While the movie claims to inspire the audience by emphasizing individual strength, it ultimately is nothing more than a war of a defeated nation's revival.
Director Takashi Yamazaki's film "Godzilla Minus One" is one of the most terrifying entries in the "Godzilla" series to date, reminiscent of the first "Godzilla" film.
However, regarding the plot, the movie seems to attempt to give a new nationalist interpretation to post-war Japanese history, which makes me feel uncomfortable.
The setting is post-war Japan.
This Godzilla film is set in wartime and post-war Japan, similar to the original "Godzilla" released in 1954, which was also set in the same era. The depiction of Godzilla can be seen as a return to its roots, portraying the monster purely as a source of terror.
Against the backdrop of its era, the film intricately weaves the theme of war into its narrative. The protagonist, Fusajima, carries the weight of being labeled a "special attack deserter" for surviving by evading combat with Godzilla while his comrades tragically perished. This experience casts a haunting shadow over his psyche, shaping his perspective. As the story progresses, Fusajima reaches a pivotal point where he resolves to sacrifice himself in a bid to vanquish Godzilla. However, at the crucial moment, he undergoes a profound shift in mindset, stepping away from his previous disposition of being ready to easily give up his life.
The debate about the value of life is one of the main themes throughout the movie. Characters in the film collectively condemn the pre-war and wartime national attitudes that disregarded many lives without accountability. Driven by an anti-establishment consciousness, they advocate for cherishing life while fighting Godzilla. The war against Godzilla was also a war to break away from the pre-war militaristic regime and build a new foundation for Japan.
The film's storyline contains a highly implausible premise where despite the imminent threat of destruction, neither the Tokyo Allied Commander nor the Japanese government takes any action against Godzilla. Instead, the response to this threat emerges from individuals outside the official military or governmental spheres who voluntarily join the fight. Each of them feels responsible for their families and lives, and this sense of responsibility becomes their driving force against Godzilla. The active involvement of "civilians" is also related to the break from the militaristic regime mentioned earlier. The old society was centered around the state, while the new society emphasized the civilian population.
The pervasive "romanticism of self-sacrifice" throughout the film.
The portrayal of the "civilian" entity as praiseworthy compared to the "nation" in this film represents an origin myth constructed by retrospectively interpreting post-war Japanese history through a contemporary lens. This myth is underpinned by a particular belief that evokes nationalist sentiments among post-war Japanese individuals. The belief is rooted in the idea that societal improvement doesn't necessarily stem from political movements but rather from the conviction that progress emerges when every individual dutifully fulfills their role. This concept idealizes the contributions of ordinary citizens and emphasizes the collective effort of every individual, fostering a sense of communal responsibility and unity within the society.
Indeed, the characters in the film repeatedly complain about the actions of the nation. However, on the other hand, this does not point toward forcing the nation to come out and confront Godzilla. Instead, it is about the characters taking on the crisis of the nation themselves, while each person does their best.
In this sense, as a Godzilla film produced in Japan, we can also find commonalities with the previous work, "Shin Godzilla," directed by Hideaki Anno. Although "Shin Godzilla" mainly tells the story of active government bureaucrats, and "Godzilla Minus One" mainly relies on civilians, appearing seemingly different, both share a common theme: "When the nation faces a crisis, everyone on the scene must do their part." In "Shin Godzilla," the person who ultimately proposes the plan to defeat Godzilla is usually a low-level bureaucrat who does not participate in national decision-making, while the plan is implemented by on-site forces such as the police, fire brigade, and self-defense forces.
The "romanticism of self-sacrifice" initially appears to oppose national values, yet it ultimately aligns with and reinforces these values. In this film, the attempt to confront Godzilla through individual efforts doesn't fully depart from the practices of pre-war Japan. Former technical sergeant Noda, in his speech, distinguishes the current approach from the wartime period by stating his refusal to recklessly sacrifice lives. However, he still prepares those involved in the battle against Godzilla for potential dire consequences, such as deploying bait troops that tragically result in casualties. Additionally, many civilians engaged in the fight against Godzilla are former military personnel. They express strong support for the weaponry of the old Japanese army, showing enthusiasm for heavy cruisers and new fighter planes that cannot carry large numbers of troops. This paradoxical situation underscores that while there's a reluctance to repeat the wartime practice of thoughtless sacrifice, the actions and sentiments displayed by those involved in battling Godzilla reveal an underlying attachment to and reverence for the military and technological prowess of pre-war Japan. This complex intertwining of values and attitudes persists despite efforts to break away from past practices.
The losers' resurrection battle of men
Therefore, the impression gained from the battle against Godzilla in this film, rather than being the emphasized victory of post-war Japan's new hope in the work, seems more like a resurrection battle for the nostalgic men of pre-war Japan. Surprisingly, only male characters participate in the anti-Godzilla operation. As one of the few female characters, the film's female protagonist is a typical example of the "fridged woman" in feminist commentary.
The concept of the "fridged woman" originated from an American superhero comic where the hero's romantic partner is killed and her body is placed in a refrigerator. This term expanded to describe female characters whose sudden deaths serve solely as a plot device to spur the growth or development of male characters. In "Godzilla Minus One," the female protagonist similarly dies, seemingly sacrificed to motivate the depressed male protagonist in his quest to defeat Godzilla. However, it's revealed in the final scene that she is alive. Nonetheless, the film predominantly centers around the male perspective, framing the narrative and character development through his lens.
Men, including the protagonist, fighting Godzilla might not only be to protect Japan and their families. Japan was completely devastated by the Allies, and reduced to ashes. This was extremely humiliating for the male values; the "Japanese man" was equivalent to being emasculated. However, if men could experience fighting and winning against Godzilla here, they could "stand up" again. Although the beginning of the film starts on a South Seas island, there is no viewpoint that the war was Japan's aggressive war; it only depicts the tragic defeat, which is also one of the influencing factors.
"Godzilla Minus One" stimulates Japanese nationalism. This nationalism is indeed based on the apparent "contemporary political correctness" that respects the individual, as mentioned above. Still, this battle is the resurrection battle of men, which also arouses old nationalism.
In the climax of the film, when the protagonist is in crisis, numerous civilian ships appear in the rescue. This scene is a tribute to Christopher Nolan's "Dunkirk," and it heightens the audience's emotions. However, it should be noted that in the Dunkirk evacuation, a large number of civilian ships risked their lives to rescue Allied soldiers. This was also a war action risking lives to support the "nation" (although there was the righteousness of resisting Nazi aggression).
The dichotomies presented in the film—such as the contrast between the nation and civilians, the mix of disregard and respect for life, as well as the interplay between irresponsibility and awareness—remain intricately intertwined and are not easily separable. Beneath the veneer of nationalism promoted in "Godzilla Minus One," which ostensibly aligns with the contemporary notion of "political correctness" that values individual respect, lurks the underlying slogan of “taking back Japan.”
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