What did you all think of Godzilla Minus One? 🦖🔥 Comment below!💥 Hope you guys liked the video! I love using Ipsos iSay to earn rewards! Click my link: www.inflcr.co/SHJEn
Loved it so much. With Godzilla 1954 and Shin Godzilla, it's one of the Godzilla movies that are not just the best Godzilla movies, but genuinely incredible movies in their own right. I even get emotional just thinking of Koichi's struggle with shame and war trauma and survivor's guilt.
I think youre **WAY** off base if you believe that Godzilla is supposed to represent the US, in this movie. On the contrary, in this movie the US represents the US. When Godzilla attacks, Japan is left to its own devices and the US makes lame excuses for not helping out. This is what Japanese people in general (and thus, probably the filmmakers) generally believe about the US. Do you know that as a Japanese taxpayer, more of my money goes to supporting the US military than the average US taxpayer? Japan covers almost all the costs of US bases in Japan. But a lot of people have a sense that the US isnt fully committed to Japan's defense. I dont know if this is the point the movie is trying to make, but I do know that if Godzilla is a metaphor for any geopolitical entity, it isnt the United States. As for who it is supposed to represent . . . now who might be disturbing sleeping monsters in Japanese islands of the East China Sea ???
I don't even think Tachibana ever represented that "death before surrender" mentality. After inspecting the plane, he empathizes with Shikishima, telling him he knows how futile it is which is also what makes the eject seat twist so good because it very much fits with that moment. His anger was more towards Shikishima's fear to act against Godzilla, when there was a likelihood that that could have saved their crew.
Fun Easter egg: When Tachibana is fixing the plane, he notices the seat has a *German* label on it. Given that the experimental plane was built late in the war effort, it's reasonable that it might have parts from Japan's ally. Thus it contained an ejector seat when Japanese-made cockpit seats did not. I love when details like that are included.
That moment will go down in movie history, like Citizen Kane’s Rosebud or Gone With the Wind’s “I’ll never go hungry again.” We went in for a monster movie…were treated to a timeless masterpiece.
@jts8053 it's a little more complicated than that. Which makes that detail even more fascinating. That statement that doc makes in his speech about the failings of the government "they gave our pilots planes without ejector seats" was a necesary pit of exposition to setup the ending. But was historical bullshit. This, the Shinden, was the only Japanese plane with an ejector seat. And the prototypes only ever got a handful of test flights. They likely used seats designed for the Dornier DO 335. Most WW2 aircraft had no need of ejector seats. The pilots simply popped the canopy and fell or were sucked out. But the DO 335 and Shinden had a unique problem. They were pusher props. The spinning propeller was behind the pilot. The first ejector seats were designed to get the pilots clear of that. The Dorniers system also had a sequence of timed charges that blew the rear prop off the plane before launching the pilot. I dont know if the Shinden had that feature. Not a lot of details are known about the actual Shindens as built. Only 2 or 3 prototypes were known to have been built. And all were destroyed in the Japanese Military's purge of secrets following the surrender , but before the Americans arrived.
but we know how absurd the notion that a machine-gun on a japanese WWII plane would have done anything to gojira, given the weaponry we see it withstanding - would have been futile, just like a kamikaze mission against a random american battleship
I loved how every single character was given their due. When 'Kiddo' came back with a tow fleet in the most dire moment like Han Solo in Star Wars I had happy tears in my eyes.
@@pianoman8642not surprising to me because i saw pier workers tie big ropes before a big ass ships docks plus its a movie it would honestly take time
Minus One was such a breath of fresh air in the franchise. It was so awesome seeing Godzilla as the nearly unstoppable antagonist and not portrayed as some sort of anti-hero that causes destruction but for a good cause. Godzilla actually had scale and was truly shown to be as large and terrifying as he was supposed to be. I actully felt fear in some of the moments of the movie especially when he was on land. One of the best Godzilla films in a decade.
Hmm... Heisei iteration of anti-hero was good because Godzilla wasn't acting for good cause. He was just acting in self-defence and happened to save humanity only because their doings were stupid and posed a threat to themselves. Which unlike the American movie stupidity was not bad movie idea at all, since highly competent people do stupid things like in the Heisei series. One of current threats is genetically modified rice that is supposed to be easy to grow in Africa. Can you imagine yet further demographic explosion and destruction of local environment this may cause? We've already seen exacty same backfire with Green Revolution in India. Instead of ending hunger, it increased the number of people suffering from it. There is nothing more dangerous than a highly accomplished scientist who thinks he can solve humanity's problems with technological invention while completely ignoring human mentality.
@@piotrmalewski8178 Corruption and greed doomed the "Green Revoltuion" Taking land from indeginous people to use hi-Tech chemicals to make food faster and cheaper always create a toxic waste by product that is pumped backed into the very soil. The soil becomes toxic and useless. The Green revoltion would have worked if the "Human element" was used and not chemicals, and not greed for the profits that were predicted to come (Pesticide companies, Companies with mechanized tools to do the work, instead of human touch and love) sorry Im off topic, but Godzilla movies always reference human flaws perfectly which create and cause forces of nature to run amok!
@@piotrmalewski8178 lol Hollywood hater clown😂😂 in monsterverse also Godzilla is a force of nature and is just here to bring balance and what do u want just mindless monster stomping everything for fun?? 😂😂
Not to be rude, but like HOW DID YOU MISS SHIN GODZILLA??? Like the video literally talks about it, it's not even that breath of fresh air, Toho has been leaning on it for a while now.
Godzilla Minus One was the first film that made me openly ugly cry in the theatres. And I don't consider myself as a hard-core fan of the IP the way some of my friends are. I went to see Minus One mostly because I was bored. I wasn't on the hype train for it at all. It ended up becoming a masterpiece and I wish I could experience the blind viewing like I did 2 weeks ago again.
I’ve been a fan of Godzilla since I was five. This franchise means the world to me. Even when the Monsterverse started the hype was not like it is right now. It’s so cool seeing that love being shared by so many. The take though that this is the first Godzilla movie with good human characters... it breaks my heart. It’s just not true and Godzilla movies are so much more than just Godzilla. I love that in the novel on Odo island, Godzilla sees that he didn’t shoot him in his plane so he didn’t attack him. I love that detail.
@@nomercyinc6783also the 1954 godzilla movie has good human characters. The others have good action scenes, or unfortunate deaths like in 1995 or Godzilla flying. Ik hesei isn't rlly an old one I just had no other examples
It was a very human story, you did not have to be Japanese to understand the tone or the message of blind loyalty for a nation, or the power of doing the right thing when it really counts. And of course Godzilla was just...incredible in this film, the city destruction scene with his atomic breath was absolutely amazing.
This is one of the reasons why I absolutely love this film: everyone is able to deconstruct this film into a series of messages and interpretations in a way that is completely different than someone else, yet every different interpretation can be right. The amount of depth, timelessness, and universality of this film just blows my mind. The interpretation of the beginning representing Pearl Harbor is something that I would never have thought of, and is completely different from my interpretation of it just being a masterful tone setter and exposition for the movie, yet both interpretations can be completely right. A movie with this much depth in its morals and messages is something that I hardly remember another movie achieving, furthering my love for this movie
I doubt his America-centric interpretation is what the filmmaker was intending. That said, he had a few good points even if (assuming I'm on the right track), they were more coincidental than purposeful. It kind of reminds me how after the Lord of the Rings movies, I heard people speculate on what the ring represented, often naming specific things. But my take was that it was just a representation of the thirst for power, in an abstract form rather than anything specific.
My film of the year man. Minus one is currently tied for me as the best Godzilla movie of all time next to Godzilla 54. Probably even favorite movie of all time. As a lifelong Godzilla fan I couldn’t be more happy with how it turned out. And I’m so happy it’s getting the recognition it deserves.
I really loved getting a look at post war japan, how they felt, seeing them come out of a culture that worshipped death to build a new culture that valued life, seeing them rebuilding Tokyo. Such a beautiful film.
Seeing how many Japanese people have worked themselves to death for the sake of their company, I don't think they have actually reached that point yet.
Why do you think the Japanese culture before the end of the was worshipped death? When cultures deify their rulers, nothing shows more loyalty than the sacrifice of self and brutality against anyone not of the culture. You see it in the inhumane actions of tyrants such as Hitler, Lenin, Stalin, Pol Pot, and Mao Zedong as well as current leaders of multiple countries. Sacrifice of self is still considered noble in almost all cultures best said “as the needs of the many outweighing the needs of the few.” The absolute representative of “the many” being one’s government. “Death before dishonor” is NOT worshipping death.
I've seen this movie three times now. This movie is a goddamned masterpiece and I couldn't get enough of it. I cried at certain points and Godzilla was genuinely frightening. When the movie comes out, I'm getting the 4K Steelbook if it gets produced.
I honestly take any chance I get to see this movie. Toho, PLEASE release this movie on home video I would pay top dollar just to be able to watch this whenever I want to.
One small thing, Tachibana did not invent the ejector seat in the plane. It was a prototype model created near the end of the war "full of new innovations" that never flew in combat. It already had an ejector seat and there's a scene where Tachibana notices it after he arrives but before the final 0800 hours. He likely made it functional, but he did not invent the idea of an ejector seat to save Shikishima
It was actually imported from Germany as evidenced by the writing on it. I don't think the movie made it clear if Tachibana installed it or if it was already installed.
@@kkobayashi1 Yep, ejection seats as we know them today were first developed by Germany and Sweden during WWII. While the real life Shinden didn't have an ejection seat, it's a very appropriate and fitting element of historical fiction / artistic liberty for it to have a German one.
28:12 i swear to god the only moment in the movie where i teared up was the old man and doc telling the kid not to come and saying "we leave the future to you."
The single thought I had after seeing this movie is if one removed the monster from the story, there would still have been a compelling story to watch. It humanizes the Japanese from that period in way for American audiences that I don't think has been done to such a great extent before. The big guy doesn't even get a whole lot of screen time. Most of the film follows the three main characters and the movie is framed around their plight to survive post war Japan. That had a natural advantage of keeping costs down. (it only cost 15 million to make, even with some of the best CGI to come out of Japan) But that also kept the focus on the characters. The human story is what made this move great.
Every single person I know who has seen this movie - including people who are not necessarily monster movie fans - have all said it was fantastic. If GZMO is nominated for Best Picture, that would be a first and one worth celebrating!
Since viewing this film, I have been obsessed with all the UA-cam reviews that have been made analyzing it. There are many great vids out there, but yours is one of the best breakdowns providing great insights as to the various characters, their motives and what they actually represent. This is truly a great film worthy of such in depth analysis! Best Picture of 2023 imho.
