Discussion: Godzilla
Discussion
Separate the class into groups of 4-5 students, erring on the smaller size. Assign the following questions to the class and allocate 15-20 minutes for these small groups to discuss. As groups discuss these topics, move among groups and evaluate the content/quality of their discourse.
Discussion Questions
- Spend a few minutes in your group discussing your opinion of Godzilla.
- Where can you find representations of the "victim's history" in the film?
- What does the monster, Godzilla, represent in the movie?
- What is the role of women in the film?
- How does Godzilla "rewrite history" for the Japanese audience?
Now, have the small groups choose a single member to act as a representative of their micro-discussion. Then, give the groups 3 minutes to write a question for the class that relates to one of the previously discussed questions. During this time, go from group to group and check their question.
Next, bring the group representatives to the front of the room or arrange all chairs in a circle to facilitate a class-wide discussion. At this point, the group representatives will take turns asking their questions to the class and seeking the other students’ opinions. Give full control of the discussion to the students at this point. The role of the instructor is to evaluate participation and the quality of the discourse. If at any time the students are wandering away from the main topics, interject and course correct them. The following Focal Points are important to cover:
- Though Godzilla was the 8th most popular film of the year in 1954, it also received mixed reviews. Due to the very recent destruction of Japan by means of the firebombings and atomic weaponry, the public was still sensitive to these issues.
- Godzilla, the creature, is neither a hero nor a villain in this film. Much like a tornado, he can be seen as a sort of natural disaster with no sort of moral motivation. In later films in the franchise, Godzilla would be utilized in both the hero and villain roles. In the next film in this course, Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack, Godzilla will be seen as a clear villain.
- The role of women in this film is very interesting for the time. Though the main female, Emiko, is quiet and demure, she is the pipeline for connecting the main characters to Dr. Serizawa and convincing him to utilize the Oxygen Destroyer. Additionally, in the scenes of public meetings regarding the Godzilla crisis, it is the women who call for the complete transparency of the government on Godzilla. In contrast, the men want to keep all knowledge of Godzilla a secret. This is another theme that will be explored again in All-Out Attack.
- Napier's theory of "victim's history" is heavily at play in Godzilla. The crux of the film is the attack and destruction of Japan. While America is condemned for their use of nuclear weaponry, Japan is again the focus of attack.
- The film itself is a rewriting of recent history. Whereas in real life Japan was destroyed by nuclear power and defeated, in Godzilla, Japan triumphs over nuclear power (in the form of the titular monster) through Japanese ingenuity. Additionally, with the self-sacrifice of Dr. Serizawa after deploying the Oxygen Destroyer, it sends the message that Japan understands the gravity of such power and did the "right" thing (i.e. didn't let it become weaponized).
- The opening scene is a reference to a real-life incident. While America was testing a hydrogen bomb in the Bikini Atoll, a Japanese fishing boat, the Daigo Fukuryu Maru, was exposed to radiation due to a miscalculation in the radius of the blast. The fishing boat seen in the first scene of the film is a representation of this event.
Homework
Assign the following reading as a homework assignment. Readings are available on repositories such as JSTOR:"Panic Sites: The Japanese Imagination of Disaster from Godzilla to Akira.” Susan J. Napier. Journal of Japanese Studies, Vol. 19, No. 2 (Summer, 1993), pp. 327-35.
Assign the following quiz. This quiz can either be assigned as a take-home open book test or given at the beginning of the next class period. Correct answers are highlighted.
1. The disaster film that Napier compares heavily to Godzilla and Akira is ____________.
a. Mononoke hime
b. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
c. Nippon chinbotsu
d. Death Note
2. Which famous American 1980s sequel film does Napier compare Akira to?
a. The Empire Strikes Back
b. Star Wars
c. Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome
d. The Godfather: Part II
3. Andrew Tudor asserts that Godzilla can be classified as __________. That is, in the film the collectivity is threatened, but only from outside, and is ultimately reestablished, usually through the combined efforts of scientists and the government.
a. nationalism
b. secure horror
c. anti-utopia
d. body horror
4. The American re-edit of Honda’s 1954 Gojira was called __________.
a. Godzilla
b. Godzilla VS. Japan
c. Godzilla, Terror from the Deep!
d. Godzilla, King of the Monsters!
5. Constance Penley describes the film ________ as a “critical dystopia” because it defamiliarized contemporary Japan rather than extrapolated upon the future of Japan.
a. Ghost in the Shell
b. Akira
c. Godzilla
d. Nippon chinbotsu
Download a printable PDF version of this quiz here.
