King Kong Vs. Godzilla: A Review

Final Blog-essay

Godzilla Vs King Kong Review

Charles Perry

12/11/15

King Kong Vs. Godzilla:

A Review

            King Kong vs. Godzilla is an odd movie. It’s the first major vs. film out there. This was way before films Avengers, Freddy vs. Jason, Alien vs. Predator, and even Dracula Vs Frankenstein! Whoever thought of this idea must have been either the best businessman/ marketer in the world or a child who really wanted to see a giant ape fight a giant lizard. The reality of this films creation comes down to original animator of King Kong, Willis O'Brien, wanting to make a sequel to King Kong in which Kong fights another monster. No American studio wanted to pick it up, so Toho stepped in to save the project. Now I find this funny because, even though no American Studio wanted to make this film, they still localized it and produced a weaker, lamer American cut of this film. Another hilarious thing about this movie is that it is actually being remade by Legendary Pictures and Warner Brothers. These are the very same studios who gave us The Dark Knight Trilogy, Pacific Rim, and the 2014 Godzilla remake!  In today’s day and age cinematic universes are the key to tapping into the large market of geeks. So in a sense we have finally come full circle on the cross-over and continuity by going back to the source.

Thankfully , I found the Japanese version of this film to view and review!  This assignment is actually viable again as a study of Japanese cinema, rather than a deep dive into the current Hollywood movie environment! Hooray for the internet and all of the wonderful things it contains!!   Don’t worry we will still analyze a scene from the American version of this film. Since I had to sit through 2 mins of that film so will you reader! Also don’t worry Professor Mizenko I will actually follow the instructions and dutifully study a scene from the Japanese film. I really want to compare and contrast these two different versions of the same film. Spoiler Alert, later on in this blog I am going to discuss why the Japanese filmmakers did better merging cultures than the American filmmakers.

PART 1: THE AMERICAN INTRO!!

Screenshot 1: The Earth

Both the American and Japanese versions of the film open on a shot of the Earth in the lower right hand corner of the frame. This part of the scene also has opening narration about how man barely understands the Earth and its creatures. To be more specific, in the American version the narrations says, “There are more things in Heaven and Earth Horatio than dreamt in your philosophy. ” The Japanese cut of the film however has the narrator say, “ The Earth is alive everyone. As it spins at 1,670 km  we pay little attention to it. But if at any moment, its rotation can come to a halt  and we would be in severe distress.” Now this is where the similarities between the American and Japanese cuts of the film end. Remember how Hollywood messed up Gojira. Keep that in mind as we dive deeper. 

 

Screenshot 2: Flags of the World

We then fade into some stock footage of the flags of various nations! When in doubt use stock footage to pad out your film. I am currently using stock footage of trains to keep my desk from wobbling.  This almost looks like it can be part of the opening to a news cast or something.

 

Screenshot 3: The U.N.

We then cut to an establishing shot of the surprisingly not a model U.N. building in Manhattan. Once again it’s stock footage, the American studio putting this out needed to save money where it could. 

 

Screenshot 4: News Caster who looks like Tom Hanks

Here we come to the first of many characters added into the American version of this film to make it more accessible for western audiences. I don’t know his name, but as the caption suggests he does look like Tom Hanks. Tom here is a newscaster who will be relaying the events of the film for American audiences thanks to the power of the super communications satellite.  In the front right layer of the shot we see a globe, much like the globe spinning at the start of the film . 

  

Screenshot 5: It’s only a model

We then zoom into a screen showing quite possibly the oddest looking satellite I have seen, and yet it looks rather familiar. It might be stock footage again. This is the satellite which is broadcasting this newscast around the world and also connects various correspondents to each other.  The reason for this shot is to show how communication via satellite will work and Tom says that he is calling a correspondent in 

 

Screenshot 6: Floating plates with propellers in space, the future of communication

We then fade into the image of the floating plate in space. It is in the center of the frame and has a propeller on it for some reason. It just floats there, spinning for a while, as Tom explains the process of satellite communication.