I'm not even a huge zilla fan, but this was absolutely one of my favorite monster movies of all time. It's right up there with Jaws and Jurassic Park for me...
I was floored by Minus-1. They adhered to Japanese history (well outside of Godzilla of course) very closely for the hellscape that was firebombed Tokyo in 45'. 45'-47' was incredibly hard for the Japanese. The B-29's were methodically flattening and firebombing one city after another. Atom bombs droped on Nagasaki and Heroshima were at the end of a yr and a half of continuous bombing. I'll probably watch it 3-4 times just to look at the sets...EVERYTHING was just perfect and i found myself wanting to stop the movie and play over again some great scene...amazing. I know WW2 history of war in the Pacific very well and the thoughts and emotions of the Japanese veterens was 100% dead on as portrayed in the movie. WW2 is like some kind of legendary tale, like the Greek Iliad. I want to add though that Japan brought the war onto themselves. The Japanese officer and political class made one psychotically bad decision after another. Even after two nuclear bombs, the fire-bombing of Tokyo, hundreds of thousands of useless military deaths some politicians and the younger officer class tried to stop the Emperor and his ministers from surrendering...they wanted everyone in the military and all 100 million citizens to fight America and Britain to the last person mostly dying in suicide attacks...men, women and children all attacking the allies in suicide attacks. Anyway, how did i get on this. Great movie!!
Yeah I have a cursory understanding but as far as I understood the military and political class basically refused to give up and it would have costed millions more lives so America decided to strike the fear of god into the emperor with the Nukes. Unfortunately though it was on civilians.
Tachibana's blame of Shikishima for not firing on Godzilla is rendered 1000% more effective *because* he first said that he knew Shikishima had abandoned his duty to die and was on his side and that Japan needed more men like him. That dying for a lost cause was pointless, but then in that moment when the threat was there and real that Shikishima could not act and so was to blame for their deaths really made it more powerful and poignant.
Minus one had such an impressive screenplay. It was clean, effective and perfect rise of tension. Add the amazing acting , score and effects, this is one of the greatest films I've seen in years
@@IronWarhorsesFun I really enjoyed that they let the plan be "science-y". Usually movies either go super simplistic, or so overly complex that they're really telling you to not think about it too hard. Instead, we get a neat plan involving freon gas preventing buoyancy, and rapid pressure changes (in both directions). It makes the film feel like it respects the audience's intelligence, and explains it clearly while never "talking down" to us.
As someone who's in college to be a middle school English and History teacher, this analysis got me really interested in seeing the movie. I was wondering why it was getting such good reviews all around, but now I get it. It truly seems like a work of art in storytelling, special effects, etc.
Okay, so I'm a bit of a military historian and I've got to tell you. You're wrong. At around the 11:00 you started talking about the atomic bombs being unbalanced, but at the time they were dropped the Japanese military weren't willing to stand down. So for the US it was either the bomb or a costly manned invasion. One that could have cost both sides countless most lives than even the bombs. Just remember the only reason we dropped bomb 2 is that bomb 1 wasn't enough to get them to stand down. No I think that the movie was a major condemnation of the Japanese government's obstenence and lack of care over their own people's lives. It also addresses the overall suffering caused by war.
That's what I thinking too. I'm not much of a history buff but I do remember that much. The emperor and military brass weren't going to stop for anything. We had to get the point across somehow without a mainland invasion.
Also the movies are not about the atomic bombs. They were about the sir raid that burned down much of Tokyo. You didn't have people running for safety and trying to get away from an atomic bomb - the destruction was instant. The people trying to escape the firestorm while death rained down from above - that is what Godzilla represents. More people died in the Tokyo attack than were killed by either atomic bomb. The area destroyed in Tokyo was more than the area destroyed by both atomic bombs.
Godzilla Minus One was incredibly good. As I sat watching it, I felt fear, apprehension, anger, sympathy, and a host of other emotions. I cried several times. No other movie this year made me feel this way. A+++
The craziest thing for me is the budget. There has been a trend lately where movies were getting more and more expensive, and many equate higher production cost to higher quality. This movie proves them wrong. It's insane how they managed to make a movie this good and that looks this great with a budget that is 15x smaller than the first avengers movie.
I'm no hardcore Godzilla fan, but I have enjoyed watching the films & cartoons growing up. Gave to say Minus one is a bonafide masterpiece. Watched it twice and was engrossed both times. Looking forward to the 4k BR release
The main reason is Hollywood sees Godzilla as simply a monster; whether villainous or heroic it’s just a monster. Japan, Toho studios, treats Godzilla as what it truly is. An unstoppable force of nature. Like an earthquake or a tsunami, the only certain way to not get killed by Godzilla is to not be in its path. Sure, most of the Showa era wee the equivalent of WWE wrestling matches but, even then, the only way to defeat a monster is with another monster and God help us all.
funny how legendaries godzilla isnt portrayed as a monster, but as a character thats complex and has depth. If you think otherwise then youre just biased against it lol
This is one of the best Godzilla Minus One reviews out around due to the way it breaks down real human elements of past events. This movie has really sparked up the conversation surrounding the human suffering just as much as Godzilla himself.
Though asymmetrical, the alternative of an invasion with a death toll in the many millions of Japanese people alone as they are being forced to fight to the last on home soil is infinitely worse than the one to three hundred thousand total deaths from both atomic blasts and radiation. The sheer shock of such a devastating weapon was finally enough for the emperor to finally stand up to his military and call an end to the war. The sudden end also kept the Soviets from landing on Japan which was not afar off. Thus saving japan from the fates of Korea and Vietnam.
Yeah I think people don’t realize the thought that went into the decision to use such a devastating weapon, it really was a Gambit that likely prevented more deaths in the long run but definitely not without a heavy heart.
@@VainSick Also one big point I don't think people consider is the world going into the Cold War without truly understanding the devastating effects nuclear weapons could have when used on civilian populations.
Godzilla Minus One is one of my absolute favorite films of the year! This movie was so good that I immediately watched the original 1954 film on Max after I came home for seeing this film. It might have made me a Godzilla fan after all, and I’m shocked I’m saying that!
Godzilla Minus One works so well because it is a simple, classic story executed incredibly well- be it the pacing, soundtrack, effects or the human drama, it was simply perfectly done, it made you invested emotionally despite also making the action itself enjoyable. It reminded me of 90s movies like Jurassic Park where it's about personable people surviving sheer terror, there was spectacle but also subtext on the human condition that made you care and think.
For Japan, which is surrounded by the sea, war is a terrifying thing that comes from the sea. Japanese people do not think of Godzilla as a hero in the simple way that Americans do. Just like war, it is a terrifying existence that comes from the sea. That's why Godzilla was depicted as a symbol of anti-war and anti-nuclear forces.
Look, Toho turned Godzilla into a hero, exactly in 1964. All the monsterverse does is exactly, bring back the various characterizations created by Toho.
@@destroyerzilla7634 Godzilla turning into a hero is a reflection of Japanese post-war culture of the 60s. The 60s was a booming time for Japan, both it economy and population. The chaos and guilt of the 1950s had already past. Don't do the Showa films a disservice by saying they were campy, goofy, and silly without understanding the context of the culture of the era. Godzilla becoming a hero to children's eyes in the 60s was a sign that Japan had moved on from the nuclear metaphor and saw Godzilla as a representation of something else for the new generation.
"Japanese people do not think of Godzilla as a hero" Tell that to literally any Godzilla movie after the third one. Like, Godzilla IS a hero, especially to Japanese people.
while i agree with the interpretation of godzilla being americas retaliation, i also do think on a bit of a surface level that godzilla is a victim just like the civilians in hiroshima and nagasaki and is the represantation of their hatred, something close to godzilla gmk but having godzilla be closer the 1954, and i like the fact that the human and monster here feel just as importent in this movie while most is just the monster, definetily top 3 godzilla films
I have been a Godzilla fan for over a decade, since I was 8 years old before the release of the 2014 film. I have dozens of figures, statues, and other merchandise from Japan. I have always loved the original Japanese films more than the American films. Toho has made over thirty films, and after seeing every single one since a young age, this film has to be the best one since the original. I have always adored the monster fights (from Godzilla Raids Again to Godzilla Final Wars) don't get me wrong, I was a child, but there is something more than just a giant monster, which is what I have always loved about the Japanese Godzilla. Godzilla being an allegory back in 1954 for the nuclear fallout and the destruction of human nature is what made him, which is what makes is so tragic. Like the original, Godzilla Minus One capture's what made the original so impactful, and this is why it is now my favorite of the Toho series next to the original masterpiece. If you have not seen the film, I highly recommend it, because you don't need any prior knowledge on the series to understand this one. There are some callbacks to the original 1954 film though, which if I were to recommend anything, I would watch that before going into this.
Absolutely. You can tell that Legendary is going down more the “fun route” instead of making Godzilla darker and more serious. I don’t mind this change. I think it is a good idea to take seperate approaches. But they should keep the story more concerned to Godzilla and Kong’s lives (as they did in GvK) since they’re not the greatest at designing humans.
I loved the film and also this review. I cannot remember being moved by a movie like this in decades. It truly was a special moment in my life! Hard to say that about a movie. Every emotion in me was stirred. This review opened my eyes to many aspects of the film I had not considered. I have a feeling this film will be studied and cited for many years to come much like the original '54 film has been. I'm ready to watch it for a third time at the theatres.
Facts my man. One of the only movies in the entire series I can remember where you see just how vulnerable a character is and how much is really riding on every single action he takes. Other movies you can get attached to the human characters for story or political reasons or even some form of emotional attachment, but this one you actually fear for the main character and everyone else. The scoring, oh my god the music was so god damn good.
while i did really love Shin's ham-fisted satire and political commentary (especially with Anno's trademark flairs), the speech the doctor gives in Minus One about wanting no lives to be lost hit like a freight train by the end, every single human character in Minus One is motivated by raw humanity Minus One magnificent as a Godzilla movie, but it's equally as magnificent as a movie about humanity
Have never seen nor even been tempted to see a Godzilla movie …. until yesterday!! It only just came out here and I rushed out to see it in the best Dolby cinema I could … Wooowww!!! I LOVED it!! I cried!! I wanna go again today!!!
One of the many things I like about the movie is that there's enough time for you to care about the characters Half of the movie is action, and the other half is getting to know these characters and getting enough time to care about them and WANT them to succeed
“You should be proud of not serving” “We leave you the future” These lines were 🔥 this movie is deep for a Kaiju movie. You can tell it was made by Japanese.
