Themes of the MonsterVerse Titans: An Essay

This was a response to comparisons of All Monsters Attack and GVK, isn’t it?

Also, I like these ideas, but where are these themes applicable? And don’t Ghidorah and MechaG represent the same thing?

Also before I clicked I was really hoping u were talking about the Music

SarcasticGoji 

In a way, Yes,

This was a topic I feel needed some more attention, I had a lot to talk about and felt that there was too much to put in a single comment, so I thought that creating a new topic/discussion would be a better option.

SarcasticGoji 

"Also before I clicked I was really hoping u were talking about the Music"

sorry for the confusion, I couldn't think of another title...

It’s okie, I was just hoping for an opportunity to rant.

This article is beautiful

I don't think the entire Monsterverse is void of themes. I leave that solely on the shoulders of Godzilla vs. Kong. (Although we could place that at Kong: Skull Island's feet as well, if star Samuel L. Jackson's talk show comments are anything to go on.) In fact it's very clear Edwards and Dougherty were aiming to do something with their movies.

Edwards even said, "Hopefully, you can watch this film and enjoy it as entertainment, but I personally like science fiction and fantasy when it has a little meaning behind it." [Source] And the fandom conveniently let Dougherty get away with gatekeeping when he said, "It wouldn't be a true Godzilla film if you didn't touch upon those things, otherwise you're just making a big dumb monster movie. There has to be a sprinkle of it, otherwise you're not being faithful to the original intent of the series. Anyone who thinks otherwise is not a true Godzilla fan." [Source]

The intent is certainly there, and I think the themes are there, but they are woefully problematic. In the case of Godzilla '14 and Godzilla: King of the Monsters, we have a character IP based on very specific Japanese trauma clashing with the sensibilities of a film industry based in a leading nuclear superpower.

I'll stick with the assessment that Godzilla '14 is, thusfar, the best American made Godzilla film and that it runs with that honor very far away from the other movies. But even it is problematic. Suddenly, Castle Bravo isn't the reason Godzilla wakes up, but an American military reaction to killing a potential threat. It's interesting that both the 2014 movie and 1998 movie either shift blame or intent when considering nuclear testing. In 1998 it's the French military's fault. In 2014, America was trying to save the world under the guise of nuclear tests.

The reason I take issue with this is because, like it or not, Godzilla is residual scar tissue of another country caused by America. The entire reason the character exists was to create an outlet for a people to process their fears, phobias and grief as a nation. So when the country that caused the grief takes that outlet and puts to screen a Japanese man, who lost his father to Nagasaki's bombing, willfully detonating a nuclear weapon to save the world, killing himself in the process, I'm left in complete shock at the tone deafness it took to execute it.

A country, that left another country scared from nuclear bombing (and by extension, testing), literally took the mascot of their atomic-phobia and turned it into a nuclear, superpower poster boy. That is a hard pill to swallow.

But let's ignore the bomb for a moment. Godzilla has been adapted to represent the transition of Japan into capitalism - the marketing that comes with it - the deconstruction of nuclear families - the Cold War - violent attacks on women - nationalism - Japan's pollution issue of the 1970s - the post-war world, etc. To quote Matt Frank, "the specifics of Godzilla’s creation and narrative relevance have been honed and modified and pushed by over half a century’s worth of cultural evolution, modification, and revolution unique to Japan. That’s why Japanese Godzilla movies hit differently, even when they struggle themselves, compared to the US-made Godzilla movies." [source]

So when Dougherty tries to make King of the Monsters about environmentalism, he's somewhat on the right track. But then he botches it with ideas of "Titans" triggering ecological growth via radiation--The very thing that poisoned and killed countless in the fiction of Godzilla and the reality that inspired it. Never mind the fact Dougherty also named an American military base Castle Bravo, an event that poisoned Japanese fisherman, killing one, and putting irradiated tuna on the market--All the fault of... American military.

The problem isn't how Godzilla does or does not represent aspects related to nuclear proliferation. The problem is that it spring boarded the character to represent so many half-century, post-war themes that he may be too... well... Japanese for other countries to nail.

Does this mean I think only the Japanese can do Godzilla right? No, I think some have done a pretty solid job in certain comics, particularly "The Half-Century War", "Legends" and aspects of "Rulers of Earth." I also think there have been some outstanding stories told by Hollywood in the genre: Cloverfield, Pacific Rim, Colossal--But I also think we have to consider the possibility that storytellers outside of Japan might have a harder time understanding the character as it clashes with American commercialism. Remember, this is the country where radioactive spiders give people super powers. In Japan, that concept would've transformed someone into an atomic terror.

