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Rosalyn Marron

English 115

7 November 2017

Godzilla 1954 and 2016

Godzilla is a monster that originally originated from Japan. The first movie of Godzilla

was Gojira and it was made in 1954. There have been multiple movies made of Godzilla. One of

the movies that made the movie Gojira look different is Shin Godzilla. The movie Shin

Godzilla was made in 2016. Godzilla as a monster has not really changed from the original

Godzilla to the modern-day Godzilla. Although the difference between these monsters is the way

they look. They are still the same because they both have powers, and have caused massive

damages and become stronger when there is radiation. Both of them were defeated in the end of

the movie. These movies are significant because they both represent the World War II. In the

article Japans Nuclear Nightmare: How the Bomb became a beast called Godzilla says, While

it has been argued that there never would have been a Hiroshima had there never been a Pearl

Harbor, what is also true is that without Hiroshima there would never have been a Godzilla.

(Brothers pg.54) This evidence shows the reason why Godzilla was made, to show others how

the war has affected them.

One of the similarities with Godzilla from 1954 and 2016, they both have powers. For

example, the powers they both have in common is atomic breath. The only difference between

them is that the Godzilla in 1954 can only have nuclear blast come out of his mouth. Godzilla in

2016 can have nuclear blast come from his tail, and his mouth. The evidence that shows that

Godzilla in 2016 can have nuclear blast come from anywhere is in the article Shin Godzilla

Review written by Keith Zavalla. It says Godzilla here also has the ability to fire atomic lasers
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from almost anywhere on its body. (Zavalla 10 paragraph) This article shows how Godzilla

from 2016 hasnt really changed from the original Godzilla and both are really powerful. In the

article, Japans Nuclear Nightmare: How the Bomb Became a Beast Called Godzilla, says

Godzilla is in fact a virtual re-creation of the Japanese military and civilian experience during

the final months of WWII, even to Godzilla itself, as Honda insisted that the monsters roar

sound like an air-raid siren while its footsteps should sound like exploding bombs. (Brothers

pg.53) This evidence shows how Godzilla powers represent what happened in World War II and

the bombing of Hiroshima.

Another similarity both of the Godzillas both have in common is that they both feed off

of radiation. They both become strong every time radiation is around. The Godzilla in 1954

would only go to the villages because there was radiation. In the movie of 2016 was more

specific on how Godzilla would get stronger because of radiation. The Godzilla in 2016 would

only go to the city when there was radiation. The evidence that shows that Godzilla would go to

the city is in an article named Shin Godzilla Review. In the article Shin Godzilla Review by

Keith Zevalla says One detail from the original film that was waved away in all future Godzilla

films was the creatures tendency to contaminate anything with dangerous levels of radiation

through its footsteps. (Zavalla 9th paragraph) This evidence shows how Godzilla footsteps

where only in certain areas because of where the radiation was located. Not only did the movie in

2016 discuss how Godzilla would go to the city to get radiation. Godzilla needed radiation to get

more energy because of his atomic breath. In the article Shin Godzilla Review says, Its

energy spent, it stands as an indestructible statue amidst the destruction, but it will only be a

matter of time before its energy is restored and it becomes active again. (Zavalla 10th paragraph)

This evidence shows when Godzilla uses his power he is using energy and he gets more energy
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from radiation. Also, the movie in 2016 showed how Godzilla grew with radiation. In the article

Shin Godzilla Review says, Though this teenage Godzilla escapes, it returns later even

larger, darker, with horrendous fangs and a formidable roar. This part of the article shows

evidence of how Godzilla becoming stronger and bigger because of the radiation.

Another common thing Godzilla from 2016 and 1954 have in common is that they both

get defeated in the end of the movie. In the end of the movie they were both defeated but where

defeated differently. The Godzilla in 1954 got defeated by an oxygen destroyer and made him

dissolve. The Godzilla in 2016 was defeated by becoming frozen but it didnt seem like he died.

The movie in 2016 made it seem like Godzilla was going to return.

What makes Godzilla equivalent from 1954 and 2016 is that they have done massive

damages. The massive damages that Godzilla from 1954 and 2016, they both destroyed cities

and homes. They not only destroyed buildings but hurt people. The original movie and the

modern-day movie both represent World War II. In the article Japans Nuclear Nightmare, says

Numerous other WWII analogies in Godzilla (the WWII events are in bold and the movie

scenes are italicized), On the night of March 9,1945, American B-29s laid down tons of

incendiaries on the city of Tokyo, destroying 250,000 homes, burning out ten square miles of the

city, leaving one million homeless and 100,000 dead. (Brothers pg.53) This evidence shows

how this is one of the scenes that shows how Godzilla demolish a lot of homes and land just like

World War II.