Toho also really cares about their characters like other Japanese movie companies. This means that they care about the Godzilla lore, and they also care agout the fans (most of the time, although the only time they took down stuff that uses Godzilla without license are so far from big companies, they haven't even attacked a fan game yet).
Very good vid but the main character isnt haunted for not carrying out his kamikaze mission. His own parents told him to come home alive. Hes haunted from those mechanics who persished on the island the first time Godzilla appeared. Blaming himself for their deaths.
One thing about Tachibana's reaction to Shikishima's resolve to kamikaze Godzilla. I read their initial reunion that Tachibana was on board with Shikishima's resolve. It wasn't until Tachibana inspected the plane and its built in ejector seat that he realized that there was another way for them to fight. Tachibana before the the first Godzilla encounter was an optimistic man who understood and valued someone who valued their lives over blindly dying in a war. After the first attack, he had regressed and pinned all of the blame on Shikoshima for the engineers' deaths. Tachibana had then kept that bitterness for years and when Shikishima bombarded him with the slanderous letters, he took the bait and was then brought in to fix up the prototype at which point he learned of a way to save Shikishima while maintaining the solution Shikishima developed.
I can not explain just how happy it makes me to see Godzilla doing so well. I have been a long time fan since I saw the US release of the 1954 movie in the mid 1980s as a child. And seeing both Legendary as well as ToHo bringing out two totally different sides of Godzilla, at the same time, and I absolutely love both!
This movie is SO good and such a powerful message from the Japanese people that, at the very least, it deserves a Best Picture nomination to point of where if it's snubbed, I would just see that as the continued institutional racism of the Academy past all it's racial pandering by elitists in the industry.
Not sure if it’s been commented but am I the only one who thinks that Oppenheimer and minus one are a great movie combo to watch back to back? Oppenheimer and then minus one to get a single great movie.
I am a more recent fan of Godzilla but a long time movie buff. I had few expectations going into watch Minus one. It shattered my expectations and is solidly one of the best movies I have seen.
I’m not even a Godzilla fan, but this movie made me cry in theaters. It’s so absolutely amazing. Like, this is one of the few modern movies that I feel *needs* to be seen in a theater. It’s SO good. Live laugh love Godzilla minus one.
This movie was so good it made me cry, not any movie can do that. The last Movie to ever make me cry was Avengers End Game. This movie isn't a Godzilla, no this is a movie about the people of japan, and I love it.
Legendary Godzilla was my first introduction to the franchise and I thought it was ok but as I watched the legendary movies I thought “What was it like before this?” and thankfully Minus One answered my question,the movie showed me what Godzilla was before the American films,he was a allegory for the destruction brought upon by nuclear weapons and humanity’s mistakes in WW2.The movie showed me what Godzilla was before America kinda misunderstood what he was supposed to represent,I’ll never forget the film for it was the one that helped me better understand Godzilla
America understood Godzilla perfectly. You still don't understand Godzilla. If you really looked back at the history you would've understood that America isn't doing something that Japan hasn't already done. He can be many things. He can be a force of nature and he can also play as an anti hero. He was the most popular in Japan as a good guy. Legendary Godzilla mainly serves as a force of nature that only appears to bring balance. As a matter of fact if it wasn't for Legendary revitalizing the franchise Toho would've set on it for another decade. They let the franchise collect dust for 12 years because they didn't think people were interested in it anymore. But Legendary showed them otherwise. I hope you've learned something today.
I apologize my views have changed since I posted this comment I realized that American Godzilla is its own fun thing and shouldn’t be compared to minus since they’re very different films in terms of how they use Godzilla
Im old enough that my childhood unfolded during one of the earlier peaks of kaiju-mania with Godzilla reiging over the whole giant monsterverse. As a result, I will always have a special place in my heart reserved just for Godzilla. After the bitter disappointment of the modern renditions and reimaginings, I am indescribably ecstatic with the awesome reviews Minus One is getting with each new video pushing me further onto the edge of my seat. I have GOT to get my ass to the theater YESTERDAY!
Eh if the 2014 Godzilla movie didn't exist then the entire Godzilla franchise will perminently retire so u can thanks monster verse for making Godzilla popular enough that this masterpiece is born
What made me love this film so much (other than being a long-time Zilla fan since I was 5) was how the monster itself felt like a personal ghost that was haunting Koichi. Yes, he also represents the terror that was inflicted upon the Japanese people and the USA’s nuclear power. But not matter how many times Koichi thinks he’s finally able to move on and live (get a job, rebuild his house, allow himself to enjoy life), Godzilla comes back and destroys it all. Godzilla represents the haunting survivors guilt that Koichi struggles with throughout the film. And it’s moving that it isn’t until Tachibana, in a way, gives him permission to live his life that Godzilla is defeated. Well, “defeated.”
Astronomical unbalanced? I disagree. They never would have surrendered! But when they knew all of them would be destroyed surrender was the only way you heard me islanders surrender or face butchery just as Nanking faced butchery and your welcome. Fortunately they are the most important allies now
To put it as simply as possible... Hollywood emphasizes spectacle over story.. Toho did the opposite with Godzilla Minus One. They emphasized story over spectacle. And they weren't shoving THE MESSAGE down our throats like Hollywood tends to do.
My brother in Christ the reason the new Toho movies even exist is because of how successful the MV Godzilla movies are, it convinced Toho that the Godzilla franchise is worth making again
@sneakysnake7695 nah, Godzilla as a franchise would never die, it.just sped up how soon they came back. Just like the 1998 movie. Don't get me wrong, the Monsterverse is successful, but that doesn't mean it's perfection or amazing.
@@sneakysnake7695 and they embarrased Hollywood by making a better movie with less than $15 million than Hollywood has produced in the last few years with their $200 million budgets. AND unlike Hollywood they didn't shove the woke agenda down our throats!
To be fair, I don’t think the atomic bombs were _that_ asymmetrical. Yes, they nuked and killed hundreds of thousands, but consider the alternative. Although Japan was clearly losing, they weren’t planning on going down without a fight. Everyone, down to women and children, was prepared to fight and die for their country and emperor. Operation Downfall, the planned alternative to the atomic bomb, was the plan for the full scale invasion of Japan. It had casualties projected to hundreds of thousands on the Allied side, and *millions* on the Japanese side. The atomic bombs were the lesser of two evils. One to show we can do it, and the second to show that we can continue to do so. It’s horrific, but in the end worthwhile. It showed the horrors of nuclear war, and saved millions in the process… even to today. Imagine if we hadn’t used it. We might’ve used it later down the road, given that Hiroshima and Nagasaki weren’t bombed, serving as an example of that horror. I believe it was a necessary part of the end of WWII.
wow this video is actually like fantastic my only problem is the thumbnail it seems like it was going to be more of an anti woke video about how godzilla is owning woke Hollywood but no it's a genuine video essay that talks about a genuine good movie
Yea I hate those videos because Instead of talking about the actual movie they tend to only focus on hollywoods detriment and marvel and blah blah lol while all that is true I just want people to appreciate the movie for what it is not for what it specifically does in defeating “woke Hollywood”
I was 13 years old. When did the very first Star Wars film came out. I came of age in a decade that produced some of the greatest films in history. I can tell you exactly why Hollywood creates such awful films these days: it’s because Hollywood is now controlled by people who are consumed by radical leftist ideology. When they make a film these days, their top priority is to preach a message of diversity, inclusion and equality. These people believe that America is a racist, patriarchical, xenophobic, homophobic, greedy, and racist nation. Therefore they see themselves as the gatekeepers of virtue; and it is their highest calling to educate the ignorant audiences of our moral failures. Hollywood is filled with emotionally broken, narcissists who live in an echo chamber; and have therefore lost touch with the real world. The fact that the Japanese were able to produce such a beautiful film should not come as any surprise. Unlike Hollywood, they don’t hate their own country; and they are not obsessed with identity politics and virtue signaling. You know that nagging feeling you have when you watch Hollywood films; that they’re talking down to you or trying to preach a message to you? You won’t have that feeling when you walk out of Godzilla Minus One. Those filmmakers had an agenda to create art; not propaganda. It really is as simple as that.
Godzilla Minus One is a masterpiece. I loved this movie the most apart from Godzilla (1954), Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974), Godzilla (2014), and Godzilla, Mothra, Mechagodzilla Tokyo SOS (2003). I loved every Godzilla movie though one way or another, but these are my favorite movies.
This movie showed how you can easily have compelling main humans in a monster movie. Shikishima was great. A very human person who didn't want to kill himself in a kamikaze mission. And he struggled a lot with grief, regret, and trauma. It was easy to feel for how broken he was at times. And yet it also tied his arc nicely to Godzilla. He was always a presence in his story even though he only appeared for key moments. They used hims sparingly but it didn't feel like we were getting cheated. Godzilla was there right in the first few minutes and he was awesome. And he remained awesome every time he appeared!
Godzilla Minus One was the greatest film of the year alongside Oppenheimer, I honestly cant choose between these two, they're both excelent in every way.
@destroyerzilla7634 because it was a resurgence in an American setting, able to appeal to western audiences. It introduced a whole new generation to Godzilla, as many fans in America nowadays haven't even seen a Japanese Godzilla movie.
I went to see Godzilla Minus One in black & white yesterday. I loved it as much as the color version. Godzilla received its first Academy Award this year. It's for visual effects. I really hope team Godzilla wins. I can't wait for the new movie with Godzilla and King Kong coming out in a few months. Go, Godzilla!
Finally, a film reviewer who recognizes the difference between the devastation Tokyo suffered during WWII vs the atomic bombings of Hiroshima & Nagasaki. Much appreciation for the reviewer recognizing the accuracy of the historical narrative. Also, I like the juxtaposition of footage from Oppenheimer with this review of Godzilla Minus One
After seeing this movie I was amazed by how well it was made. You’ve already said a lot so I’ll just say this. I think it’s great how they were able to balance the cool monster action with a relatable human story. It’s nice seeing both done well rather than one being considerably weaker than the other
This movie made me feel FEAR for the first time in any monster movie. And is only possible because of how much we care for devastated broken characters who still hold a will to live and protect what's left. Amazing.