As for assigning what each monster may or may not represent, I actually applaud the effort, but find that there's some projecting there. Which is fine. Lord knows many historians, including myself, have looked very deeply into these films. However, my issue there is that each of these monsters generally come from the "Hollow Earth" making it a catchall origin. Quite frankly, I think giving Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra and Kong identical origins limits what the monsters say about us. And that has always been a major component of these movies.

Looking at such a misfire, I suppose mindless, dumb fun is the best Godzilla for Hollywood. Nothing in Godzilla vs. Kong represents why I personally fell in love with the franchise, but I concede it's connecting with people better than something with more substance. I just hope it doesn't set a precedence for the genre.

I love this essay/article. Beautifully made and you got your points across.

I also find this article very well written.

I think it would be interesting to ask the what if question: What if Edwards, for example, had told all 3 stories?

Thank you for the compliments on the article, I worked really hard on it, so cool to see that you enjoy it.

G. H. (Gman)

I don’t think that Dougherty ruined the themes completely. It’s never explained what radiation but we can assume Gamma ray because that is what Hollywood likes best. I don’t think it’s ruined because like a natural it can result in plentiful life. Take a look at pictures of Chernobyl today. Environmentalism tends to look beyond just humans and our fears, so even if humans died in a nuclear war, that doesn’t mean all life would.

@SarcasticGoji

That’s a pretty good point.

This article is AMAZING.

I try to make my kaiju in Rise of the Kaiju are basically forces of nature personified

@Xenotaris

I also try to do that in The Zilla Chronicles.

G. H. (Gman)

While the MonsterVerse Godzilla wasn't woken up by the 1954 Castle Bravo nuclear test like in the original 1954 film, he was still awakened by humanity's actions during the Atomic age. In Godzilla 2014 it was implied that Godzilla was woken up when a nuclear sub disturbed him, however Godzilla: Awakening (and in the bonus features of 2014) they actually state that Godzilla and the Shinomura were first woken up and disturbed by the effects of the Hiroshima bombing and the Operation Crossroads nuclear tests in 1945, Godzilla patrolled the Pacific Ocean hunting the Shinomura, destroying several ships in the process, with survivors reported sightings of a monster that locals of the Pacific Islands referred to as “Gojira” (Similar to the 1954 film). The USS Nautilus was sent to investigate the incidents in 1954, and discovered Godzilla, who attacked the sub (possibly attacking it due to the nuclear energy inside, he may have viewed it as another titan). Interestingly, in the 2014 film they state that “the Americans first thought that it was the Russians, the Russians thought that it was them” (hinting at the Cold War tension, similar to Godzilla 1984). The American Government, realizing the potential threat that Godzilla may cause, (arrogantly) decided to use the most powerful weapon they had to kill him, the atomic bomb, not realizing that A. Godzilla feeds on nuclear energy and B. that atomic bombs woke Godzilla and the Shinomura in the first place. The American Government then attempted to cover up the event as one of the nuclear tests that they had been conducting over the past few years. Godzilla was unharmed, but the Shinomura was destroyed. With the other titan defeated, Godzilla returned to his hibernation until the events of 2014.      

SarcasticGoji,
I think the misuse of Chernobyl as an example is an issue that's overlooked as well. The idea that the giant, radioactive monster cares about our environment, despite Chernobyl, is an issue Dougherty didn't really think through. (And he tends to delete comments when confronted with it.)

Radiation doesn't outright kill nature, it distorts it and Chernobyl is not thriving the way you might think. To this day vegetation in Chernobyl can not rot, making it impossible for nutrients from dead plants to return to the ground. [Source] Birds are born with smaller brains and shorter lifespans. [Source] And predators who have left the radiation zone are poisoning Scandinavian plants and livestock, making it difficult for farmers to put this stuff on the market. [Source] And this is 35 years later... The ecosystem is alive, but it's a mutant and it's negatively effective other aspects of the world.

Nevermind what kind of damage the Fukushima disaster has caused/will cause when Japan dumps the radioactive waste into the ocean.

SasquaDash,
That's fascinating and all, but why couldn't this information been put in the movie instead of supplementary material in order to strengthen its themes? As a film on its own, this is problematic.

That said, I do think Godzilla '14 is better with its nuclear messaging than the other movies. But the hypocrisy of being made by a nuclear superpower can't help but peak through.

