The original Godzilla, Gojira, is about to tour the U.S. in all its uncut, undubbed glory to celebrate the film's 60th anniversary.
In the run-up to the release of Gareth Edwards’ reboot in May, as well as the 60th Anniversary, Rialto Pictures will be touring the greatest (and grimmest) Godzilla of them all across the U.S., which takes me back to the film's 50th anniversary.
In January of 2004, my girlfriend and I were sitting in a Coney Island bar one cold and blustery day talking to a man in a long white robe with a long white beard he'd made from a mop. We mentioned that earlier in the day we'd seen the original 1954 Gojira for the first time.
“Oh, that's real smart,” said the man wearing the mop.
It's a commonplace problem for Godzilla fans. Most American audiences have never seen the films without heavy re-editing, and so have no idea how anyone with a whiff of intelligence might appreciate silly kiddie fare like that. In fact, it wasn't until 2004, the 50th anniversary of the original's release, that any large American audience had a chance to see the King of the Monsters' debut film as Ishiro Honda crafted it (i.e. without Raymond Burr mucking it all up, and complete with direct references to Nagasaki, and a few subtle political jabs at the U.S., all of which had been scrubbed clean out of the American version).
Far from silly kiddie fare, it's an extremely dark and somber parable not simply about Hiroshima, but about the perils of continued nuclear testing; about Japan's recovery after the war; about the lasting psychological scars of nuclear attack and an uneasiness toward the future. It's a gorgeous and moving picture still hailed as one of the greatest Japanese films ever made. Plus, it's got a giant monster with radioactive breath.
Now, to mark the film's 60th anniversary and perhaps remind people what Edwards' new film is hoping to compete with, Rialto films will be touring a pristine print of Gojira across the country between mid-April and early May, with stops at art houses in several selected cities. And believe you me, there's nothing like seeing it on the big screen. If you live near any of the below cities, you should consider it a necessity. Here's the schedule.
April 18 - 24 NEW YORK, NY Film Forum
April 25 - May 1 SANTA FE, NM Jean Cocteau Cinema
May 2 - 5 PORTLAND, OR Hollywood Theatre
May 2 - 8 SEATTLE, WA SIFF Cinema Uptown
May 23 - 26 HOUSTON, TX The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
May 28 LEXINGTON, KY Kentucky Theatre
July 17 COLUMBUS, OH Wexner Center for the Arts
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