Thank you for not tearing down Legendary Godzilla Franchise, lot of movie critics channel kept bringing down the Legendary Godzilla just because it is Hollywood made, not knowing that They are being made by Toho's blessing as well as are entirely different vibe. You got a new sub in me, thank you for your video~~
If I can add one historical correction, the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (horrific as they will always be), were not unbalanced, at least, not in the way you describe. The Pacific consists of hundreds of small islands, and the Japanese army occupied most of them. In order to reach Tokyo, the Allied forces would have to go through and take control of them all. The islands already taken resulted in 100,000 lives lost already, and that’s only on the Allied side. The generals (who recommended continuing with this approach) advised Truman that this and the eventual invasion of Tokyo, would result in the loss of at least 1 million lives. And again, that’s only on the Allied side, the numbers combined with Japanese casualties would’ve been far greater. 80,000 Japanese people died immediately during the Hiroshima bombing, and 40,000 died immediately during the Nagasaki bombing. 10s of thousands more died later from cancer and other forms of radiation poisoning. As tragic as each of those deaths were (and I suggest watching Barefoot Gen [if you can stomach it, it’s very gruesome] and Grave of the Fireflies to get the full idea of the physical and emotional toll), that’s the choice Truman had to make. He had to weigh the loss of 200,000-300,000 lives against at least 1 million lives. He chose the lesser of two evils, chose the action that would result in fewer lives lost. That’s the burden of leadership, and a decision no one should envy him. Which choice would any of us make in his shoes?
11:04 while I would agree that the Japanese were figuratively “on their knees” at the end of wwii, they were NOT willing to surrender-and I doubt they would have without the bombs. The cultural indoctrination of the MeijiRestoration went so deep that US soldiers witnessed Japanese civilians on Saipan, Okinawa,and other islands committing mass s****** rather than face capture. Survivors testify that those who were unwilling (including Korean prisoners) were “aided” by soldiers, or even their own family members. That’s not even getting into banzai charges and ritualistic s****** within the Japanese army, or kamikazes. So Truman and his military advisors were convinced that an invasion of the Japanese home islands would result in a mass s******* of unprecedented proportions. Meanwhile continuing conventional firebombings would have killed more people. They already HAD killed more people than both of the A-bombs put together ended up killing. If we had more A-bombs developed (we only had 2) we probably could have afforded do do a demonstration blast, which hopefully would have garnered a surrender-but honestly? I dont think so. Even after the first bomb, AND the Soviet invasion, the military government was dragging its feet. It was the cultural leaders of Japan that finally put their foot down and started the debate. EVEN AFTER NAGASAKI, and even under the impression that America had about 100 bombs stockpiled, the council was STILL split 3-3. Only when the emperor was finally consulted as a tiebreaker, did Japan decide to surrender. Finally; the US did not want Soviet Russia to have split control of Japan. They had already begun their invasion. So we needed to end the war FAST. As to why it matters: See how split occupation worked out for East Germany and North Korea. So we did not drop the bombs purely for barbarous revenge. We dropped the bombs for the following reasons: 1) save civilian lives from mass s****** (and prevent American POW’s from being executed en masse) 2) destroy any capacity Japan had to wage war (targets were chosen for their place in the war machine) 3) prevent the Soviets from gaining any control over mainland Japan, and secure America as Japan’s model for rebuilding. (They were too close to California for us to risk communist occupation) 4) prevent the loss of American lives in an invasion (casualties were predicted to be worse than Normandy) 5) yes, avenge the lives lost in Pearl Harbor, as well as those of the tortured and murdered allied POWs. But that was truly a tiny footnote on our list of priorities. 6) show a position of strength at the start of the Cold War. If the Soviets thought we were unwilling to use the bombs ever, they wouldn’t take us seriously in the coming decades. (They already knew we had the bomb) We wanted to avoid the mistakes of WWI and the treaty of Versailles. We wanted Japan to become stable and prosperous, and to become our ally. We had no reason to want to callously destroy them. It’s also worth mentioning that various target cities were warned in advanced via airdropped fliers that they could be the target of a new and destructive bomb. TL;DR: The A-Bombs were necessary and were not simply used for vengeance’s sake.
This is by far the best analysis of Godzilla -1 that I have seen on the internet. And I agree with every one of your interpretations, word for word. Excellent video.
I loved the film, but your harping on America's asymmetrical response is a little misplaced. Pearl Harbor wasn't the only attack on the Allies. Japan's continued barbarity during and before the war was despicable. Remember Unit 731 and their treatment of POWs. Also, they didn't surrender after the first bomb dropped, nor did when hold war crime trials in Japan like the allies did in Europe. The US rebuilt Japan after the war like we rebuilt Europe. How bad would Japan of been off if we had to actually invade?
This essay brilliantly captures the essence of Godzilla Minus One, portraying it as a true masterpiece and a beautiful ode to life and resilience. The inspired writing resonates deeply - one of the best analyses I've come across!
Film of the year definitely. No western identity politics, no annoying human characters, no preaching. Just pure thought provoking fun and it didn't feel like it went through several rewrites, committees and test audience viewings.
You mentioned it but that moment of silence in the theater was absolutely heart-stopping. To have utter silence as the stakes are the highest they've been in the entire film was genius. I was holding my breath. We had been shown the pure and inevitable destruction Godzilla had caused with his atomic breath earlier in the film. They had shown us with Noriko that Godzilla was a force of nature that could take the characters we loved. As he charged up his breath, I had no idea what to expect. I was scared. I felt that if I made a noise, everything would be lost. It was a very powerful scene and to have it end with Kōichi coming in made me want to cheer. I had a genuine attachment to the characters and their stories. It is honestly one of the best movies I have ever seen.
OUTSTANDING!!! Truly a video worthy of its excellent subject matter!!! BRAVO!!! This is the first Godzilla movie I’ve ever seen and clearly THE one to see… it’s on another level!!
Just watched this film a while ago and I gotta say...this is one of the greatest Kaiju films and quite possibly one of the best films ever!. This is just second to the 1954 Gojira film. This was hella impactful and emotionally driven film that added a whole new dimension to a Godzilla film. The human characters were really relatable and really make you care about them more than seeing the Kaiju itself. And man! Godzilla here is relentless and brutal and destructive. Although he really didn't stomp a city that much long but it was enough to see how much of a force of nature he really is. And at the final act of this film I cried. Like legit cried. No monster film has ever done that to me. What I also liked about this film is that it portrays the war veterans as broken and disgusted by what their government did to them. Unlike other Japanese WW2 films that always has the subject of honor and devastation without showing what the soldiers really feel about the war.
SPOILERS: When Sumiko, at the end of the movie, started hitting Shikishima for making her believe that he would commit suicide I almost cried. Her character arc is soooo compelling and well made.
What an great video essay on Minus One! Your video really breaks down what makes the film so great and resonate with those who have had the pleasure to see the masterpiece on the big screen.
Growing up, I was taught to villainize the Japanese for what they did during WWII. Everything from media portrayal to my own grandmother, a Chinese person who lived through hardships due to the war. My grandparents held a grudge up to their death. Of course, being several generations removed I held no grudge towards Japan. But I had a silly notion that there is the “good Japan” that gave me all provide all the great products and tv shows I grew up with, and the “bad japan” who the allies fought against, their soldiers, and the general Japanese population who supported the war. As if there is a point where they switch from bad people to good. As I get older I realize things are more complex, but this movie brilliantly represented the idea that a lot of times the people are dragged along for the ride and even victims themselves. This movie is pretty much my favorite movie of the year.
Godzilla is just winning all around TBH. That's one movie star that deserves his fame. Tired of comic book movies for awhile. Let the monsters have their day..
I'm really late but...I liked Minus One so much more than the American version because they kept it simple...not a thousand subplots... just a simple story.
What did you all think of Godzilla Minus One? 🦖🔥 Comment below!💥 Hope you guys liked the video! I love using Ipsos iSay to earn rewards! Click my link: www.inflcr.co/SHJEn
Loved it so much. With Godzilla 1954 and Shin Godzilla, it's one of the Godzilla movies that are not just the best Godzilla movies, but genuinely incredible movies in their own right. I even get emotional just thinking of Koichi's struggle with shame and war trauma and survivor's guilt.
best movie, I have ever saw
Minus One was boosted by the lackluster domestic offerings. it came out at just the right time and it was actually good.
Its my fav movie of 2023.
I think youre **WAY** off base if you believe that Godzilla is supposed to represent the US, in this movie. On the contrary, in this movie the US represents the US. When Godzilla attacks, Japan is left to its own devices and the US makes lame excuses for not helping out. This is what Japanese people in general (and thus, probably the filmmakers) generally believe about the US. Do you know that as a Japanese taxpayer, more of my money goes to supporting the US military than the average US taxpayer? Japan covers almost all the costs of US bases in Japan. But a lot of people have a sense that the US isnt fully committed to Japan's defense. I dont know if this is the point the movie is trying to make, but I do know that if Godzilla is a metaphor for any geopolitical entity, it isnt the United States.
As for who it is supposed to represent . . . now who might be disturbing sleeping monsters in Japanese islands of the East China Sea ???
I don't even think Tachibana ever represented that "death before surrender" mentality. After inspecting the plane, he empathizes with Shikishima, telling him he knows how futile it is which is also what makes the eject seat twist so good because it very much fits with that moment. His anger was more towards Shikishima's fear to act against Godzilla, when there was a likelihood that that could have saved their crew.
Fun Easter egg: When Tachibana is fixing the plane, he notices the seat has a *German* label on it. Given that the experimental plane was built late in the war effort, it's reasonable that it might have parts from Japan's ally. Thus it contained an ejector seat when Japanese-made cockpit seats did not. I love when details like that are included.
That moment will go down in movie history, like Citizen Kane’s Rosebud or Gone With the Wind’s “I’ll never go hungry again.” We went in for a monster movie…were treated to a timeless masterpiece.
@jts8053 it's a little more complicated than that. Which makes that detail even more fascinating. That statement that doc makes in his speech about the failings of the government "they gave our pilots planes without ejector seats" was a necesary pit of exposition to setup the ending. But was historical bullshit. This, the Shinden, was the only Japanese plane with an ejector seat. And the prototypes only ever got a handful of test flights. They likely used seats designed for the Dornier DO 335. Most WW2 aircraft had no need of ejector seats. The pilots simply popped the canopy and fell or were sucked out. But the DO 335 and Shinden had a unique problem. They were pusher props. The spinning propeller was behind the pilot. The first ejector seats were designed to get the pilots clear of that. The Dorniers system also had a sequence of timed charges that blew the rear prop off the plane before launching the pilot. I dont know if the Shinden had that feature. Not a lot of details are known about the actual Shindens as built. Only 2 or 3 prototypes were known to have been built. And all were destroyed in the Japanese Military's purge of secrets following the surrender , but before the Americans arrived.
but we know how absurd the notion that a machine-gun on a japanese WWII plane would have done anything to gojira, given the weaponry we see it withstanding - would have been futile, just like a kamikaze mission against a random american battleship
@@helvete_ingres4717I think it was just to get Godzillas attention to get him more to chase the plane to the sea to commence the plan
I loved how every single character was given their due. When 'Kiddo' came back with a tow fleet in the most dire moment like Han Solo in Star Wars I had happy tears in my eyes.
