Godzilla Minus One is virtually perfect, just as good as everyone is saying it is.
Minus One is essentially a remake of the original Godzilla. Even the science fantasy plan to destroy the monster is a variation on the plan from the original, albeit somewhat less silly. Also like the original, a thematic focus of Minus One is the collective trauma which immediately follows a catastrophe. Interestingly, rather than staging the atomic bombs as the backdrop of that trauma, as in the original Godzilla, the trauma here, and in fact the physical setting in the first part of the movie, is Tokyo after the notorious fire bombing by the United States.
Into the collective and immediate trauma, Minus One folds the post-traumatic trauma of its main protagonist, while also playing on the theme of redemption. The motivation behind this character's trauma is the conflict between that expectation of fulfilling one's duty that is so particular to Japanese culture, particularly WWII military culture, and specifically the duty to die expected of kamikaze pilots.
If all of that seems rather intense for a "mere" monster movie, well, there is nothing "mere" about this flick. All of that depth is perfectly delivered through excellent acting from top to bottom (I teared up twice during this movie, something I have never done watching a kaiju), genuine character development, even among secondary characters, and impeccable direction. The choice of camera distance from characters, camera placement and angles, and the judicious use of slow motion, all contribute to that depth, too. Regarding slow motion: I generally hate it because it is so rarely used effectively and so often used in a cheesy, eye rolling way. As much as I love the Lord of the Rings trilogy, there are only one or two moments across all 11 and 1/2 hours that were made more effective through slow motion. The rest of those slow mo moments are the weakest shots in the entire trilogy. The exact opposite is the case here. Somehow, director Takashi Yamazaki uses slow motion several times with each moment being effective and affecting. One particularly brilliant use of slow motion combines it with screen silence. Yamazaki pulls out all the stops.
The score is equally compelling. During some sequences, it's almost creepy, certainly atmospheric in a very non-action movie kind of way. It lends those moments a gravitas completely lacking in the blaring, heavy-handed scores of every American Godzilla movie. Composer Naoki Sato even works in Akira Ifukube's famous, doomy leitmotif, but does so sparingly. His score is as impeccable as Yamazaki's directing.
Finally, the special effects. Unlike the cartoonish, glowy, neon CG of the American Godzilla movies of the last 10 years or so, Minus One's monster is naturalistic. It looks like an animal be it a horrifying, almost supernatural one. Similarly, the buildings and their destruction is less spectacle and more catastrophic devastation, more appropriately reflecting the damage done by the fire bombing and the atomic bombs.
I don't often write such long reviews, but this movie knocked my socks off. I will buy it when it's available on disc, also not something I often do with newer movies.
Minus One is essentially a remake of the original Godzilla. Even the science fantasy plan to destroy the monster is a variation on the plan from the original, albeit somewhat less silly. Also like the original, a thematic focus of Minus One is the collective trauma which immediately follows a catastrophe. Interestingly, rather than staging the atomic bombs as the backdrop of that trauma, as in the original Godzilla, the trauma here, and in fact the physical setting in the first part of the movie, is Tokyo after the notorious fire bombing by the United States.
Into the collective and immediate trauma, Minus One folds the post-traumatic trauma of its main protagonist, while also playing on the theme of redemption. The motivation behind this character's trauma is the conflict between that expectation of fulfilling one's duty that is so particular to Japanese culture, particularly WWII military culture, and specifically the duty to die expected of kamikaze pilots.
If all of that seems rather intense for a "mere" monster movie, well, there is nothing "mere" about this flick. All of that depth is perfectly delivered through excellent acting from top to bottom (I teared up twice during this movie, something I have never done watching a kaiju), genuine character development, even among secondary characters, and impeccable direction. The choice of camera distance from characters, camera placement and angles, and the judicious use of slow motion, all contribute to that depth, too. Regarding slow motion: I generally hate it because it is so rarely used effectively and so often used in a cheesy, eye rolling way. As much as I love the Lord of the Rings trilogy, there are only one or two moments across all 11 and 1/2 hours that were made more effective through slow motion. The rest of those slow mo moments are the weakest shots in the entire trilogy. The exact opposite is the case here. Somehow, director Takashi Yamazaki uses slow motion several times with each moment being effective and affecting. One particularly brilliant use of slow motion combines it with screen silence. Yamazaki pulls out all the stops.
The score is equally compelling. During some sequences, it's almost creepy, certainly atmospheric in a very non-action movie kind of way. It lends those moments a gravitas completely lacking in the blaring, heavy-handed scores of every American Godzilla movie. Composer Naoki Sato even works in Akira Ifukube's famous, doomy leitmotif, but does so sparingly. His score is as impeccable as Yamazaki's directing.
Finally, the special effects. Unlike the cartoonish, glowy, neon CG of the American Godzilla movies of the last 10 years or so, Minus One's monster is naturalistic. It looks like an animal be it a horrifying, almost supernatural one. Similarly, the buildings and their destruction is less spectacle and more catastrophic devastation, more appropriately reflecting the damage done by the fire bombing and the atomic bombs.
I don't often write such long reviews, but this movie knocked my socks off. I will buy it when it's available on disc, also not something I often do with newer movies.