Review of Rodan (1956) by Adam F — 12 Apr 2014

With the success of "Godzilla", Toho studios went on to release a multitude of Kaiju (giant monster movies). Some were great, some were just ok and some were flat out bad. What makes them all entertaining to watch on a certain level is that just like today's "Marvel Universe" films, most of these ended up tying into one another by having the monsters cross over and battle each other while leaving Tokyo smoldering and devoid of life. With such an extensive franchise (about 44 films) fans really want to get other people inducted into the beloved series, but choosing the right movie to introduce their friends to can be tricky. If you want a film that not only stands on its own as a terrific monster movie but also works as a solid sequel to "Godzilla" I strongly recommend you check out "Rodan", the first film in the franchise to be released in colour. The film begins in a small mining village, when two miners go missing in a deep coal shaft. When the authorities investigate, they find one of the miners dead and the tunnel completely flooded. As the authorities look for the other missing man, they are suddenly attacked and brutally murdered, torn to shred by something under the water. The townspeople are convinced that Goro, the man who is missing is responsible, as the man had a violent history but Kiyo (Yumi Shirakawa) and her fiancé Shigeru (Kenji Sahara) are not convinced. The culprit of the murders is discovered when a grotesque, gigantic insect larva (called Meganulon) emerges from the tunnels. Nearly as long as a schoolbus, with an impregnable hide, razor-sharp pincers and a screeching cry that sends chills down your spine, these creatures are more than a handful for the unorganized men of the mining town, but these insects are only precursors to the real threat. Meganulon are nowhere near the top of the food chain, they are in fact at the bottom. Rodan, a titanic Pteranodon capable of supersonic flight is the real threat: a threat not only to Japan, but to the entire world.

This is once again, a prime example of a great monster story, interwoven with good human drama and there's a lot more to "Rodan" than just your run-of-the-mill monster movie. Aside from the fact the Dvd cover of this film features a giant prehistoric reptile knocking buildings over, you wouldn't think that this is a Kaiju film at first, you'd think this was a horror movie. It's true, we've got this small mining town, isolated from the rest of the country, where suddenly people start disappearing. At first, the authorities and villagers think it's just a simple mining accident, then, it escalates to a murder. But, when the bodies start pilling up, the audience starts figuring out that there's a lot more going on here. Some scenes really play out as frightening examples of cinema. Take for example, the part where three policemen hear a splash in the water flooding the tunnel and decide to investigate. It's all very dark and spooky, but these guys don't know that there's a creature with its eyes on them, so they decide to wade into the water. Suddenly, the lead officer begins screaming and is slowly pulled underwater. The problem is that these three are tied together to avoid getting lost so one after another, they are also pulled into a watery grave, with their screams of terror echoing deep inside the coal mine. When you finally see the culprit, the giant insect comes out of nowhere, surprising our main characters. When the people of the village have finally decided to take a stand and attack the creatures in their nest, it doesn't go very well and our hero, Kiyo suddenly finds himself isolated against hordes of these creatures but the prehistoric insects are the least of his worries.

Halfway through the movie, the story shifts from a horror story, to a giant monster mystery. Rodan is a huge creature, but it flies at such a speed that no one can ever get a good look at it. Even worse, it feeds on humans and any witnesses sound find themselves devoured. Only Kiyo might have the answer as to what we are looking for, but he has been so traumatized by his solitary venture into the depths of the coal mine that he has amnesia. That's where the other story element of "Rodan" comes in; it's also a tragic love story. There are three distinct couples in this film, all of which have an element of tragedy to them. First, is Kiyo and Shigeru. After Kiyo's disappearance in the Meganulon nest, he is believed lost by everyone and his fiancé is heartbroken. Did the two of them survive the initial insect attack on the village just to lose each other when he did the right thing and acted the hero? It appears that it isn't the case when he is recovered from a volcanic crater. That's when she discovers that he has amnesia and does not remember what happened to him or who she is. Once again, she's found him, just for him to be lost to her again. Once he does recover his memory, once again they are put in peril as Rodan mercilessly devastates everything in its path. They have to hold on to each other and hope, against all odds that their love can survive. The second couple, if you can believe it is just as tragic. These two are unnamed, but feature prominently in the plot of the film, because they are Rodan's first victims. A happy couple, in love taking a short holiday in the Japanese countryside, taking photos of each other smilling when suddenly, a dark shadow sweeps across the land. Overcome by panic, they separate and run uselessly from Rodan, who effortlessly picks them off. Later in the film you see a single article of clothing that demonstrates that indeed, these two people died gripped in terror, too scared to even face this monster together. I'd like to discuss who the third tragic couple in this film is, but unfortunately that would be giving too much away. I will say that once you see the film, compare how they meet their end to the happy couple we saw killed by Rodan. How do the first theories as to what happened to that couple apply to our final couple, and how does this couple, in turn compare to Kiyo and Shigeru, who witness the whole affair? At a glance, "Rodan" might seem like just a giant monster movie but there is so much more going on here that it can be enjoyed over and over as you look at similarities and symbolism among the characters and admire the way the story is unfolded.

Alright, I've been talking about love plots and horror elements, but what about what you really come to see in a giant monster movie: the monster and the destruction? Well, "Rodan" has plenty to satisfy its audience. First of all, we get two different types of monsters, Rodan and the Meganulon and we don't get just one of each. That means we get a nice escalation in terms of threats (first one Meganulon, then many, then Rodan) and a nice buildup to the big moneymaker, the scene where Rodan really goes on a rampage inside of Fukuoka. What's nice about Rodan is that it has two principal ways of reducing human civilization to rubble. First, it flies at supersonic speed, faster than any human jet. The shockwaves it creates as it speeds through the air rip planes and buildings apart, sending debris crashing through windows and transforming anything that isn't firmly tied down into a deadly projectile like a tornado. Next, when Rodan lands and begins its more personal assault, it is more than capable of simply squashing tanks and buildings under its feet, while also using its wings to fan flames and knock skyscrapers over. Even more dangerous is how mobile Rodan is. Just when the Japanese military seem to be gaining the upper hand, it can simply fly away and attack another location. Once again, the special effects team have pulled out all the stops in making these incredibly detailed buildings (which are ironically only made to be destroyed) and the Rodan suit (I'm assuming it's a guy in a suit based on the stance and the way the action is choreographed). Rodan has a memorable look and once again, it really looks terrific. You might be worried that this first effort in colour might not look that sharp but that isn't the case. I do feel the need to mention that this is a film from the 50s, and that since then, our special effects have become significantly more sophisticated so you will see strings once in a while. Yeah, it's too bad and a bit distracting, but that comes with the territory when you watch a project that's this ambitious and frankly, you have to keep in mind the time period a film was made in when judging it, otherwise you end up criticizing a silent movie for the acting style and for the sparse dialogue, or an independent film for its lack of big, splashy action sequences. It's worth noting, but not worth deducing points over.

Considering that "Godzilla" ended with the protagonists warning us that with our reckless nuclear testing it was only a matter of time before another Godzilla appeared, this makes a terrific sequel/companion piece not only in terms of tone, but also in terms of quality. The special effects are top-notch, the monsters fun and memorable, the story compelling and there's a lot more to it than just what you see on the surface. As a special bonus, Rodan will eventually be incorporated into the Godzilla franchise as one of the G-man's most recurring allies (as of "Ghidorah the Three-Headed Dragon). This is a prime example of a springboard for people that want to introduce themselves, or others to the Kaiju genre. It's good for kids, who will enjoy the monsters and destruction, but it's even more fun for adults, who will be able to see all of the subtext and subplots. (Original Japanese with English subtitles, March 30, 2014).