“Godzilla vs. Hedorah” with a strong appeal [Mizumaru Kawahara’s CINEMONOLOGUE Vol.27]

Index

• A slightly different Godzilla movie
• A powerful enemy who cornered Godzilla
• It's strange, but it's a fear similar to the original Godzilla.

A slightly different Godzilla movie

``Godzilla vs. Hedorah'' stands out among the Godzilla series, where various monsters appear. With the avant-garde main theme in the background, the opening scene is intense, with a sea of ​​floating garbage and sludge filling the screen. Even the Mannequin are intentionally made to float, giving the viewer a sense of discomfort, but what they are trying to convey is the fear of pollution. The title character of this work, the pollution monster Hedorah, emerges from this ``dirty sea.''

Suruga Bay, where strange fish are now caught in the nets. Hedorah, which crawls up from the polluted sea, absorbs the smoke from factories as if it were a cigarette and grows, spreading sludge and sulfuric acid mist over the city, causing tremendous damage. Then, angry Godzilla appears and engages in a battle, but is forced to struggle against Hedorah's powerful and mysterious power...

The film uses unique visuals to show just how terrifying pollution is. Some of the songs have an experimental feel, like the aforementioned main theme and the abruptly inserted animations (which are a little cute), while the images of babies and kittens covered in sludge are sure to cause a reaction of rejection, whether you like it or not. There are also elements, and the fear of pollution monsters is shown with psychedelic colors and effects. Hedorah's sculpt is interesting, and his vertical red eyes are especially impressive. I think that, like the work itself, it has an appeal as a strange form.

A powerful enemy who cornered Godzilla