G. H. (Gman)

“So when Dougherty tries to make King of the Monsters about environmentalism, he's somewhat on the right track. But then he botches it with ideas of "Titans" triggering ecological growth via radiation--”

There are different types of radiation, Solar radiation does play a role in plant growth (and the creation of new life). The “radiation” that the titans emit was never stated to be nuclear radiation, it’s probably meant to be a new form of radiation that is emitted by the titans (possibly linked to the energy source within Hollow Earth). Godzilla and the other titans feed on the harmful nuclear radiation and expel a more beneficial energy source that helps to heal the environment, similar to how trees absorb carbon dioxide and create oxygen through photosynthesis. To say that Dougherty’s film ruined the franchise’s message by being “Pro Nuclear or Pro Radiation” is inaccurate and (in some cases) false.

 As far as Godzilla being revived by a nuclear warhead, it’s no different than some of the plot points that were seen in older Toho films. Godzilla vs King Ghidorah has a plot point where the Japanese government sends a nuclear submarine to create/re energize Godzilla so that he can protect them from Ghidorah, that could be misinterpreted as Pro Nuclear (hell, if you want to get technical, Godzilla was originally a living metaphor for the atomic bomb, yet he became a superhero in the later Showa films). The topic of Nuclear energy use has changed a lot since the 50s, back then nuclear energy was seen as only being a weapon of mass destruction, however in more recent years nuclear energy has been used in a somewhat more beneficial way, being used as an energy source to power civilization. One thing to note is that in the original 1954 film we have the Oxygen Destroyer (a potential stand in for nuclear weapons) being created by Daisuke Serizawa. In the film, Serizawa fears that his creation will be used as a weapon of mass destruction much like the nuclear bombs before it (leading to the line: “Bombs versus bombs, missiles versus missiles, and now a new superweapon to throw upon us all!” ), however he also states that he wants to find a beneficial use for it, stating that if he does he would be the first to show it off to the world. This can also be applied to nuclear energy, it was initially (and in some cases still is) used as a weapon, however in modern day we use it as energy to benefit our own existence.

At the end of WWII, Japan was very anti nuclear because of the bombings of Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and the “Lucky Dragon” incident, however in modern day, Japan uses nuclear power plants to power their towns and cities. Things change, and modern Japan isn’t as anti nuclear as it was in the past. In Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Ishiro Serizawa states that, “Sometimes... the only way to heal our wounds is to make peace with the demons who created them.” This plays into the scene where Serizawa sacrifices himself to revive Godzilla using the nuclear warhead, despite being against nuclear weapons in the previous film (due to his father’s history with Hiroshima).

 Nuclear energy is still a potential danger, Chernobyl and Fukushima are proof of that and modern Godzilla films still reflect that idea (In the form of the MUTOs and Shin Godzilla). The Godzilla series has been around for 67 years and the reason it’s been able to last that long is that it’s able to adapt and change as a result of the world around it, whether the films are about nuclear weapons, pollution, war, climate change, or the consequences of humanity messing with nature. If the Godzilla series continued to repeat the same theme from 1954 over and over again, it probably wouldn’t have lasted that long and we probably wouldn’t be here discussing it.

The point that you're trying to make is that Godzilla and some of the other Titans being protectors of the Earth in the MonsterVerse disrespects the message of the original by being “Pro Nuclear”, however the Toho Godzilla movies did the exact same thing. Like I stated earlier, Godzilla started out as a terrifying metaphor for the destruction caused by nuclear weapons, however Toho quickly turned him into a planet protecting superhero. If you want to dig deeper into the Showa films, you’ll find that they have the same “issues” that the MonsterVerse has. Godzilla defends the world from aliens (I guess that means nuclear weapons can protect us from invaders), Godzilla fights Hedorah (I guess nuclear weapons can stop pollution), Godzilla raises a son (radiation apparently makes you a great Dad). My point is that there are many inconsistencies within the Godzilla franchise, with the messages of the films contradicting themselves. Completely ignoring these inconsistent details in the Japanese Toho films, while constantly bashing the American films for them, is not only unfair, but it is extremely hypocritical. 

"History shows again and again, how nature points out the folly of man."

SasquaDash
Wait does Godzilla absorb harmful radiation and use it to creat beneficial radiation?

Makes ZERO sense that question.

OF COURSE HE DOES

sonictiger

It makes more sense than you think actually. If he’s absorbing harmful radiation, a biological process could convert it in helpful radiation.

