One of the most heartwarming moments at this year’s Oscars was when Takashi Yamazaki’s “Godzilla Minus One” received the award for visual effects. Yamazaki and his team walked to the stage, each holding Godzilla toys.
Since its release in the United States in December 2023, the film has captivated audiences. Produced on a budget of under $15 million, equivalent to the cost of a single extended-action scene in Hollywood, “Godzilla Minus One” has impressed both hearts and wallets with its low-budget yet high-impact storytelling.
“Minus One” harkens back to the original Godzilla film directed by Ishiro Honda in 1954. Known as Gojira in Japanese, Godzilla is a creature born from the aftermath of World War II. This ancient, dinosaur-like underwater biped is awakened by hydrogen bomb tests. Emerging from the depths, the radioactive giant wreaks havoc on Tokyo, unleashing its “atomic breath” on everything in its path.
Godzilla may be the most potent symbol of the dangers of nuclear technology. Honda originally designed Godzilla to symbolize the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II. Over the years, Godzilla has evolved into an unexpected anti-hero, both in Japan and Hollywood, where the creature first appeared in 1998. In Yamazaki’s film, however, the focus shifts to humans as the true heroes.
“Minus One” opens in 1945 as World War II is drawing to a close. Japan lies in defeat, with ruins replacing what were once homes. The nation’s bitterness, grief, and anger are embodied in kamikaze pilot Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki), who repeatedly mutters, “The war isn’t over for me yet.”
Shikishima finds a distraction from his survivor’s guilt by taking in Noriko (Minami Hamabe) and the orphaned infant Akiko (Sae Nagatani). However, a greater mission arises when Godzilla devastates much of Tokyo’s skyline. Weapons engineer Noda (Hidetaka Yoshioka) devises a daring plan to eliminate Godzilla, offering Shikishima a chance at redemption but also putting his life at significant risk.
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