But if they hadn't needed him he'd just be in the way :-) Also how did they tie up the ships so quickly??
I was so afraid he'd sacrifice himself like a dumbass, but everyone survived 😢
I was grinning from ear to ear when I saw it.
@@pianoman8642not surprising to me because i saw pier workers tie big ropes before a big ass ships docks plus its a movie it would honestly take time
Same here 🥹
Minus One was such a breath of fresh air in the franchise. It was so awesome seeing Godzilla as the nearly unstoppable antagonist and not portrayed as some sort of anti-hero that causes destruction but for a good cause. Godzilla actually had scale and was truly shown to be as large and terrifying as he was supposed to be. I actully felt fear in some of the moments of the movie especially when he was on land. One of the best Godzilla films in a decade.
Hmm... Heisei iteration of anti-hero was good because Godzilla wasn't acting for good cause. He was just acting in self-defence and happened to save humanity only because their doings were stupid and posed a threat to themselves. Which unlike the American movie stupidity was not bad movie idea at all, since highly competent people do stupid things like in the Heisei series.
One of current threats is genetically modified rice that is supposed to be easy to grow in Africa. Can you imagine yet further demographic explosion and destruction of local environment this may cause? We've already seen exacty same backfire with Green Revolution in India. Instead of ending hunger, it increased the number of people suffering from it. There is nothing more dangerous than a highly accomplished scientist who thinks he can solve humanity's problems with technological invention while completely ignoring human mentality.
@@piotrmalewski8178 Corruption and greed doomed the "Green Revoltuion" Taking land from indeginous people to use hi-Tech chemicals to make food faster and cheaper always create a toxic waste by product that is pumped backed into the very soil. The soil becomes toxic and useless. The Green revoltion would have worked if the "Human element" was used and not chemicals, and not greed for the profits that were predicted to come (Pesticide companies, Companies with mechanized tools to do the work, instead of human touch and love) sorry Im off topic, but Godzilla movies always reference human flaws perfectly which create and cause forces of nature to run amok!
@@piotrmalewski8178 lol Hollywood hater clown😂😂 in monsterverse also Godzilla is a force of nature and is just here to bring balance and what do u want just mindless monster stomping everything for fun?? 😂😂
Give Shin Godzilla a watch, a bit heavy on criticism for Bureaucracy but it’s one of my favorite depictions of the G Man
Not to be rude, but like HOW DID YOU MISS SHIN GODZILLA??? Like the video literally talks about it, it's not even that breath of fresh air, Toho has been leaning on it for a while now.
Godzilla Minus One was the first film that made me openly ugly cry in the theatres. And I don't consider myself as a hard-core fan of the IP the way some of my friends are. I went to see Minus One mostly because I was bored. I wasn't on the hype train for it at all. It ended up becoming a masterpiece and I wish I could experience the blind viewing like I did 2 weeks ago again.
same exact situation with me.
See it again when it is released in Black and White .
@@16FEETis that happening? That'd be so cool
@darraghbrowne8478 confirmed in Japan, not sure about anywhere else though.
Ya the moment Shikishima found out his wife has SOMEHOW survived I shed manly tears.
I’ve been a fan of Godzilla since I was five. This franchise means the world to me. Even when the Monsterverse started the hype was not like it is right now. It’s so cool seeing that love being shared by so many. The take though that this is the first Godzilla movie with good human characters... it breaks my heart. It’s just not true and Godzilla movies are so much more than just Godzilla.
I love that in the novel on Odo island, Godzilla sees that he didn’t shoot him in his plane so he didn’t attack him. I love that detail.
the old stop motion godzilla movies from the past were never even watchable. low budget movies arent worth watching nor even wasting your time on
@@nomercyinc6783 they're not even stop motion. Stop wasting everyone's time with your braindead takes
@@nomercyinc6783None of them were stop motion, they were suitmation. The Original is a timeless classic tho!
@@nomercyinc6783also the 1954 godzilla movie has good human characters. The others have good action scenes, or unfortunate deaths like in 1995 or Godzilla flying.
Ik hesei isn't rlly an old one I just had no other examples
@@nomercyinc6783lol what? You've obviously never seen them if you call them stop motion lmao
It was a very human story, you did not have to be Japanese to understand the tone or the message of blind loyalty for a nation, or the power of doing the right thing when it really counts. And of course Godzilla was just...incredible in this film, the city destruction scene with his atomic breath was absolutely amazing.
This is one of the reasons why I absolutely love this film: everyone is able to deconstruct this film into a series of messages and interpretations in a way that is completely different than someone else, yet every different interpretation can be right. The amount of depth, timelessness, and universality of this film just blows my mind. The interpretation of the beginning representing Pearl Harbor is something that I would never have thought of, and is completely different from my interpretation of it just being a masterful tone setter and exposition for the movie, yet both interpretations can be completely right. A movie with this much depth in its morals and messages is something that I hardly remember another movie achieving, furthering my love for this movie
I doubt his America-centric interpretation is what the filmmaker was intending. That said, he had a few good points even if (assuming I'm on the right track), they were more coincidental than purposeful. It kind of reminds me how after the Lord of the Rings movies, I heard people speculate on what the ring represented, often naming specific things. But my take was that it was just a representation of the thirst for power, in an abstract form rather than anything specific.
My film of the year man. Minus one is currently tied for me as the best Godzilla movie of all time next to Godzilla 54. Probably even favorite movie of all time. As a lifelong Godzilla fan I couldn’t be more happy with how it turned out. And I’m so happy it’s getting the recognition it deserves.
True bro I totally agree with you 😇😇
I really loved getting a look at post war japan, how they felt, seeing them come out of a culture that worshipped death to build a new culture that valued life, seeing them rebuilding Tokyo. Such a beautiful film.
The japanese empire committed many atrocities in world war 2 including genocide
Seeing how many Japanese people have worked themselves to death for the sake of their company, I don't think they have actually reached that point yet.
Why do you think the Japanese culture before the end of the was worshipped death? When cultures deify their rulers, nothing shows more loyalty than the sacrifice of self and brutality against anyone not of the culture. You see it in the inhumane actions of tyrants such as Hitler, Lenin, Stalin, Pol Pot, and Mao Zedong as well as current leaders of multiple countries. Sacrifice of self is still considered noble in almost all cultures best said “as the needs of the many outweighing the needs of the few.” The absolute representative of “the many” being one’s government. “Death before dishonor” is NOT worshipping death.
Yeah after murderer USA genocided innocent civilians by dropping bombs
@@jpbaley2016 if youve already lost, the sacrifice acheives nothing, its not honorable its a waste of life.
I've seen this movie three times now. This movie is a goddamned masterpiece and I couldn't get enough of it. I cried at certain points and Godzilla was genuinely frightening. When the movie comes out, I'm getting the 4K Steelbook if it gets produced.
I haven't bought a Blu-Ray in ages... but Minus One is going on the shelf, for sure.
I agree it's so incredible. I've only seen it once so far though but I definitely wanna pick up a 4K release too.
@@vintageswiss9096same
This movie was just beautiful it was equal parts compelling war drama, disaster movie and jaws all rolled into one
I honestly take any chance I get to see this movie. Toho, PLEASE release this movie on home video I would pay top dollar just to be able to watch this whenever I want to.
One small thing, Tachibana did not invent the ejector seat in the plane. It was a prototype model created near the end of the war "full of new innovations" that never flew in combat. It already had an ejector seat and there's a scene where Tachibana notices it after he arrives but before the final 0800 hours. He likely made it functional, but he did not invent the idea of an ejector seat to save Shikishima
It was actually imported from Germany as evidenced by the writing on it. I don't think the movie made it clear if Tachibana installed it or if it was already installed.
I think the movie just assume people know about it, not giving further explanation.
@@kkobayashi1 Yep, ejection seats as we know them today were first developed by Germany and Sweden during WWII. While the real life Shinden didn't have an ejection seat, it's a very appropriate and fitting element of historical fiction / artistic liberty for it to have a German one.
28:12 i swear to god the only moment in the movie where i teared up was the old man and doc telling the kid not to come and saying "we leave the future to you."
The single thought I had after seeing this movie is if one removed the monster from the story, there would still have been a compelling story to watch. It humanizes the Japanese from that period in way for American audiences that I don't think has been done to such a great extent before. The big guy doesn't even get a whole lot of screen time. Most of the film follows the three main characters and the movie is framed around their plight to survive post war Japan. That had a natural advantage of keeping costs down. (it only cost 15 million to make, even with some of the best CGI to come out of Japan) But that also kept the focus on the characters. The human story is what made this move great.
Every single person I know who has seen this movie - including people who are not necessarily monster movie fans - have all said it was fantastic. If GZMO is nominated for Best Picture, that would be a first and one worth celebrating!
Since viewing this film, I have been obsessed with all the UA-cam reviews that have been made analyzing it. There are many great vids out there, but yours is one of the best breakdowns providing great insights as to the various characters, their motives and what they actually represent. This is truly a great film worthy of such in depth analysis! Best Picture of 2023 imho.
This is the first Godzilla movie where I felt truly invested in the characters. It's easily my favorite movie of 2023!
I'm not even a huge zilla fan, but this was absolutely one of my favorite monster movies of all time.
It's right up there with Jaws and Jurassic Park for me...
Amen to that.
Not to gripe, but it’s Godzilla, Zilla is the 1998 version from Tri star
@@linnick4393yeah zilla refers to that one movie Godzilla fans acknowledge but don't see as cannon.
@@linnick4393 I think the commenter is abbreviating like as in {‘zilla}
@@linnick4393Nah the 1998 & animated are count as Godzilla.
The one who appear on 2004 final war are zilla
This is a golden age of Godzilla content and as a life long fan, that makes me happy
Hopefully this film moves beyond being "content" and becomes a classic.
@@toskvisionyeah, it’s real art, not content. Marvel is content. I hate the word content.
I was floored by Minus-1. They adhered to Japanese history (well outside of Godzilla of course) very closely for the hellscape that was firebombed Tokyo in 45'.
45'-47' was incredibly hard for the Japanese. The B-29's were methodically flattening and firebombing one city after another. Atom bombs droped on Nagasaki and Heroshima were at the end of a yr and a half of continuous bombing.
I'll probably watch it 3-4 times just to look at the sets...EVERYTHING was just perfect and i found myself wanting to stop the movie and play over again some great scene...amazing.
I know WW2 history of war in the Pacific very well and the thoughts and emotions of the Japanese veterens was 100% dead on as portrayed in the movie.
WW2 is like some kind of legendary tale, like the Greek Iliad.
