Godzilla Themes

The apocalyptic themes presented in Kaiju films are heavily related to the America use of atomic bombs on Japan. As the Americans are seen as the reason for the rise of Godzilla, they in turn are seen as the destroyers of Oda and Tokyo. This can be seen as a very direct way of blaming the Americans for the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the subsequent reign of terror and mass censorship that followed. For a period of seven years, during the occupation of Japan by American forces, censorship, particularly pertaining to the destruction of the atomic bombings was strong. Many of the criminals who were placed under Class-A, -B, or –C classifications were journalists. After the atomic bombings the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission (ABCC)
In this post war period films appeared which expressed this trauma through science fiction and fantasy genres. Outright antagonising the former American occupiers of Japan was not possible. So many film makers, mangakas, and artists avoided depicting the bombing. Instead they used more subtle imagery to slander the Americans and promote loyal and brave Japanese citizens. In Godzilla, Godzilla is awoken by American H-bomb testing in Japanese waters. As such it can be taken that the U.S caused the crisis. This demonises American nuclear science in obvious reference to the atomic bombing (Napier Panic Sites 331-2). However, it is a Japanese scientist that sacrifices himself to destroy Godzilla. Displaying every aspect a Japanese man should. He is brave, intelligent, and willing to die for Japan. The threat presented in Godzilla is from an external source. Napier describes Godzilla as a ‘secure horror,’ in which the collective is threat from the external source, here it is Godzilla and America. Order is restored through a combined effort of the government and Japanese scientists. (Napier Panic Sites