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Paulina Castro

Jon Beadle

English 115

04, November 2017

Uncovering the Truth

Having seen both the Original Godzilla(1954) and the modern day Shin

Godzilla(2016) there are actually more similarities than differences. In other words Godzilla as a

monster has ultimately remained the same throughout both films. The underlying message that

this movie portrays is the same the only difference is time period they are showing. For instance

Godzilla represents a time of chaos and fear in Japan due to the war and the new nuclear

weapons that were being introduced at the time. From the time the first movie was produced to

the newer film called Shin Godzilla it is has been sixty two years and still it tells the same story.

This is significant because it shows how much technology has advanced in such a short period

of time. We are able to see that in the movie by Godzilla's intensified radiation powers it is

unbelievable what it is able to do. Which represents all the damaged caused by the atomic bomb

and the war.It can destroy a city in a matter of seconds just like a atomic bomb created today can.

This films shows us a part of history and how it is still relevant today as well as it will continue

to be in the future.

Godzilla is more than just a monster, which is why many people like it because they can

relate it to reality. In the original movie Godzilla is a symbolic representation of the war and the

atomic bombs that were first being introduced at that time. It aroused fear and
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concern on the whole idea of nuclear weapons. Godzilla was there to show what those weapons

were capable of doing if they were to be used. It can rip the whole entire nation apart, that is

what people are afraid of because they know how powerful and destructive it can be. Dr.

Serizawa was the hero in the first movie because he invented the oxygen destroyer and saved

everyone's life. He knew how dangerous it could be which is why is got rid of all the evidence so

nobody can ever make anything like it. He did not want it to get into the wrong hands. The

oxygen remover represents the atomic bomb because of the mass of damage it can cause. The

invention of the atomic bomb was just the beginning of a whole new industry it opened doors to

create weapons never thought possible. This can be considered good depending on who is using

it ones man victory is another man lost. This is important to note because it applies to us when

we go to war with other nations. Through Godzilla we are able to see the pain and horror Japan

went during the war. It shows the true impact the atomic bomb had on the world.It only get

worse from there because in the new movie Godzilla is shown to be stronger than ever. The

amount of radiation it can release and thick skin it has means something.

Godzilla evolved just like we have evolved as a country. As the years have gone by the

world has only gotten better and it will continue to improve. Generally speaking that is the goal

in all aspects of life but in this particular situation is can be tricky. Godzilla demonstrates the

speed that we are going at. Which can be scary because what other weapons can possibly be built

that will cause more damage. As technology advances it will only get worse there are no limits to

what can be made. If you thought Shin Godzilla was tough to get through we can only imagine
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what is to come. Godzilla is a reflection of the past, present and future it is inedita vanke if it is

not Godzilla who is around something similar will always be around. Like mentioned in Shin

Godzilla by freezing it humans have accepted that they will have to coexist with it. We have

done the same with all the evil in the world. Even though we wish nuclear weapons and all the

military equipment did not exist it has benefited us at some point. Godzilla can be either viewed

as a good or bad thing depending if you see Godzilla as a hero or enemy. It goes both ways

which is also why it is significant it shines light on a new topic.

As I mentioned previously there are more similarities than differences but people will

argue that a lot has changed. For instance in Shin Godzilla there was more involvement with

other nations as well as political leaders.There was more focus on the political aspect in the

newer film than in the original. Although that is true, that does not take away the significance of

Godzilla because the general message remains the same. Seeing the pressure all leaders were in

made it more realistic and relatable to our time in day. In Shin Godzilla there first resort was to

use military force, they used their best weapons to try to take it down. When they failed they

received help from the United States which is also important to think about. In present time the

U.S is known to be one of the most advanced countries meaning they will be able to take down

Godzilla once and for all. Comparing both films they did use different strategies to take down

Godzilla which made both of them different. That is only due to the time it was taking place

because back then they did not have advanced technology like we do so they were not able to
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incorporate that in the movie. What makes both films different from each other is not the story it

tells but that it up to date. In the article Terror of Tokyo Returns With Shin Godzilla it says

The original Godzilla film was inspired by the nuclear attacks on Japan during WWII. That

comes to shows that obviously the films are going to different to a certain extend because they

filmed it corresponding to what was happening at the time. Regardless of all the the differences

Godzilla will always represent fear one way or another.

When we are in trouble as a whole, for example like everyone in the same state or

country whatever the case might be and we the people cannot resolve it we turn to one group.

That is the government, because it is their duty to protect and serve the people. It is evident in

both films that is the case for the citizens of Japan. Although in the first movie it did not revolve

so much around the government they were still the ones responsible announce any new news.

Just like in Shin Godzilla the pressure was on the government to come up to a solution to the

problem. Everyone puts their faith in them that they will get us through the toughest time. By

including the government in both movies it shows how it is their job to figure it out. It was true

in the original Godzilla and it is still true now.

Both movies result with a happy ending which is that they were able to find a solution

to stop Godzilla. In both movies Godzilla destroyed cities, killed people, and released radiation.

The storyline for both movies are the same everything happens in the same order. Therefore

Godzilla has not changed it has stayed the same. It is very clear when we compare everything in

the movie. The way it starts to the way ends it is similar. The only difference is that Shin

Godzilla is updated so we will see things that did not exist in Original Godzilla. As well as things
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that were happening at the time. It would not make sense to see all the advanced military

weapons in the Original Godzilla because they did not have that yet. What they did have was

other military force so that is equakviantet to the what they used in the new movie. Small things

like that are what essentially make the movie different. Other than that it does not change the

significance of the movie overall.

Ultimentaly Godzilla has a meaningful message, you just have to look outside the box to

truly understand what it is trying to show us. It opens our eyes and makes us aware of the world

around us in a entertaining way. Every Time an image of Godzilla appears people will think of it

more than just an evil monster who is out to get the world. That is one of the reasons Godzilla is

admirable because it is a metaphor. It is safe to say people can view this movie as a history

book. Godzilla is one of those things that will always be significant whether it is now or in the

future is will carry a meaningful meaning with it. Also Godzilla is here to stay just like nuclear

weapons and wars. As much as people would like to get rid of them we can not because it is part

of our lives. It is something we can take back. Lastly, when Godzilla was stopped that showed

when the war ended. Then Shin Godzilla came back, it is a non ending cycle with violence in this

world. Once you think you have put a stop to one thing, right after something else pops up. That

was the point of making another Godzilla movie to a sequence of life scenarios that happening

when dealing with a war. Keep in mind that even though the technology has changed and the

government the simplest but most important has not changed which is the meaning. With that

meaning both the Original Godzilla produced in 1954 and Shin Godzilla in 2016 the gap

difference did not impact the movie as much as most people would think.