SasquaDash

Solar radiation isn’t the best example. We need the atmosphere to protect us from it.

I said OF COURSE HE CAN TRANSFORM IT INTO GOOD ENERGY

The question made no sense because the answer is obvious...

The answer isn’t that obvious actually.... if he could do that, then serious chemical reactions would have to occur. Essentially he’d have to able to absorb the radiation, convert it to energy, use some of that energy to convert to light. 

Yes radiation is light

Yeah I know.....and now I'm confused about the reactions

SarcasticGoji 

Yes, on it's own Solar radiation is harmful, however because of Earth's atmosphere blocking the harmful UltraViolet rays, solar energy becomes a beneficial power source that helps the environment grow.

That’s why I compared the Titan’s energy to photosynthesis. Carbon Dioxide is poisonous to humans and animals, however trees absorb Carbon Dioxide and convert it to breathable oxygen that humans and animals need to survive. Likewise, it’s not too much of a stretch to suggest that the MonsterVerse Titans that feed on harmful radiation can convert that radiation into a beneficial source of energy that can heal the environment.  

I also believe that in fiction rules can be bent, a story doesn’t always have to be rooted in reality or real world physics, especially if it’s a giant monster series where this exists:

I find it funny that people complain about the Godzilla series not being 100% realistic with radiation, yet when Bruce Banner becomes the Hulk by being bombarded by gamma radiation no one questions it (even though logically, that should kill him). I’m okay with fiction taking creative liberties if it fits the story. Fire can’t naturally exist underwater, but if cartoons want to make jokes about it, I feel like they should be able to.

“Space is warped and time is bendable.” - Mike Nelson

I couldn't have said it better.

"There are different types of radiation, Solar radiation does play a role in plant growth (and the creation of new life). The “radiation” that the titans emit was never stated to be nuclear radiation, it’s probably meant to be a new form of radiation that is emitted by the titans (possibly linked to the energy source within Hollow Earth). Godzilla and the other titans feed on the harmful nuclear radiation and expel a more beneficial energy source that helps to heal the environment, similar to how trees absorb carbon dioxide and create oxygen through photosynthesis."

This is a wonderful fan theory and all, but where is this in the movie? See the problem here is the movie refuses to make any distinction between harmful radiation or not. Even if this theory were the case, then Dougherty and Shields needed to make it clearer. As it stands, it just sounds like he thinks radiation is a life giving force. He even uses inaccurate information about Chernobyl to try and prove his point in the audio commentary--Which leads me to believe he was referring to nuclear radiation.

"To say that Dougherty’s film ruined the franchise’s message by being “Pro Nuclear or Pro Radiation” is inaccurate and (in some cases) false."

I never said Dougherty ruined the "franchise's message," as reductive of a title as that is for something so vast. I don't think he or another, singular bad movie out of a 36 film series has the power to ruin it. But I would argue he may not understand it as well as he's convinced.

"Godzilla vs King Ghidorah has a plot point where the Japanese government sends a nuclear submarine to create/re energize Godzilla so that he can protect them from Ghidorah, that could be misinterpreted as Pro Nuclear (hell, if you want to get technical, Godzilla was originally a living metaphor for the atomic bomb, yet he became a superhero in the later Showa films)."

The problem with this rebuttal is context. In Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah, the plan is concocted by a Japanese nationalist who is ostracized by the other characters for having the audacity to own nuclear weapons. It's not seen or written as an overwhelming positive, it's written as a commentary on the dangers of nationalism and capitalistic power growing so out of control that a singular company can own a weapon as dangerous and destructive as a nuclear bombs. Furthermore, the plan ends up not working because the narrative required this character's fallacy to be highlighted

As for Godzilla being a hero--Indeed. But in each case the movies still represented something that was born of the Japanese post-war and when the topic of nuclear proliferation arouse, it never had anything nice to say about it. Take something as thin as Godzilla vs. Megalon, for example. An entire war breaks out because of nuclear testing, which was always a great fear Japan had during the Cold War. A shift in character does not equate a lack of meaning for the Japanese culture.

"The topic of Nuclear energy use has changed a lot since the 50s, back then nuclear energy was seen as only being a weapon of mass destruction, however in more recent years nuclear energy has been used in a somewhat more beneficial way, being used as an energy source to power civilization."