I want to add though that Japan brought the war onto themselves. The Japanese officer and political class made one psychotically bad decision after another. Even after two nuclear bombs, the fire-bombing of Tokyo, hundreds of thousands of useless military deaths some politicians and the younger officer class tried to stop the Emperor and his ministers from surrendering...they wanted everyone in the military and all 100 million citizens to fight America and Britain to the last person mostly dying in suicide attacks...men, women and children all attacking the allies in suicide attacks.
Anyway, how did i get on this. Great movie!!
Yeah I have a cursory understanding but as far as I understood the military and political class basically refused to give up and it would have costed millions more lives so America decided to strike the fear of god into the emperor with the Nukes. Unfortunately though it was on civilians.
No， it's only test of Abom .
Tachibana's blame of Shikishima for not firing on Godzilla is rendered 1000% more effective *because* he first said that he knew Shikishima had abandoned his duty to die and was on his side and that Japan needed more men like him. That dying for a lost cause was pointless, but then in that moment when the threat was there and real that Shikishima could not act and so was to blame for their deaths really made it more powerful and poignant.
Minus one had such an impressive screenplay. It was clean, effective and perfect rise of tension. Add the amazing acting , score and effects, this is one of the greatest films I've seen in years
yep that screenplay is as tight as you can get. Should be used for screenwriting class.
Let’s not forget the fact DISARMED warships sink Godzilla with a SCIENTIFICALLY ACCURATE weight belt that actually makes sense?
@@IronWarhorsesFun I really enjoyed that they let the plan be "science-y". Usually movies either go super simplistic, or so overly complex that they're really telling you to not think about it too hard. Instead, we get a neat plan involving freon gas preventing buoyancy, and rapid pressure changes (in both directions). It makes the film feel like it respects the audience's intelligence, and explains it clearly while never "talking down" to us.
The score in this movie is flawless
As someone who's in college to be a middle school English and History teacher, this analysis got me really interested in seeing the movie. I was wondering why it was getting such good reviews all around, but now I get it. It truly seems like a work of art in storytelling, special effects, etc.
Please don’t teach your students this revisionist history anti-American garbage though
Okay, so I'm a bit of a military historian and I've got to tell you. You're wrong. At around the 11:00 you started talking about the atomic bombs being unbalanced, but at the time they were dropped the Japanese military weren't willing to stand down. So for the US it was either the bomb or a costly manned invasion. One that could have cost both sides countless most lives than even the bombs. Just remember the only reason we dropped bomb 2 is that bomb 1 wasn't enough to get them to stand down. No I think that the movie was a major condemnation of the Japanese government's obstenence and lack of care over their own people's lives. It also addresses the overall suffering caused by war.
That's what I thinking too. I'm not much of a history buff but I do remember that much. The emperor and military brass weren't going to stop for anything. We had to get the point across somehow without a mainland invasion.
Exactly
Also the movies are not about the atomic bombs. They were about the sir raid that burned down much of Tokyo. You didn't have people running for safety and trying to get away from an atomic bomb - the destruction was instant. The people trying to escape the firestorm while death rained down from above - that is what Godzilla represents.
More people died in the Tokyo attack than were killed by either atomic bomb. The area destroyed in Tokyo was more than the area destroyed by both atomic bombs.
Godzilla Minus One was incredibly good. As I sat watching it, I felt fear, apprehension, anger, sympathy, and a host of other emotions. I cried several times. No other movie this year made me feel this way. A+++
The craziest thing for me is the budget. There has been a trend lately where movies were getting more and more expensive, and many equate higher production cost to higher quality. This movie proves them wrong.
It's insane how they managed to make a movie this good and that looks this great with a budget that is 15x smaller than the first avengers movie.
I'm no hardcore Godzilla fan, but I have enjoyed watching the films & cartoons growing up. Gave to say Minus one is a bonafide masterpiece. Watched it twice and was engrossed both times. Looking forward to the 4k BR release
The main reason is Hollywood sees Godzilla as simply a monster; whether villainous or heroic it’s just a monster.
Japan, Toho studios, treats Godzilla as what it truly is. An unstoppable force of nature. Like an earthquake or a tsunami, the only certain way to not get killed by Godzilla is to not be in its path. Sure, most of the Showa era wee the equivalent of WWE wrestling matches but, even then, the only way to defeat a monster is with another monster and God help us all.
funny how legendaries godzilla isnt portrayed as a monster, but as a character thats complex and has depth. If you think otherwise then youre just biased against it lol
2014, the MV in general, has Godzilla portrayed as a force of nature. He caused a tsunami in Honolulu.
Just saw it the other day. Without a doubt one of my favorite Godzilla movies of all time, and the best movie I've seen all year.
This is one of the best Godzilla Minus One reviews out around due to the way it breaks down real human elements of past events.
This movie has really sparked up the conversation surrounding the human suffering just as much as Godzilla himself.
Though asymmetrical, the alternative of an invasion with a death toll in the many millions of Japanese people alone as they are being forced to fight to the last on home soil is infinitely worse than the one to three hundred thousand total deaths from both atomic blasts and radiation. The sheer shock of such a devastating weapon was finally enough for the emperor to finally stand up to his military and call an end to the war.
The sudden end also kept the Soviets from landing on Japan which was not afar off. Thus saving japan from the fates of Korea and Vietnam.
Yeah I think people don’t realize the thought that went into the decision to use such a devastating weapon, it really was a Gambit that likely prevented more deaths in the long run but definitely not without a heavy heart.
@@VainSick Also one big point I don't think people consider is the world going into the Cold War without truly understanding the devastating effects nuclear weapons could have when used on civilian populations.
Exactly, the revisionist history that Japan was “on its knees” ready to surrender was pretty nauseating
Godzilla Minus One is one of my absolute favorite films of the year! This movie was so good that I immediately watched the original 1954 film on Max after I came home for seeing this film. It might have made me a Godzilla fan after all, and I’m shocked I’m saying that!
Godzilla Minus One works so well because it is a simple, classic story executed incredibly well- be it the pacing, soundtrack, effects or the human drama, it was simply perfectly done, it made you invested emotionally despite also making the action itself enjoyable. It reminded me of 90s movies like Jurassic Park where it's about personable people surviving sheer terror, there was spectacle but also subtext on the human condition that made you care and think.
For Japan, which is surrounded by the sea, war is a terrifying thing that comes from the sea. Japanese people do not think of Godzilla as a hero in the simple way that Americans do. Just like war, it is a terrifying existence that comes from the sea. That's why Godzilla was depicted as a symbol of anti-war and anti-nuclear forces.
Look, Toho turned Godzilla into a hero, exactly in 1964.
All the monsterverse does is exactly, bring back the various characterizations created by Toho.
Which is ironic seeing as that very sea war comes from is the very thing that protected them for millennia from any military threats
@@destroyerzilla7634 Godzilla turning into a hero is a reflection of Japanese post-war culture of the 60s. The 60s was a booming time for Japan, both it economy and population. The chaos and guilt of the 1950s had already past. Don't do the Showa films a disservice by saying they were campy, goofy, and silly without understanding the context of the culture of the era. Godzilla becoming a hero to children's eyes in the 60s was a sign that Japan had moved on from the nuclear metaphor and saw Godzilla as a representation of something else for the new generation.
"Japanese people do not think of Godzilla as a hero" Tell that to literally any Godzilla movie after the third one. Like, Godzilla IS a hero, especially to Japanese people.
90% of the godzilla films where goji is potrayed as a hero, or anti-hero, or "protector" are made by Toho.
while i agree with the interpretation of godzilla being americas retaliation, i also do think on a bit of a surface level that godzilla is a victim just like the civilians in hiroshima and nagasaki and is the represantation of their hatred, something close to godzilla gmk but having godzilla be closer the 1954, and i like the fact that the human and monster here feel just as importent in this movie while most is just the monster, definetily top 3 godzilla films
I have been a Godzilla fan for over a decade, since I was 8 years old before the release of the 2014 film. I have dozens of figures, statues, and other merchandise from Japan. I have always loved the original Japanese films more than the American films. Toho has made over thirty films, and after seeing every single one since a young age, this film has to be the best one since the original. I have always adored the monster fights (from Godzilla Raids Again to Godzilla Final Wars) don't get me wrong, I was a child, but there is something more than just a giant monster, which is what I have always loved about the Japanese Godzilla. Godzilla being an allegory back in 1954 for the nuclear fallout and the destruction of human nature is what made him, which is what makes is so tragic. Like the original, Godzilla Minus One capture's what made the original so impactful, and this is why it is now my favorite of the Toho series next to the original masterpiece. If you have not seen the film, I highly recommend it, because you don't need any prior knowledge on the series to understand this one. There are some callbacks to the original 1954 film though, which if I were to recommend anything, I would watch that before going into this.
After the Godzilla x Kong Trailer
Matt Frank (a very talented Artist) wrote on Social Media that we are now in the Neo-Showa-Era
GxK couldn’t even shine -1’s shoes
@@JCDenton95 - Sorry ? What ?
Matt Frank’s work is legendary
Absolutely. You can tell that Legendary is going down more the “fun route” instead of making Godzilla darker and more serious.
I don’t mind this change. I think it is a good idea to take seperate approaches. But they should keep the story more concerned to Godzilla and Kong’s lives (as they did in GvK) since they’re not the greatest at designing humans.
Isn't this still Reiwa?
I loved the film and also this review. I cannot remember being moved by a movie like this in decades. It truly was a special moment in my life! Hard to say that about a movie. Every emotion in me was stirred. This review opened my eyes to many aspects of the film I had not considered. I have a feeling this film will be studied and cited for many years to come much like the original '54 film has been. I'm ready to watch it for a third time at the theatres.
Facts my man. One of the only movies in the entire series I can remember where you see just how vulnerable a character is and how much is really riding on every single action he takes. Other movies you can get attached to the human characters for story or political reasons or even some form of emotional attachment, but this one you actually fear for the main character and everyone else. The scoring, oh my god the music was so god damn good.
This movie moved me to tears. This was such an amazing film. Bravo Godzilla my old friend, bravo💐
while i did really love Shin's ham-fisted satire and political commentary (especially with Anno's trademark flairs), the speech the doctor gives in Minus One about wanting no lives to be lost hit like a freight train
by the end, every single human character in Minus One is motivated by raw humanity
Minus One magnificent as a Godzilla movie, but it's equally as magnificent as a movie about humanity
Have never seen nor even been tempted to see a Godzilla movie …. until yesterday!! It only just came out here and I rushed out to see it in the best Dolby cinema I could … Wooowww!!! I LOVED it!! I cried!! I wanna go again today!!!