 

Screenshot 7: Another Newscaster

Now we go over to the other Newscaster in other part of the world. This entire opening is shot like a typical new broadcast. I would normally not have a problem with this, but the actors are not giving the best performance. Its dry, wooden, and it feels like it is a slow news day. Maybe the actors are trying act as professional newsmen, but it comes off as forced. Not only that, but this news cast is the framing device for the whole American Cut of this film.

 

PART TWO: THE JAPANESE INTRO

I believe that one can tell a lot about a film just by looking at its introduction. It usually helps establish the world and the film’s tone. This does not need to hold true for every film mind you, but one should note that this concept works best when the film is something for general audiences. This is where the Japanese King Kong vs. Godzilla film really shines when compared to its American cousin.

 

Screenshot 8: Zooming into the earth

Unlike the American Opening the earth is in the center of the frame and is slowing being zoomed in upon by the camera, or quite possibly a camera.

 

Screenshot 9: What?!

Welcome to my favorite part of this introduction. The earth stops rotating and suddenly Mr. Scientist man shows up. He then goes on to say that the previous narration was something from comic book, but yet our he states that our earth still has plenty to teach us! In other words what you though was an epic opening narration was for this guy’s Science TV show that you (and the main characters in the film) are now watching. Don’t believe me check out this next scene.

 

Screenshot 10: I’m Watching TV in a Movie!

There is a quick cut to a title card of the show followed by another cut to screenshot 10. This series of events is similar to the what the director, Ishirô Honda, used during the first Godzilla film to transition from the scene in the Lab to the girls singing the song calling for peace. The only difference being that the scene from King Kong Vs. Godzilla is the reverse of the scene in Gojira. The idea of screens within screens is a very interesting design choice and appears to be a favorite for Ishirô Honda. Following this scene we are introduced to our main characters who will go on a quest to Pharoh (not Skull) Island on the hunt for a large beast. It should also be noted that these lead characters work for the advertising department for a pharmaceutical company. They plan to use the monster (King Kong) to promote medicine created from the island’s native berries. 

            Another great thing about the Japanese version of this film is how it utilizes its American roots. For a few scenes we see inside a US submarine. The sub is filled with white actors who are all speaking English complete with Japanese subtitles!  Their acting was not good, it honestly almost wen full resident evil 1, but it did help with the immersion into this films world. We got to see people speak their native language as a means of helping establish a large world. There was no contrived reason for them to be speaking another language, nor was the scene changed to make be more in line with the country of origin. Huh, who do that? Cough, American Version, cough.

This intro is a far cry from the overly serious and dull American intro to the film. It sets up the tone well for this type of movie.  This film is way more of a lighthearted affair when compared to the very first Godzilla film and I think it was because they added King Kong into the mix. Suddenly the Godzilla, the great monster of the Golden Age of Japanese film, was now on the world stage crossing over with one of the great monsters of the Golden Age of American Film.

Part 3: A Tale of Two Golden Ages

As I said in part 2, this film is the end result of the coming together of two different Golden Ages of film. One would think that a crossover between the East and West would lead to something of a wonderful, artistic, meaningful film in the vine of Tokyo Story or Casablanca. Instead the end result of this collaboration was well:

 

Screenshot 11: Yeah

    However, dumb is not a bad thing: King Kong getting lighting-powers is not a bad thing. It’s confusing and out of left field, but not a bad thing. It actually happens in the film, like no really King Kong basically becomes a Sith Lord for a period of time.  From my own interpretation of this film, I see a bunch of filmmakers who wanted to have fun while on set and get to play with toy trains and model houses. I’d imagine that it would be a sweaty, yet fun time to be in the Godzilla suit while on set.

I think all this fun comes from a very special place; King Kong vs. Godzilla is in fact a celebration of the Golden Age of Cinema for both Japan and the United States. It is a combination of east meets west. A joyous, if not a bit dumb, celebration of what makes cinema special. Film as a medium allows for those who are creative to craft narratives ranging from epic adventures to subtle elegant melodramas. There is a joy film, both watching it and creating it. Thus, something tells me that King Kong vs. Godzilla is chock full of that joy.