I'm not here to debate whether or not nuclear power is beneficial. The fact is, like it or not, beneficial nuclear power is not what Godzilla represents and never has. To do so is to ignore the point of his genesis to begin with and also ignore how a different culture sees nuclear energy. Otherwise we're culturally appropriating an IP we could have merely created from scratch if we really want to.

Japan simply has not had the same luck with nuclear power as other countries. In 1995, days before the release of Godzilla vs. Destoroyah, an event occurred at the Monju Nuclear Power Plant. Although no radiation was released, a sodium leak caused a complete reactor shut-down. The Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corp. covered up the extent of the damage, causing outrage over how nuclear energy was being managed. [Source]

Numerous other issues happened at Japanese power plants culminating the famous Fukushima Nuclear disaster of 2011. The event was the greatest nuclear disaster since Chernobyl and caused the shutdown over over 50 nuclear reactors. [Source] Only 9 reactors now operate in Japan today. [Source] And with the issues still going on in Chernobyl today, the issue of nuclear power's stability is still in flux, especially in Japan.

"...however he also states that he wants to find a beneficial use for it, stating that if he does he would be the first to show it off to the world."

But he never does. Effectively, the movie treats his hope cynically. Serizawa died before that naivety could be put in action.

"however in modern day, Japan uses nuclear power plants to power their towns and cities. Things change, and modern Japan isn’t as anti nuclear as it was in the past."

As I mentioned above, this isn't very accurate, with only 9 of 50 reactors currently operating. But let's give you the benefit of the doubt for a moment--Let's pretend all 50 reactors are working today. That doesn't change the fact that the Godzilla is a warning built off of trauma. Just because the world accepts something dangerous as useful doesn't mean there can't or shouldn't be a warning of its use. Even as Japan had more active reactors in the 1990s, the Godzilla series was still harping on their use and warning of their dangers. Ironically, those warnings came to fruition in March of 2011 in Fukushima.

"...however the Toho Godzilla movies did the exact same thing. Like I stated earlier, Godzilla started out as a terrifying metaphor for the destruction caused by nuclear weapons, however Toho quickly turned him into a planet protecting superhero. If you want to dig deeper into the Showa films, you’ll find that they have the same “issues” that the MonsterVerse has. Godzilla defends the world from aliens (I guess that means nuclear weapons can protect us from invaders), Godzilla fights Hedorah (I guess nuclear weapons can stop pollution), Godzilla raises a son (radiation apparently makes you a great Dad)."

And here's the next issue that fans tend to misconstrue and it's no different here. Most Godzilla movies designate a theme to itself, but it doesn't always outright deal with nuclear proliferation and radiation. The difference is Godzilla: King of the Monsters decided to bring topics of nuclear weapons and radiation into the fold of the story. Radiation is not a topic brought up by the characters or story in Godzilla vs. Gigan, or Hedorah or Son of Godzilla. They decide to forego those ideas in favor of larger themes that may or may not have been more relevant to Japan at the time.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters, however, not only dives headfirst into certain taboos in the franchise, but the culprits of this act/story is an America superpower that caused another country's trauma to need Godzilla. It's rather disgusting in a way and frankly crosses some lines I find impermissible.

Honda and Fukuda were wise. Nowhere in Son of Godzilla is Godzilla's radiation mentioned. Nowhere in the context of the movie is Godzilla's nuclear power drawn attention to. The movie can't say, "radiation makes you a great Dad," because that's not in it. But Godzilla: King of the Monsters can say, "nukes will save the world," because that's literally what happens.

But you know what is in Son of Godzilla, All Monsters Attack and Godzilla vs. Hedorah? Topics of post-war Japan--Alternate subjects and themes that were directly effected by the events following their bombing.

I think Godzilla: King of the Monsters would've been better off had it avoided the topic altogether and found a different way to write in the resuscitation of Godzilla. But that's only one of many writing issues the film has.

And I agree, Godzilla's warning of nuclear proliferation and radioactive hazards will always be present in the character, but how the character evolves from that point is important as well. The liberties taken with Godzilla shows that the character can and will continue to be adapted for present day issues—And it's important that Godzilla stay relevant. The monster was born of the post-war's socio-political climate and he continues to embody ideological shifts caused by that climate in Japanese culture. To reverse engineer that is a completely different issue entirely.

I'll give the Monsterverse this much--for making so many egregious errors in theme and narrative, it has sparked conversation for the specifics behind Godzilla's representation. I believe they're at least topics worth thinking over.

"it has sparked conversation for the specifics behind Godzilla's representation. I believe they're at least topics worth thinking over."

I believe so too.