Talkback: Godzilla vs. Hedorah (1971)

[Crazy Jim Films]

I think it's brilliant. Kimura is so cynical about the efforts of his characters, he feels comfortable just throwing them away, almost taunting the audience.

It was an interesting approach in that very few films of that time and even today would go there. I also like that unlike other films in the series, the human's efforts prove to be futile at just about every attempt.

[toho_guy01]

I don't know. I think if I had to have a opinion I'd be leaning on the Like side.

[Rody]

Glad someone else notices this. Wasn't too attached to the guy or anything, but it did really put me off how little anyone cared about him dying.

There weren't too many people left to care; nearly the entire party group got slaughtered.
The nephew and the girlfriend were probably too much in shock to react much.

It's definitely a sequence that startled me upon revisiting it, but that was obviously the intent, so kudos to Mr. Banno.

[KaijuFiend]

This is quite possibly my favorite Showa Godzilla film outside of Gojira. I like that it's dark. I like that it has an anti-pollution message. But most of all, I like how Hedora was built up - how they showed him destroying things and getting bigger. It helped the pacing out a lot by adding monster action into the early parts of the film. And I like that we see how much death Hedora leaves in his wake; it makes him one of the most intimidating monsters Godzilla has faced.

The annoying kid, the nightclub scenes, and flying Godzilla are certainly big flaws, but I still love this film.

[Rodan]

Finally, finally watched this one, leaving just Ebirah (which I've also just acquired through the recent Blu-Ray release), as the last Godzilla film I've yet to view.

I almost don't know what to make of it, except that 1) I liked it, and am sure it's in the top six or seven films in the franchise for me, and 2) Whatever it is, it's at least one part noble failure. I'm not sure if all its techniques go together; its plotting is haphazard; the plot outstays its welcome, etc. But it's too ambitious and bizarre to not enjoy.

On a very basic level, I also appreciate how it brings back consequences to the Showa franchise -- something missing since Godzilla Raids Again, really. People die in this movie, man. The die right and left. When Godzilla and Hedorah fight, we get to see the collateral damage not only in terms of destruction, but in terms of lives. And this even with a firmly heroic portrayal of Godzilla.

I was struck with the realization that, forget Ghidorah, forget Mechagodzilla, etc. To the denizens of the Showa universe, Hedorah would absolutely be remembered as the most terrifying monster apart from the original Godzilla, and perhaps even eclipse him. Most of the other big threats are quelled quickly by the efforts of Godzilla, other monsters and/or the protagonists. By comparison, Hedorah wracks up an enormous death toll and is active for quite a while as he outruns both Godzilla and the humans. He devastates Japan (the world?) in a way I don't think any of the other villainous monsters do during their films.

[Ninjasaurus]

Lots of good comments made since February and I have to say, this is my 5th favorite Godzilla film. It's the most bizarre franchise installment (in a period full of bizarre Godzilla movies), practically avant-garde and one of the weirdest movies ever. Hedorah is an awesome, powerful and incredibly deadly villain who gave Godzilla one hell of a good fight, Banno's touch was truly unique and - gasp - I actually liked the kid! (I just recently noticed he's also in Megalon.) I'm guessing that his uncle and the other teens decided to throw matchsticks torches at Hedorah because there was no way they could outrun him so it was basically a last stand or, if you will, suicide attack.

The SFX are really good as well, especially for a 70s Japanese film. Godzilla flying was put in for some comic relief because of how relentlessly grim the majority of the movie was and normally I'd complain about it but the whole affair had already established itself as totally surreal so it was actually fitting, in my opinion. Heroic Godzilla is one of my favorite versions of the character and this entry in the series celebrated him as a champion of Earth better than any other.

When I watch Godzilla vs. Hedorah, I'm able to just go with whatever it has to offer so there's really not much, if anything, I can complain about.

[LiquidG]

Finally, finally watched this one, leaving just Ebirah (which I've also just acquired through the recent Blu-Ray release), as the last Godzilla film I've yet to view.

I almost don't know what to make of it, except that 1) I liked it, and am sure it's in the top six or seven films in the franchise for me, and 2) Whatever it is, it's at least one part noble failure. I'm not sure if all its techniques go together; its plotting is haphazard; the plot outstays its welcome, etc. But it's too ambitious and bizarre to not enjoy.

On a very basic level, I also appreciate how it brings back consequences to the Showa franchise -- something missing since Godzilla Raids Again, really. People die in this movie, man. The die right and left. When Godzilla and Hedorah fight, we get to see the collateral damage not only in terms of destruction, but in terms of lives. And this even with a firmly heroic portrayal of Godzilla.

I was struck with the realization that, forget Ghidorah, forget Mechagodzilla, etc. To the denizens of the Showa universe, Hedorah would absolutely be remembered as the most terrifying monster apart from the original Godzilla, and perhaps even eclipse him. Most of the other big threats are quelled quickly by the efforts of Godzilla, other monsters and/or the protagonists. By comparison, Hedorah wracks up an enormous death toll and is active for quite a while as he outruns both Godzilla and the humans. He devastates Japan (the world?) in a way I don't think any of the other villainous monsters do during their films.