One of the many things I like about the movie is that there's enough time for you to care about the characters
Half of the movie is action, and the other half is getting to know these characters and getting enough time to care about them and WANT them to succeed
“You should be proud of not serving”
“We leave you the future”
These lines were 🔥 this movie is deep for a Kaiju movie. You can tell it was made by Japanese.
Toho also really cares about their characters like other Japanese movie companies. This means that they care about the Godzilla lore, and they also care agout the fans (most of the time, although the only time they took down stuff that uses Godzilla without license are so far from big companies, they haven't even attacked a fan game yet).
This video verbally articulated everything I felt when walking out of the theater from this movie on my first viewing. Thank you for this.
Hi from Tokyo, I can't wait to see black and white ver.of " Gozira -1/C" coming next month in Japan!
Very good vid but the main character isnt haunted for not carrying out his kamikaze mission. His own parents told him to come home alive. Hes haunted from those mechanics who persished on the island the first time Godzilla appeared. Blaming himself for their deaths.
Okay, y’all have convinced me to go see minus one in theaters…can’t wait…!✌🏽✨
You won't regret it.
One thing about Tachibana's reaction to Shikishima's resolve to kamikaze Godzilla. I read their initial reunion that Tachibana was on board with Shikishima's resolve. It wasn't until Tachibana inspected the plane and its built in ejector seat that he realized that there was another way for them to fight. Tachibana before the the first Godzilla encounter was an optimistic man who understood and valued someone who valued their lives over blindly dying in a war. After the first attack, he had regressed and pinned all of the blame on Shikoshima for the engineers' deaths. Tachibana had then kept that bitterness for years and when Shikishima bombarded him with the slanderous letters, he took the bait and was then brought in to fix up the prototype at which point he learned of a way to save Shikishima while maintaining the solution Shikishima developed.
I can not explain just how happy it makes me to see Godzilla doing so well. I have been a long time fan since I saw the US release of the 1954 movie in the mid 1980s as a child. And seeing both Legendary as well as ToHo bringing out two totally different sides of Godzilla, at the same time, and I absolutely love both!
Same here. The name Godzilla still lives till now. That is why he is the King!!!
This movie is SO good and such a powerful message from the Japanese people that, at the very least, it deserves a Best Picture nomination to point of where if it's snubbed, I would just see that as the continued institutional racism of the Academy past all it's racial pandering by elitists in the industry.
Not sure if it’s been commented but am I the only one who thinks that Oppenheimer and minus one are a great movie combo to watch back to back? Oppenheimer and then minus one to get a single great movie.
I am a more recent fan of Godzilla but a long time movie buff. I had few expectations going into watch Minus one. It shattered my expectations and is solidly one of the best movies I have seen.
We appreciate these analyses. Helps us understand this whole universe we didn't already know had already existed before time.
I’m not even a Godzilla fan, but this movie made me cry in theaters. It’s so absolutely amazing.
Like, this is one of the few modern movies that I feel *needs* to be seen in a theater. It’s SO good. Live laugh love Godzilla minus one.
This movie was so good it made me cry, not any movie can do that. The last Movie to ever make me cry was Avengers End Game. This movie isn't a Godzilla, no this is a movie about the people of japan, and I love it.
Legendary Godzilla was my first introduction to the franchise and I thought it was ok but as I watched the legendary movies I thought “What was it like before this?” and thankfully Minus One answered my question,the movie showed me what Godzilla was before the American films,he was a allegory for the destruction brought upon by nuclear weapons and humanity’s mistakes in WW2.The movie showed me what Godzilla was before America kinda misunderstood what he was supposed to represent,I’ll never forget the film for it was the one that helped me better understand Godzilla
America understood Godzilla perfectly. You still don't understand Godzilla. If you really looked back at the history you would've understood that America isn't doing something that Japan hasn't already done. He can be many things. He can be a force of nature and he can also play as an anti hero. He was the most popular in Japan as a good guy. Legendary Godzilla mainly serves as a force of nature that only appears to bring balance. As a matter of fact if it wasn't for Legendary revitalizing the franchise Toho would've set on it for another decade. They let the franchise collect dust for 12 years because they didn't think people were interested in it anymore. But Legendary showed them otherwise. I hope you've learned something today.
I apologize my views have changed since I posted this comment I realized that American Godzilla is its own fun thing and shouldn’t be compared to minus since they’re very different films in terms of how they use Godzilla
Im old enough that my childhood unfolded during one of the earlier peaks of kaiju-mania with Godzilla reiging over the whole giant monsterverse. As a result, I will always have a special place in my heart reserved just for Godzilla. After the bitter disappointment of the modern renditions and reimaginings, I am indescribably ecstatic with the awesome reviews Minus One is getting with each new video pushing me further onto the edge of my seat. I have GOT to get my ass to the theater YESTERDAY!
Seen it yet? Whatcha think!!?
Eh if the 2014 Godzilla movie didn't exist then the entire Godzilla franchise will perminently retire so u can thanks monster verse for making Godzilla popular enough that this masterpiece is born
@@pnf404to14 For 15 mil, I don't think it needed U.S. blockbuster promotion..it's a different animal...
@@treestandsafety3996 Toho was literally ready to retire Godzilla if the American failed since after final wars there were very few Godzilla fans
@@treestandsafety3996 although I hate the human character of monsterverse
What made me love this film so much (other than being a long-time Zilla fan since I was 5) was how the monster itself felt like a personal ghost that was haunting Koichi.
Yes, he also represents the terror that was inflicted upon the Japanese people and the USA’s nuclear power. But not matter how many times Koichi thinks he’s finally able to move on and live (get a job, rebuild his house, allow himself to enjoy life), Godzilla comes back and destroys it all. Godzilla represents the haunting survivors guilt that Koichi struggles with throughout the film. And it’s moving that it isn’t until Tachibana, in a way, gives him permission to live his life that Godzilla is defeated. Well, “defeated.”
Astronomical unbalanced? I disagree. They never would have surrendered! But when they knew all of them would be destroyed surrender was the only way you heard me islanders surrender or face butchery just as Nanking faced butchery and your welcome. Fortunately they are the most important allies now
To put it as simply as possible... Hollywood emphasizes spectacle over story.. Toho did the opposite with Godzilla Minus One. They emphasized story over spectacle.
And they weren't shoving THE MESSAGE down our throats like Hollywood tends to do.
And yet, the spectacle still looked f**king amazing, so that's a great bonus, lol.
My brother in Christ the reason the new Toho movies even exist is because of how successful the MV Godzilla movies are, it convinced Toho that the Godzilla franchise is worth making again
@sneakysnake7695 nah, Godzilla as a franchise would never die, it.just sped up how soon they came back. Just like the 1998 movie. Don't get me wrong, the Monsterverse is successful, but that doesn't mean it's perfection or amazing.
@@sneakysnake7695 and they embarrased Hollywood by making a better movie with less than $15 million than Hollywood has produced in the last few years with their $200 million budgets.
AND unlike Hollywood they didn't shove the woke agenda down our throats!
@@Fang1st if you think Toho was never going to make another Godzilla movie you're too stupid to be alive.
This movie was incredible!
To be fair, I don’t think the atomic bombs were _that_ asymmetrical. Yes, they nuked and killed hundreds of thousands, but consider the alternative. Although Japan was clearly losing, they weren’t planning on going down without a fight. Everyone, down to women and children, was prepared to fight and die for their country and emperor. Operation Downfall, the planned alternative to the atomic bomb, was the plan for the full scale invasion of Japan. It had casualties projected to hundreds of thousands on the Allied side, and *millions* on the Japanese side. The atomic bombs were the lesser of two evils. One to show we can do it, and the second to show that we can continue to do so. It’s horrific, but in the end worthwhile. It showed the horrors of nuclear war, and saved millions in the process… even to today. Imagine if we hadn’t used it. We might’ve used it later down the road, given that Hiroshima and Nagasaki weren’t bombed, serving as an example of that horror. I believe it was a necessary part of the end of WWII.
Yup history is complex. Nuance is almost always required if we’re going to have a serious discussion.
wow. totally nailed it. you pretty much summed up every feeling i've been working through since i saw minus one. what a brilliant film.
wow this video is actually like fantastic my only problem is the thumbnail it seems like it was going to be more of an anti woke video about how godzilla is owning woke Hollywood but no it's a genuine video essay that talks about a genuine good movie
Yea I hate those videos because Instead of talking about the actual movie they tend to only focus on hollywoods detriment and marvel and blah blah lol while all that is true I just want people to appreciate the movie for what it is not for what it specifically does in defeating “woke Hollywood”
Thank you man! I really appreciate that. Yeah don't worry not about me of those "anti woke" culture war channels at all lol
I still love that some critics said this movie was a flop…ya nah, miss me with that bs man, this movie was awesome
I was 13 years old. When did the very first Star Wars film came out. I came of age in a decade that produced some of the greatest films in history. I can tell you exactly why Hollywood creates such awful films these days: it’s because Hollywood is now controlled by people who are consumed by radical leftist ideology. When they make a film these days, their top priority is to preach a message of diversity, inclusion and equality. These people believe that America is a racist, patriarchical, xenophobic, homophobic, greedy, and racist nation. Therefore they see themselves as the gatekeepers of virtue; and it is their highest calling to educate the ignorant audiences of our moral failures. Hollywood is filled with emotionally broken, narcissists who live in an echo chamber; and have therefore lost touch with the real world. The fact that the Japanese were able to produce such a beautiful film should not come as any surprise. Unlike Hollywood, they don’t hate their own country; and they are not obsessed with identity politics and virtue signaling. You know that nagging feeling you have when you watch Hollywood films; that they’re talking down to you or trying to preach a message to you? You won’t have that feeling when you walk out of Godzilla Minus One. Those filmmakers had an agenda to create art; not propaganda. It really is as simple as that.
Minus one didn’t have a Godzilla drop kick scene so 9/10
Tru, I'm sure that will come in the Godzilla X Kong movie coming out, so that'll bump up the score a bit, lol.
I hope everyone finally understands why Godzilla is the longest running film franchise in history.
Godzilla Minus One is a masterpiece. I loved this movie the most apart from Godzilla (1954), Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974), Godzilla (2014), and Godzilla, Mothra, Mechagodzilla Tokyo SOS (2003). I loved every Godzilla movie though one way or another, but these are my favorite movies.
This movie showed how you can easily have compelling main humans in a monster movie. Shikishima was great. A very human person who didn't want to kill himself in a kamikaze mission. And he struggled a lot with grief, regret, and trauma. It was easy to feel for how broken he was at times. And yet it also tied his arc nicely to Godzilla. He was always a presence in his story even though he only appeared for key moments. They used hims sparingly but it didn't feel like we were getting cheated. Godzilla was there right in the first few minutes and he was awesome. And he remained awesome every time he appeared!
