Godzilla

Year: 1954Director: HONDA Ishiro

Godzilla is a film directed by HONDA Ishiro. It is the first of the Godzilla franchise. Radiation due to nuclear weapons has caused a monster from the ocean to surface, wreaking havoc on islanders off the coast of Japan and eventually reaching Tokyo. The presence of this monster has motivated paleontologist Dr. Yamane to study it, but most other people are attempting to get rid of Godzilla. Another researcher, Serizawa, has a weapon that he knows is capable of killing Godzilla - the Oxygen Destroyer. However, Serizawa hesitates to use it because of the implications it may have after it is revealed. Not wanting to make this weapon available for governments to use against one another, he decides to burn his research and go down with the Oxygen Destroyer, killing Godzilla in the process. The film ends with a foreboding statement from Yamane, saying that if atomic testing continued, another monster like Godzilla could emerge.

Topics for Discussion

• presentation of science/research

• women as practically oriented

• lack of governmental disclosure

External Links

1. "Godzilla (1954 film)" at Wikipedia.

2. "Godzilla (1954)" at IMDB.