Couldn't have said it better myself. Even though Showa Mechagodzilla is my favorite villain Hedorah is easily the most powerful monster in the Showa series and you can make a case for him being one of the most powerful and dangerous in the entire series as a whole, without a doubt the most underrated monster in the entire series.

[H-Man]

Indeed a fascinating film.

Observation: I thought the nephew died with the rest of the party, leaving only his girlfriend and the kid alive, plus those creepy-looking rural types who were watching Woodcrock party from afar.

[he-ba]

I have to agree with Rodan and Ninjasaurus on the matter of Hedorah's power. Man, I think he would kill Mechagodzilla, Gigan, King Ghidorah, and others easily. The only reason why Godzilla won was because of the humans and his intelligence.

[Kaiser]

Always good to see fellow Hedorah enthusiasts. It's been one of my favorites ever since I first saw it on DVD back in 2004. I do get why people hate the film, but to me, it's commonly cited faults (too weird, too different, etc.) are precisely why I love the film so much.

[Crazy Jim Films]

Finally, finally watched this one, leaving just Ebirah (which I've also just acquired through the recent Blu-Ray release), as the last Godzilla film I've yet to view.

I almost don't know what to make of it, except that 1) I liked it, and am sure it's in the top six or seven films in the franchise for me, and 2) Whatever it is, it's at least one part noble failure. I'm not sure if all its techniques go together; its plotting is haphazard; the plot outstays its welcome, etc. But it's too ambitious and bizarre to not enjoy.

On a very basic level, I also appreciate how it brings back consequences to the Showa franchise -- something missing since Godzilla Raids Again, really. People die in this movie, man. The die right and left. When Godzilla and Hedorah fight, we get to see the collateral damage not only in terms of destruction, but in terms of lives. And this even with a firmly heroic portrayal of Godzilla.

I was struck with the realization that, forget Ghidorah, forget Mechagodzilla, etc. To the denizens of the Showa universe, Hedorah would absolutely be remembered as the most terrifying monster apart from the original Godzilla, and perhaps even eclipse him. Most of the other big threats are quelled quickly by the efforts of Godzilla, other monsters and/or the protagonists. By comparison, Hedorah wracks up an enormous death toll and is active for quite a while as he outruns both Godzilla and the humans. He devastates Japan (the world?) in a way I don't think any of the other villainous monsters do during their films.

Yeah, there are definitely some pretty heavy deaths in this one. Outside of the occasional villain in the early Honda efforts (Mothra, Ghidrah), there are very few human casualties where this one piles them on with very little regard. It kind of reminded me of Eugène Lourié's "The Giant Behemoth" where innocent bystanders including children are killed by the monster. It kind of makes for an interesting if shocking storytelling method of having the cinematic safety net pulled out from under the audience and playing by the idea that death doesn't care about the character's significance.

There was a similar situation in "Terror of Mechagodzilla", which I recently rewatched. There is a scene that had been omitted from earlier commercial releases where the hero of the previous "Mechagodzilla" is gunned down violently in broad daylight.

[Jhiaxus]

I've recently re-watched this as part of my ongoing Godzillathon march toward the new film (as I'm sure most, if not everyone on these forums is doing in one form or another!) and it doesn't rank very high on my Showa era list.

It is delightfully weird and unique from anything else in the series and Hedorah is, as many have pointed out already one of the most savage and destructive monsters to have faced Godzilla. The suit does work with the low budget restraints of the time and looks great really; although it would have been neat if it had that slimy look about it all the time. The build up of the threat Hedorah becomes throughout the movie as well as the death toll it racks up are great as it moves the series back toward the dangers of having giant monsters rampaging cities and destroying lives and makes it one of the darkest entries.

Unfortunately, while these elements are great, they lose most of their impact as the rest of the movie is inserted into them. I found that the flow of the whole film is very disjointed; we go from dark, terrible danger to animated cartoon lesson to acid trip rave party to local family info dump on what is going on in other parts of the film to creepy unexplained old people peeping in the woods so quickly and rapidly that it feels like the director couldn't decide what kind of film they wanted to make so just settled on piecing parts of several various ideas together to fill out the time. Making the audience feel uncomfortable and/or disjointed is great if that was the goal, but it doesn't seem planned here.

I found the human characters were just there to explain the technical side of things and to fill the "human character" section of the script. None of them are remember-able or rounded in any way shape or form to the point that I didn't even realize that the "older son" character had died until the very end of the movie as no one reacts or comments about it at all! I understand that the human characters are usually there to explain what's happening but they also usually have some actual character to them or at least a plot of there own to follow between monster scenes, and these characters have neither; or at the very least a poor excuse of one. Even when the "young people" get together and decide to hold a rave on the mountain I had to ask why? Are these characters environmentally conscious? They haven't mentioned it before. Why do they think this is a good idea? No one else has really shown a distaste for all the pollution besides the dad character.