Godzilla Minus One was the greatest film of the year alongside Oppenheimer, I honestly cant choose between these two, they're both excelent in every way.
I was blown away. Best Godzilla movie of all, and on its own, a GREAT FILM. I cannot believe how low the budget was. Puts Hollywood to shame.
Oh yeah, definitely immediately a top contender for best Godzilla film. I really wish Hollywood would take notes, but... they wont, lol.
@@Fang1st Toho has taken note because its latest films are born from the success of the monsterverse (Hollywood)
a low budget always means poorly paid staff, and this has been happening in Japan since 1970
@@Fang1st Hollywood made Godzilla 2014 one of the five best Godzilla films, and there are more than 30 of them
@destroyerzilla7634 because it was a resurgence in an American setting, able to appeal to western audiences. It introduced a whole new generation to Godzilla, as many fans in America nowadays haven't even seen a Japanese Godzilla movie.
I went to see Godzilla Minus One in black & white yesterday. I loved it as much as the color version. Godzilla received its first Academy Award this year. It's for visual effects. I really hope team Godzilla wins. I can't wait for the new movie with Godzilla and King Kong coming out in a few months. Go, Godzilla!
Finally, a film reviewer who recognizes the difference between the devastation Tokyo suffered during WWII vs the atomic bombings of Hiroshima & Nagasaki. Much appreciation for the reviewer recognizing the accuracy of the historical narrative. Also, I like the juxtaposition of footage from Oppenheimer with this review of Godzilla Minus One
After seeing this movie I was amazed by how well it was made. You’ve already said a lot so I’ll just say this. I think it’s great how they were able to balance the cool monster action with a relatable human story. It’s nice seeing both done well rather than one being considerably weaker than the other
Just came out of the cinema.
What a beast! First time ever I was genuinly scared of Gojira.
This movie made me feel FEAR for the first time in any monster movie. And is only possible because of how much we care for devastated broken characters who still hold a will to live and protect what's left. Amazing.
Thank you for not tearing down Legendary Godzilla Franchise, lot of movie critics channel kept bringing down the Legendary Godzilla just because it is Hollywood made, not knowing that They are being made by Toho's blessing as well as are entirely different vibe.
You got a new sub in me, thank you for your video~~
If I can add one historical correction, the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (horrific as they will always be), were not unbalanced, at least, not in the way you describe. The Pacific consists of hundreds of small islands, and the Japanese army occupied most of them.
In order to reach Tokyo, the Allied forces would have to go through and take control of them all. The islands already taken resulted in 100,000 lives lost already, and that’s only on the Allied side. The generals (who recommended continuing with this approach) advised Truman that this and the eventual invasion of Tokyo, would result in the loss of at least 1 million lives. And again, that’s only on the Allied side, the numbers combined with Japanese casualties would’ve been far greater. 80,000 Japanese people died immediately during the Hiroshima bombing, and 40,000 died immediately during the Nagasaki bombing. 10s of thousands more died later from cancer and other forms of radiation poisoning.
As tragic as each of those deaths were (and I suggest watching Barefoot Gen [if you can stomach it, it’s very gruesome] and Grave of the Fireflies to get the full idea of the physical and emotional toll), that’s the choice Truman had to make. He had to weigh the loss of 200,000-300,000 lives against at least 1 million lives. He chose the lesser of two evils, chose the action that would result in fewer lives lost. That’s the burden of leadership, and a decision no one should envy him. Which choice would any of us make in his shoes?
11:04 while I would agree that the Japanese were figuratively “on their knees” at the end of wwii, they were NOT willing to surrender-and I doubt they would have without the bombs.
The cultural indoctrination of the MeijiRestoration went so deep that US soldiers witnessed Japanese civilians on Saipan, Okinawa,and other islands committing mass s****** rather than face capture. Survivors testify that those who were unwilling (including Korean prisoners) were “aided” by soldiers, or even their own family members. That’s not even getting into banzai charges and ritualistic s****** within the Japanese army, or kamikazes.
So Truman and his military advisors were convinced that an invasion of the Japanese home islands would result in a mass s******* of unprecedented proportions. Meanwhile continuing conventional firebombings would have killed more people. They already HAD killed more people than both of the A-bombs put together ended up killing.
If we had more A-bombs developed (we only had 2) we probably could have afforded do do a demonstration blast, which hopefully would have garnered a surrender-but honestly? I dont think so. Even after the first bomb, AND the Soviet invasion, the military government was dragging its feet. It was the cultural leaders of Japan that finally put their foot down and started the debate. EVEN AFTER NAGASAKI, and even under the impression that America had about 100 bombs stockpiled, the council was STILL split 3-3. Only when the emperor was finally consulted as a tiebreaker, did Japan decide to surrender.
Finally; the US did not want Soviet Russia to have split control of Japan. They had already begun their invasion. So we needed to end the war FAST. As to why it matters: See how split occupation worked out for East Germany and North Korea.
So we did not drop the bombs purely for barbarous revenge. We dropped the bombs for the following reasons:
1) save civilian lives from mass s****** (and prevent American POW’s from being executed en masse)
2) destroy any capacity Japan had to wage war (targets were chosen for their place in the war machine)
3) prevent the Soviets from gaining any control over mainland Japan, and secure America as Japan’s model for rebuilding. (They were too close to California for us to risk communist occupation)
4) prevent the loss of American lives in an invasion (casualties were predicted to be worse than Normandy)
5) yes, avenge the lives lost in Pearl Harbor, as well as those of the tortured and murdered allied POWs. But that was truly a tiny footnote on our list of priorities.
6) show a position of strength at the start of the Cold War. If the Soviets thought we were unwilling to use the bombs ever, they wouldn’t take us seriously in the coming decades. (They already knew we had the bomb)
We wanted to avoid the mistakes of WWI and the treaty of Versailles. We wanted Japan to become stable and prosperous, and to become our ally. We had no reason to want to callously destroy them.
It’s also worth mentioning that various target cities were warned in advanced via airdropped fliers that they could be the target of a new and destructive bomb.
TL;DR: The A-Bombs were necessary and were not simply used for vengeance’s sake.
This guy gets it
@@teddyobrien4801 I’m a woman, but thank you!! I’ve studied this for a long time.
Well said
This is by far the best analysis of Godzilla -1 that I have seen on the internet. And I agree with every one of your interpretations, word for word. Excellent video.
I loved the film, but your harping on America's asymmetrical response is a little misplaced. Pearl Harbor wasn't the only attack on the Allies. Japan's continued barbarity during and before the war was despicable. Remember Unit 731 and their treatment of POWs. Also, they didn't surrender after the first bomb dropped, nor did when hold war crime trials in Japan like the allies did in Europe. The US rebuilt Japan after the war like we rebuilt Europe. How bad would Japan of been off if we had to actually invade?
Thank you for making this. Your script writing and storying telling skills are top notch. You just earned another subscriber
Thank you!
This essay brilliantly captures the essence of Godzilla Minus One, portraying it as a true masterpiece and a beautiful ode to life and resilience. The inspired writing resonates deeply - one of the best analyses I've come across!
Film of the year definitely. No western identity politics, no annoying human characters, no preaching. Just pure thought provoking fun and it didn't feel like it went through several rewrites, committees and test audience viewings.
You mentioned it but that moment of silence in the theater was absolutely heart-stopping. To have utter silence as the stakes are the highest they've been in the entire film was genius. I was holding my breath. We had been shown the pure and inevitable destruction Godzilla had caused with his atomic breath earlier in the film. They had shown us with Noriko that Godzilla was a force of nature that could take the characters we loved. As he charged up his breath, I had no idea what to expect. I was scared. I felt that if I made a noise, everything would be lost. It was a very powerful scene and to have it end with Kōichi coming in made me want to cheer. I had a genuine attachment to the characters and their stories. It is honestly one of the best movies I have ever seen.
This film is the first one to make me go to the cinema after a long time.
OUTSTANDING!!! Truly a video worthy of its excellent subject matter!!! BRAVO!!! This is the first Godzilla movie I’ve ever seen and clearly THE one to see… it’s on another level!!
We talkin about America being cruel like Japan wasn't torturing, raping and slaughtering innocent people just as much as the Nazis were.
Just watched this film a while ago and I gotta say...this is one of the greatest Kaiju films and quite possibly one of the best films ever!. This is just second to the 1954 Gojira film. This was hella impactful and emotionally driven film that added a whole new dimension to a Godzilla film. The human characters were really relatable and really make you care about them more than seeing the Kaiju itself. And man! Godzilla here is relentless and brutal and destructive. Although he really didn't stomp a city that much long but it was enough to see how much of a force of nature he really is. And at the final act of this film I cried. Like legit cried. No monster film has ever done that to me.
What I also liked about this film is that it portrays the war veterans as broken and disgusted by what their government did to them. Unlike other Japanese WW2 films that always has the subject of honor and devastation without showing what the soldiers really feel about the war.
SPOILERS:
When Sumiko, at the end of the movie, started hitting Shikishima for making her believe that he would commit suicide I almost cried. Her character arc is soooo compelling and well made.
What an great video essay on Minus One! Your video really breaks down what makes the film so great and resonate with those who have had the pleasure to see the masterpiece on the big screen.
Sorry Nolan but Godzille Minus One takes the 👑
Idgaf what hollywood thinks at their awards. Godzilla wins.
Growing up, I was taught to villainize the Japanese for what they did during WWII. Everything from media portrayal to my own grandmother, a Chinese person who lived through hardships due to the war. My grandparents held a grudge up to their death.
Of course, being several generations removed I held no grudge towards Japan. But I had a silly notion that there is the “good Japan” that gave me all provide all the great products and tv shows I grew up with, and the “bad japan” who the allies fought against, their soldiers, and the general Japanese population who supported the war. As if there is a point where they switch from bad people to good.
As I get older I realize things are more complex, but this movie brilliantly represented the idea that a lot of times the people are dragged along for the ride and even victims themselves. This movie is pretty much my favorite movie of the year.
I swear if I hear the word “asymmetrical” again, I’m gonna go crazy.
Godzilla is just winning all around TBH. That's one movie star that deserves his fame. Tired of comic book movies for awhile. Let the monsters have their day..
My favorite movie of the year
I'm really late but...I liked Minus One so much more than the American version because they kept it simple...not a thousand subplots... just a simple story.
A thousand subplots?
The Godzilla of 1954 probably mimics the memory of the horrors of nuclear bombs and indiscriminate bombings in the form of Godzilla.