Andagi1 wrote: ↑Sun Jan 29, 2023 1:01 am
Watched it subbed. I've seen it discussed before but I definitely felt the religious symbolism in this film. IIRC Tsuburaya was a Catholic. Mefilas and Ultraman in particular have a really neat dichotomy, with Mefilas coming off as a cunning, charismatic tempter trying to coax humanity into giving into its fear and selfishness while Ultraman functions as a shepherd trying to guide humans toward their potential out of compassion (who also happened to pass as a human). I'd even compare the whole park and Izakaya sequence to Satan and Jesus in the desert if I didn't know better. Definitely helps how well the actors play their roles, particularly with line delivery. Zarab is clearly a trickster, Mefilas is a poised gentleman, and Zoffy is a cold, rigid superior. The scene where he deploys Zetton is so chilling, and that weird close-up really embellishes it.
I hadn't considered that exact frame of viewing, but that wouldn't surprise me in the least, and I see exactly what you're talking about. In many ways, the entire plot of the film can be comparable to the transition from old to new testament. There's someone that dies and is resurrected, who ultimately dies for humanities sins, or at least to prove they are worth something. In many ways, Zoffy is god, Old Testament, and Zetton represents a catastrophe akin to the Great Flood, or god smiting civilizations.
Anno likes Christian and Jewish symbolism and esotericism in his works, so even ignoring Tsuburaya it makes sense that that would be there.
Great catch!