Godzilla himself just shows up out of nowhere for no reason and displays a very unnatural amount of understanding that the humans have created a machine to defeat the smog monster. He even knows how to use it as he specifically uses his radioactive breath to activate the device on the first go; no trial and error needed. This and his "flying" ability also just take me right out of the film. While his encounters with Hedorah are interesting on one hand as he has to figure out how to tackle such a different and unique opponent, there are too many scenes where the two monsters are just standing around looking at one another which really steals the energy out of the battles.

I know, I know, it's Godzilla and a lot of the movies produced during this time are filled with camp and are arguably worse, but because this film can't decide what exactly it wants to be and because the plot is almost non existent I can't say that I fully enjoyed it. I love it because it is so weird and unique and dark, but it isn't structured very well and it isn't a film I would give to a casual or new fan to watch to get them into the Godzilla series. I love the movie for what it tried to do, but not for what it turned out to be.

I love the whole concept for Hedorah, but the iconic version of threat monster for me is the version from the NES game, GODZILLA: MONSTER OF MONSTERS!

All this of course is just my opinion.

[Ninjasaurus]

Unfortunately, while these elements are great, they lose most of their impact as the rest of the movie is inserted into them. I found that the flow of the whole film is very disjointed; we go from dark, terrible danger to animated cartoon lesson to acid trip rave party to local family info dump on what is going on in other parts of the film to creepy unexplained old people peeping in the woods so quickly and rapidly that it feels like the director couldn't decide what kind of film they wanted to make so just settled on piecing parts of several various ideas together to fill out the time. Making the audience feel uncomfortable and/or disjointed is great if that was the goal, but it doesn't seem planned here.

I'm pretty sure it was planned.

I showed this movie to my mom recently, who had never seen an entire Godzilla film from start to finish. She enjoyed it.

[LordGuyverVII]

This is actually one of my favorite movies in the Showa era.

[Rodan]

I found the human characters were just there to explain the technical side of things and to fill the "human character" section of the script. None of them are remember-able or rounded in any way shape or form to the point that I didn't even realize that the "older son" character had died until the very end of the movie as no one reacts or comments about it at all! I understand that the human characters are usually there to explain what's happening but they also usually have some actual character to them or at least a plot of there own to follow between monster scenes, and these characters have neither; or at the very least a poor excuse of one. Even when the "young people" get together and decide to hold a rave on the mountain I had to ask why? Are these characters environmentally conscious? They haven't mentioned it before. Why do they think this is a good idea? No one else has really shown a distaste for all the pollution besides the dad character.

On the whole I agree with you that the characters here are among the weakest and most expository in the Showa series (normally a sticking point for me in these films, but I like this one so much on the whole that I give it a pass). The bit with the party on Mt. Fuji wasn't for environmental activism, though. It was an end-of-the-world party; the uncle (not actually the older son) wanted to get people to go party at Mt. Fuji before Hedorah wrecked it; that, and they thought they were all going to die.

That's actually pretty awesome and perfectly in the zeitgeist.

[KaijuFiend]

^Woah, I had thought it was an environmentalist party too. Maybe the dub doesn't explain it, but the Japanese version does? (I watched the dubbed version). Now it all makes sense why none of them seemed to care that they might die.

[Rodan]

^Woah, I had thought it was an environmentalist party too. Maybe the dub doesn't explain it, but the Japanese version does? (I watched the dubbed version). Now it all makes sense why none of them seemed to care that they might die.

I've only seen the Japanese version, which I saw for the first time the other day. I ... I think that was it?

Now I'm doubting myself, though, and wonder if maybe I just missed an essential line or something. I definitely don't think there was a purpose given other than, "Everything's bad so let's go party at Mt. Fuji before Hedorah comes," though.

[gojira96]

It's meant an environmental protest party, but really they just want to have fun before the world ends. To get to their "environmental" party, they drive in cars, and when they're there, they light a large bonfire. Clearly they don't care about the environment.

[Gaira69]

Very underrated film. It has a kid in the center of it but he is not annoying and the groovy teens are fun to see today. I still sing "Save the Earth" when I am doing my recycling. Hedorah is a real threat to humanity and they are not afraid to show death in this one. It seems gritty and real to me. The problems are the double endings which drag on and the military seems to consist of about 20 people. Love the scene of Hedorah swimming toward the father underwater and the refinery battle. I love that director Banno tried something weird and nightmarish with the film. It totally stands apart from the other weak efforts in the 70's. No monkey aliens, robots or cyborgs, just tons of sludge and trippy imagery.

[Rody]

That's actually pretty awesome and perfectly in the zeitgeist.

I would have said idiotic, but I figured the scene was mocking the current youth mindset.