When people discuss the greatest anti-heroes in movie history, you usually won’t find giant radioactive lizards on the list. However, the titular kaiju of the godzilla film series has nevertheless spent its many decades of film history on the border between good and evil.
Godzilla is perhaps best known as a destructive force, destroying the world to punish humanity for their hubris. However, looking at his numerous movie appearances, he tends to protect humanity as much as he threatens it. So considering how often he wavers between protagonist and antagonist, you have to wonder which role is really the ideal fit for Godzilla – noble hero or tragic villain?
All the great monsters in fiction tend to reflect a social fear in the real world. For example, that of George Romero Dawn of the Dead famously used zombies to represent consumerism, while vampires have elsewhere been interpreted as a metaphor for upper-class exploitation. Godzilla is hardly an exception to this trend, as it was presented very explicitly in the original 1954 godzilla as a symbol of nuclear destruction. Considering it had been less than a decade since the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, it’s no surprise that the fear of nuclear weapons was still embedded in the public consciousness of post-war Japan. More specifically, producer Tomoyuki Tanaka was inspired to create the movie’s monster with atomic power by the Lucky Dragon No. 5 incident, in which a Japanese fishing boat was contaminated by fallout from an H bomb test on Bikini Atoll.
In the film, Godzilla is described as an ancient marine reptile who was awakened from sleep by a similar H-bomb test. Now irradiated by the blast, it hurtles through Japan, with destruction in its wake. The film makes no secret of its themes: Godzilla represents nature punishing humanity for the reckless use of nuclear weapons. Godzilla isn’t evil per se – after all, he’s a victim of humanity’s hubris, acting in retaliation for the evil done to him. But as he exacts his revenge, he is very much the film’s antagonist, and a terrifying one at that.
The idea of Godzilla as an avenging force of nature punishing humanity for its crimes has remained a core theme of the series over the decades. It is especially prominent in Shin Godzillathe 2016 movie of Neon Genesis Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno which essentially serves as a remake of the original 1954 film. Anno portrays Godzilla as a lost, scared creature trapped in constant pain and lashing out only in self-defense. Shin Godzilla is simultaneously one of the most lovable versions of the King of Monsters and one of the most gruesome. The film depicts him as nothing less than a god of destruction, and doesn’t shy away from showing the human price of Godzilla’s frenzy.
Although Godzilla started out as a metaphor for nuclear devastation, over the next few decades he became something completely different. Starting with the years 1964 Ghidorah, the three-headed monsterGodzilla went from humanity’s greatest enemy to his unlikely defender against more overtly evil Kaiju. Within a few years, the haunted, terrifying avatar of nature’s fury was replaced by a heroic, friendly, and even comic figure. Godzilla even became a protective father to his own baby Kaiju, Minilla. When the series finally rebooted in 1984, Godzilla returned to its roots as a monstrous destructive force. However, this course correction would not last long.
in 1991, Godzilla vs King Ghidorah sees Godzilla once again become humanity’s protector against a greater threat, though he reverts to his destructive ways in the film’s final act. Over the next few years, Godzilla would oscillate between defender and destroyer. He opposed benevolent kaiju as much as Mothra and Mechagodzilla as much as he opposed evil monsters like SpaceGodzilla and Destoroyah. Godzilla lost love for humanity, but he could also be trusted to protect the world from outside threats such as alien invasions or rogue Kaiju. Even if he wasn’t on the side of humanity, he was on the side of the Earth.
Under this modern anti-heroic characterization, Godzilla’s status as an avatar of nature was recontextualized. Nature is uncontrollable, unpredictable and often deadly, but it also cares for people as long as it is respected. Godzilla is a protector of the natural order who will not allow anyone to harm his world, be it human or monster. This interpretation of Godzilla as guardian of the planet is especially prominent in Legendary Pictures’ MonsterVerse films, which portray the Kaiju as a combative but honorable figure. He will not hesitate to punish mankind for their arrogance and folly, but he will also save them from King Ghidorah and the MUTOs.
Although the modern Godzilla is hardly a traditional hero, he is still a long way from his original portrayal as a vengeful enemy of humanity. Even in the films that emphasize Godzilla’s destructive nature, he is rarely portrayed as a villain unless he’s up against a purely heroic kaiju, such as Mothra or the man-made Mechagodzillas. As long as Godzilla fights another monster, there’s a good chance he’ll be painted in a somewhat heroic light.
However, you could argue that this is a betrayal of the character’s original allegorical intent. After all, many fans and critics have been praised Shin Godzilla as the best movie in the series, and it features Godzilla in its most terrifying way. But at the same time, it is only natural for symbols to change meaning over the years. Just as Batman was both a grim, brooding vigilante and a shrewd, campy hero, Godzilla has existed as both a gruesome destroyer and a brave guard. Fans may prefer one taking over the other, but they’re both equally valid interpretations of the character.
Godzilla has been portrayed as both hero and villain throughout its long history, and neither variant is inherently superior to the other. With proper execution, both characterizations have the potential to capture the character’s appeal as an indomitable force of nature. Which version ultimately works best depends on the type of story being told. It is precisely this versatility that has made Godzilla a true film legend.
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