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.