Mise-en-Scene from Gojira (1954)

 Daniel Lavigne

COM126.01

Professor Saphire

23 October 2020

Mise-en-Scene from Gojira (1954)

The 1954 film “Gojira” directed by Ishiro Honda perfectly encapsulates the powerlessness of mankind when faced with forces of nature. In short, “Gojira” is about a fire-breathing behemoth that terrorizes Japan after an atomic bomb awakens it from its centuries-old sleep. On the surface, the film is a typical 1950s science fiction film. However, “Gojira” contains a deeper commentary on the relationship between humanity and nature, warfare, modernization, and the looming dangers of nuclear fallout. The potency of this film’s thematic weight comes from the experience of a country dealing with nuclear devastation first hand. Ishiro Honda is able to convey such dense, and horrifying topics visually through the use of Mise-en-Scene, or the action of staging a scene. Perhaps the most infamous scene in “Gojira” comes from the tragic first encounter Tokyo has with Godzilla. This scene is important to the film, and connects to these complex themes because of its use of lightning, design, composition, and movement.

The lighting and design of Godzilla’s first attack on Tokyo is integral to showing the ferocity and power of this monster. This movie is black and white, and a lot of times, low key lightning is used to blend Godzilla into the sprawling city in the background, and the night sky. It gives the creature contrast and high shadows. The only clear image that showcases the enormity of Godzilla is from the devastating illumination casted by the flames of burning Tokyo. It’s as if Ishiro Honda wanted the monster to only be able to be seen in the face of destruction. Furthermore, the design is also imperative to showcasing the force of nature Godzilla represents. Beautifully crafted miniatures were created to give Godzilla a massive scale. An assortment of military vehicles were shown to show the crumbling of mankind’s technological defenses in the face of nature’s wrath. Godzilla itself looks like a large, dark, dinosaur with large protruding spikes coming out of its back. This compares to Guillermo del Toro's design inspirations to create monsters for “Pan’s Labyrinth” as seen on page 157 of “Looking at Movies”. The lighting and design choices for this scene achieve a horrifying image of a city on the brink of destruction. 

Identically, “Gojira” implements creates an ominous effect from its use of composition and movement. The composition of each frame of this scene is set up in the way to reiterate the destruction a creature of atomic radiation can cause. Godzilla is often displayed near some sort of structure. This constantly reiterated the massive scale and fortitude of the monster. In contrast, humans are shown as tiny ants, or clinging to a miracle from some sort of man made creation. Correspondingly, camera angles are often low and looking up at Godzilla; again to achieve the imbalance of scale between man and beast. Compartievely, the movement within this scene is very much aligned with the themes present in the movie. Godzilla is slow, hulking, and destructive. Each step he takes is another life lost, another building burned, or another disintegration of machinery. Humans run frantically through the streets of Tokyo to try to escape Godzilla’s grasp. Fire dances madly on streets, skyscrapers, and vehicles. Bullets of all shapes and sizes sparkle onto the screen, bouncing off of Godzilla’s skin with no effect. All the movement generates into fear from humanity, and indifference from Godzilla. The camera throughout all of this has little to no movement. It subjects the viewer into the chaos and submerges them into destruction of Tokyo. 

All in all, “Gojira” is a masterful example of how to use Mise-en-Scene to reinforce deeper thematics. The destruction of Tokyo, and the immensity of Godzilla’s thunderous wrath is conveyed through the design, lightning, composition, and movement. Each portion of this scene employs a horrifying experience onto the viewers. In this way, the first attack of “Gojira” is more than an action sequence. It is a scene engrained in commentary to the nature of man, and the destruction of nature.