GODZILLA:

A Scene Analysis 

By Charles Perry 

Here is a Link to the Scene in Question: https://vimeo.com/82226103

I  will Provide Screenshots (or you could just follow along using different windows)

Also the Clip is in the S-Drive or Right here in this post!

This entire scene as a whole is a shot like a conversation in a sense. There is a shot, followed by a reaction shot. However, one should replace the words with bullets (or guns being readied) and the two people speaking with a giant radioactive lizard and an army. This blog post will be covering the first minute of this scene which shows the appearance of Godzilla rising out of the water and bringing destruction with him. 

Shot 1: The Radio

Our scene opens with a zoom in on a radio warning the civilians of Godzilla's impending attack. One can assume that this is in a house close to where Godzilla is heading, and that the residents have abandoned the house since in every shot we see of this interior we don't see any people. 

Shot 2: Birds

The film then cuts to this shot of these two birds trapped in a cage. This shot does not last for very long on screen before the film cuts away to a bunch of soldiers prepping for the showdown against Godzilla. However, this shot is very symbolic. It is emblematic of what is happening to Tokyo (the city Godzilla is heading towards). The Japanese military is using the vast network of electrical lines to create an electrical cage to try to either fry or keep out Godzilla. Much like the birds in the cage, the citizens of Tokyo are withing a flimsy metal structure  which with any force could break. 

Shot 3 The Soldiers

Following the bird cage, we see the men who are guarding the "cage" around Tokyo.  These men look rightfully worried since they are up against a threat no military force has dealt with. They are looking over the ocean with spotlights, scanning the horizon for any possible sign of Godzilla's emergence. The partial lighting and the lack of any music during this shot heavily increases the tension and dread. Once the soldiers light up the spot light, the film then cuts to the ocean as it shows the lights searching for Godzilla. 

Blog Essay #1

Let's Analyze a Frame Shall We

Analysis: Whats in the Frame.

•  Long Shot (could be extreme) , Eye Level ( or maybe eye level 
• Two Boys Walking  down a Street
• They Are Brothers (one older, one younger)
• They are wearing Jackets and Baseball Hats
• The boys are walking down a  dirt road lined with electrical wires and phone lines
• The boys are in the center of the image with their feet cut off at the bottom
• There are plants also lining the  dirt road as well
• The boys are slightly out of focus or it could be the image itself being expanded (that messes with the aspect ratio) 
• The frame is in black and white with a kind of iris around the image. I am unsure if this was 100% intentional or if it was brought about due to lack of lighting. 
• The Aspect Ratio is a wide rectangle 
• It looks like they (the lighting staff)  are shining a spotlight on the two boys 
• The Area around the road is darkened and also all the telephone  and electric lines make the boys look even smaller 
• The boys' backs are to the camera
• The camera must be pretty far away from the boys in question for this image to have been created.

  Writing About The Image Time!
   As I stated before the scene is of the two boys walking home along a dark dirt road in the middle of the night. In the context of the film the two boys are walking home in disgrace after finding out that their father sucks up to the boss of his company and is a huge "Yes-Man". The Boys have just learned that the world is far more complex and bigger than they had originally believed. Even this shot confirms that belief with the two boys walking between these large and imposing telephone and electrical lines. This is the only time in the film we see the world itself be subject to an increase in scale. For a majority of the film, the father of the two Boys is the one who has the luxury of being shown with increased scale (usually from low angle shots). While the boys were never afraid of their father, they knew that he was in charge.

The way the shot is composed itself draws attention to the boys as well  by using depth of field or whatever that painting trick developed during the renaissance to create an illusion of depth was called.  This is almost the same type of cinematography used to create "riding off into the sunset" like images.  However, the boys are wandering into the vast unknown darkness. While there is light on them now, that light signifies how singled out they feel. By having their dad be revealed to be a weak yes man, they themselves feel a drop in social status. "If our Dad is this much of a push over, what does that make us?" must be going through there minds.