To celebrate the 70th anniversary of one of the most enduring monster figures in cinematic history, join us at Japan House London for two special screenings of the original Godzilla (Gojira, 1954) as part of our series A Roaring 70th: Godzilla Film Season.
In the film, Godzilla, a prehistoric sea monster, is awakened in the Pacific. As Godzilla approaches Japan, leaving destruction in his wake, a group of scientists in Tokyo struggles to find a way to stop it. Directed by Honda Ishirō, Godzilla is elevated by the performances of a talented cast, including Shimura Takashi (Rashōmon, Seven Samurai), who plays the role of a respected scientist torn between the desire to study Godzilla and the necessity of destroying it to save Japan.
The film skillfully merges documentary realism with noir-style expressionism, a visual style brought to life by the cinematographer Tamai Masao and the pioneering techniques of special effects master Tsuburaya Eiji, whose employment of a ‘Godzilla suit’ and the creation of miniature cityscapes set new standards in cinema at that time.
Godzilla became a massive hit both in Japan and around the world, leading to numerous sequels and establishing its monstrous protagonist as a cultural icon. The original film is considered a testament to Japan’s creative imagination, inspiring countless other films and works of art over the past seventy years.
The screening on 15 September is preceded by an introduction by Dr Becca Voelcker, discussing the social context in which the film was created and produced in Japan.
The screenings are in Japanese with English subtitles. Duration: approx. 90 mins
Guests who are booked to attend the screening can also enjoy 10% off drinks at The Stand on their way in.
*Please note that filming and / or photography may take place at this event. Photos and footage of the event may then be used to promote Japan House London, helping more people to discover what we offer. If you have any concerns, please contact us online or contact a member of the team on site.
About the speaker
Dr Becca Voelcker lectures in art and film history at Goldsmiths, University of London, specialising in anticolonial and ecofeminist representations of land since the 1970s. She earned her PhD in the Department of Art, Film, and Visual Studies at Harvard University in 2021. Her first book, Land Cinema in an Age of Extraction, is forthcoming with University of California Press. The book is a cross-cultural history of eco-political cinema based in ten locations including Wales, where Becca grew up, and Japan, where she lived as a young adult. Alongside research, Becca writes for Sight & Sound, introduces films at the British Film Institute, and serves on film festival juries. Becca is a BBC New Generation Thinker 2024 with regular appearances on BBC Radio.
Main image: Still from Godzilla (1954). Trademarked and copyright: Toho Co., Ltd
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