This is my first time watching a Gojira film. The embedded concepts and the possibilities of interpretation really surprise me. Before reading the articles and watching the film, I consider this monster is analogical with the nuclear bomb itself, with a setting in future Japan. Astonishingly, the film provides a very contemporary context for its viewers: post-WWII, after the hydrogen bombs testing. Stated in the lecture, the opening scenes clearly refer to the nuclear bombing. Instead of showing the fire and the large explosive sound, most survivors could only recall “a lightening” that illuminates the world, then they remain blind for their whole life. In Nobuhiko Obayashi's posthumous work “Labyrinth of Cinema”, he also uses the “Pi-Ka” to refer the sudden light caused by the explosion of nuclear bomb. Therefore,the sudden lighting on the sea will directly connect this incident to the nuclear bombing. The armies, the running citizens, destroyed cities all force the viewers to recall the scenes in WWII. As Prof. Yamane states at the first meeting, he directly connects Gojira with the hydrogen bombing, recalling the real incident happened years before from the audiences' memories. At the end of the film, Dr. Serizawa destroyed all other materials and documents, even himself. He directly lectures the audiences in his monologue that any existence of this kind of weapon will be catastrophic in the future. Serizawa's words seem to be powerful, as he himself suffers in WWII and has one of his eyes blind. All these details verify the film's original meaning in its producer's or director's mind: no nuclear weapons, no wars.destroyed cities all force the viewers to recall the scenes in WWII. As Prof. Yamane states at the first meeting, he directly connects Gojira with the hydrogen bombing, recalling the real incident happened years before from the audiences' memories. At the end of the film, Dr. Serizawa destroyed all other materials and documents, even himself. He directly lectures the audiences in his monologue that any existence of this kind of weapon will be catastrophic in the future. Serizawa's words seem to be powerful, as he himself suffers in WWII and has one of his eyes blind. All these details verify the film's original meaning in its producer's or director's mind: no nuclear weapons, no wars.destroyed cities all force the viewers to recall the scenes in WWII. As Prof. Yamane states at the first meeting, he directly connects Gojira with the hydrogen bombing, recalling the real incident happened years before from the audiences' memories. At the end of the film, Dr. Serizawa destroyed all other materials and documents, even himself. He directly lectures the audiences in his monologue that any existence of this kind of weapon will be catastrophic in the future. Serizawa's words seem to be powerful, as he himself suffers in WWII and has one of his eyes blind. All these details verify the film's original meaning in its producer's or director's mind: no nuclear weapons, no wars.recalling the real incident happened years before from the audiences' memories. At the end of the film, Dr. Serizawa destroyed all other materials and documents, even himself. He directly lectures the audiences in his monologue that any existence of this kind of weapon will be catastrophic in the future. Serizawa's words seem to be powerful, as he himself suffers in WWII and has one of his eyes blind. All these details verify the film's original meaning in its producer's or director's mind: no nuclear weapons, no wars .recalling the real incident happened years before from the audiences' memories. At the end of the film, Dr. Serizawa destroyed all other materials and documents, even himself. He directly lectures the audiences in his monologue that any existence of this kind of weapon will be catastrophic in the future. Serizawa's words seem to be powerful, as he himself suffers in WWII and has one of his eyes blind. All these details verify the film's original meaning in its producer's or director's mind: no nuclear weapons, no wars .as he himself suffers in WWII and has one of his eyes blind. All these details verify the film's original meaning in its producer's or director's mind: no nuclear weapons, no wars.as he himself suffers in WWII and has one of his eyes blind. All these details verify the film's original meaning in its producer's or director's mind: no nuclear weapons, no wars.
However, after knowing the contradictory standpoints between the director and the composer, I start to reflect on the ambiguity of Gojira's symbolism meaning. What is Gojira itself remains a problem. As the major scenes take place in a seemingly isolated and traditional fishing town, there is not much Western-style modernity shown in this film. The Gojira may also symbolize the America's continuing invasion and occupation of Japan through its military control and bomb testing. However, on the other hand, if the audiences consider the “oxygen bomb” created by Dr. Serizawa is a more powerful nuclear weapon, the Gojira's invasion is similar to Japanese invasion to other countries. Dr. Serizawa's bomb could symbolize the atomic bombs threw by Americans, ending the chaos. Therefore,Gojira may also represent the self-consciousness of the war and Japan's introspection.
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