzilla is, it does an exceptional job at doing so, and of perpetrating the theme that mankind fears what it does not know. This can first be seen through the way the monster Godzilla is shown within the movie. The full body of the creature does not appear until the later half of the movie, and is often shrouded in shadow.

This is a theme that many films, such as Jaws, use in order to create a fear in what is unknown to the audience. This is apparent in the opening scene, wherein a beam of light appears from the water and suddenly destroys a fishing vessel, and again only a few minutes later, wherein the vessel searching for them is sunk in the same manner. Likewise, in the scene where there is a storm besetting Odo Island, the creature is never truly shown as it destroys the house of a boy’s parents. This fear is realized even further when the team of scientists come to the island and slowly come to the realization that the house was destroyed, in fact, by an extremely large creature. After this scene, the audience gets their first glimpse at the creature for a brief few seconds. Additionally, the entire body is not shown in this scene, and tension is built primarily through the use of loud footsteps. These footsteps are then used later in the movie for the same purpose. Certainly, Godzilla uses fear of the unknown in a variety of ways that inevitably explore the nature of man in general.

The Overwhelming Power of Nature and Mankind's Hubris

An extremely prominent theme in Godzilla details the overwhelming power of nature and how this relates to mankind’s general hubris. Like fear of the unknown, this theme is explored in a variety of pieces of ecohorror media. In general, this theme is displayed in a cycle wherein mankind negatively affects the environment in some sort of accidental, ignorant fashion and nature pays them back in some unfortunate and destructive manner. In Godzilla, mankind’s act of ignorance is attributed to the testing of hydrogen bombs in the Pacific. Nature, in turn, repays mankind by unleashing the monster Godzilla upon Japan. In the movie, the monster Godzilla is explicitly stated to be a direct result of the nuclear testing that has occurred in the Pacific. This was discovered by the professor of paleontology Kyohei Yamane, who discovered radioactivity within the footprints of Godzilla. Ironically, one of Godzilla’s main methods of destruction is the use of his radioactive breath. Additionally, the last words spoken in the movie are by Yamane, who warns that as long as nuclear testing continues within the world, another Godzilla will inevitably appear. Mankind's ignorance is further displayed during their attempts to defeat Godzilla. Surely, a creature that was “baptized in nuclear fire” could withstand the rounds of tanks, artillery, and aircraft.

Again, it is Yamane who points this out: a character which seems to serve as a voice of reason within the film as a whole. Overall, mankind’s attempts to stop the creature through conventional means are pitiful, and Japan is only saved through the use of the fictional “oxygen destroyer”. Certainly, Godzilla portrays the unstoppable nature of nature itself, and relates it directly to the arrogance of the human race as a whole.

Connection to Main Theme

Godzilla is an excellent example of ocean ecohorror. The movie follows the events surrounding the main antagonist Godzilla, and the destruction he causes in his wake, using themes of fear of the unknown, as well as the arrogance of mankind against the power of nature, in order to display a powerful antinuclear message. The events within the movie Godzilla are the direct result of human mistakes, and nature repays them by unleashing Godzilla upon Japan, which is why Godzilla is an inherently ecohorror film. It fits the theme of ocean ecohorror as the monster Godzilla comes from deep within the ocean, and much of the movie is centered around the ocean as a setting.