Gamera, the Giant Monster

Gamera, the giant monster

Director ~ Noriaki Yuasa

Writer ~ Niisan Takahashi

1966, Japan

Stars ~ Eiji Funakoshi, Harumi Kiritachi, Junichiro Yamashita

 

The ‘Godzilla’ template with a … giant turtle? Well okay. And this time with a sappy kid that can stop a military nuclear strike just by whining, and whose turtle fixation is near psychopathic. But anyway: Gamorah is fascinating and awkward as only a man-in-a-kaiju-suit can be, plus he cashes in with the UFO craze – I mean who anticipated a jet-propelled shell? (and how does that work??) – the black-and-white photography is vivid, especially as this is mostly a dark film, and the miniature work is often impressive as it is appealingly clunky. Despite the kid element, ‘Gamera’ mostly follows in ‘Godzilla’s footsteps as a wannabe serious evocation of post-nuclear bomb devastation, as an analogy for Japanese fear of an unstoppable force. Yet it is as blasé as American Atomic monsters as the initial nuclear explosion that wakes this kaiju doesn’t have any effect on the locals, who surely aren’t nearly far enough to be safe.

 

But consistency isn’t a thing to concern Daiei studio’s giant monster cash-in. A turtle, with tusks, fire-breathing, with aspiration of being a UFO? Typically, there was an American version with added scenes called ‘Gamera the Invincible’, but I watched the original Japanese subtitled release. Most of the dialogue is hilarious; at times, characters seem to be in different conversations, or at least out-of-synch. For example, during the opening sequence, people are talking about how nuclear testing could affect the Earth’s axis, and/or cause typhoons, where just moments before the scientist told everyone that “At this distance, we should be safe from the fallout.”

 

The film tries to have it both ways with Gamera touted as good by little, annoying Toshio (Yoshiro Uchida) even as the monster fries a club of ignorant teenagers (which is all “Hey daddy-o! Don’t try stop our party with all your giant monster destroying the cit– arggghhh!”). It makes no sense at all, etc. There is a lot of unintentional humour here, perfunctory characterisation, tonally uncertain, crisp black-and-white photography by Director of Photography Nobuo Munekawa which gives it the air of seriousness, and at times almost nightmarish. Although he’s indiscriminately destructive and murderous, no matter what Toshio protests, Gamera isn’t really so frightening as curious. Yet for all this, its very goofiness dressed up in serious aesthetic is entertaining.

 

But I couldn’t stomach ‘Gamera: Super Monster’ for more than ten minutes.