The differences from Godzilla from 1954 and 2016 is the appearance, and the setting.

Also, the time period of the movie is different. The setting of the movie is different because in

2016 they had more technology than they did in 1954. The theme of the movies was different.

The theme in 1954 was about a scientist discovering how to defeat Godzilla and not letting
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anyone know because he can destroy the whole town. The theme in 2016 was about trying to

figure out how to defeat Godzilla and getting help from other nations defeat Godzilla. The

difference between these movies is that the movie in 2016 seems to be more advanced than the

one in 1954 because of the way it looks and how people act in the movie. The movie in 2016

seems more realistic than 1954. The appearance of the movie of 1954 is black and white and

looks more like a vintage film. Another difference between the Godzilla from 1954 and 2016 is

that they both were defeated differently. The Godzilla in 1954 was defeated by an oxygen

destroyer and had decomposed into bones. The Godzilla in 2016 was defeated by getting frozen.

The main point of Godzilla is that it is not much different from 1954 and 2016. Godzilla

in 1954 and in 2016 has the same plot. The plot of both of the stories was figuring out how to

destroy and defeat Godzilla. Both of the Godzilla had the same powers and did the same thing

which was cause massive damages and get energy from radiation. According to this article called

Themes of Godzilla says The 195 Godzilla was a political movie as well, but it was about

mending the wounds from the war. (anatomies last paragraph) This evidence shows how the

theme of the first movie of Godzilla was more about Godzilla destroying the city and relating to

World War II. In the article themes of Godzilla discusses about the movie of Godzilla in 2016

and it says The design of Godzilla in this movie harkens back to the original design. This

evidence shows how the movie in 2016 got some ideas from the original movie in 1954 because

they wanted to remind Japan what happened. Even though the monster looked different, they

almost have the same features. In the article Themes of Godzilla by Aaltomies says The

design of Godzilla in this movie harkens back to the original design. Its arms are scrawny, and

posed in similar position to the original design. (Aaltomies last paragraph) This evidence shows

hoe the movie in 2016 got a lot of their ideas from the original movie of Godzilla.
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As a monster, Godzilla has not changed much from 1954 to 2016.The resemblance of 1954 and

2016 is that they have the same powers, radiation, and have caused the same damages. The

similarities are significant because it shows how Godzilla was made because of the war that

happened in Japan and how it affected them. Shin Godzilla seems like it can catch peoples

attention than the original Godzilla. Both are really good movies and have a good meaning

behind it. In the article Japans Nuclear Nightmare: How the Bomb Became a Beast Called

Godzilla says Godzilla is a film that deserves to be taken seriously, but to accept what the

movie is saying on its terms one must understand its subtle anti-American tone and dissertating

of destruction, which has been difficult for American critics to acknowledge, for to do so is to

admit the guilt belonging solely to the society that had dropped the bombs in the first place.

(Brothers pg.54) This evidence shows how people dont realize the real meaning behind both of

the movies, but it shows how Japan grew and became stronger after the war. There is evidence

that shows Japan made Godzilla represent the War and what it did to them. The article Nice

monster! New Godzilla fuses American and Japanese beasts It says Godzilla started as

representing our anger toward war and nuclear weapons, said museum curator Hiroshi Osugi,

who spent five years categorizing the periods of Godzillas screen life. (Marquand 15th

paragraph). This evidence shows how Japan originally made this movie to show others how the

war affected them. This shows Japan made Godzilla represent the War and what it did to them.

The reason why Godzilla from 1954 and 2016 had a lot of similarities because they were

representing Japan and showing the audience how it all started.

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Work Citied Page

Anatomies. Themes of Godzilla. Aaltomies, 21 Dec. 2016,

aaltomies.wordpress.com/2016/07/30/themes-of-Godzilla/.

Zevallos , Keith. Shin Godzilla Review . Access to Restricted Resources, 18 Oct. 2016,
libproxy.csun.edu/login?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsearch.proquest.com%2Fdocview%2F18304808
91%3Faccountid.

Brothers, Peter H. Japan's Nuclear Nightmare: How the Bomb Became a Beast Called Godzilla
. Monsters , pp. 5159.

Marquand , Robert. Nice Monster! New 'Godzilla' Fuses American and Japanese Beasts.
www.csmonitor.com/About/The-Monitor-difference.

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