We Watched Godzilla Minus One For Our Anniversary Because It's A Love Story

My date night outfit.

This weekend my spouse and I celebrated our wedding anniversary with Godzilla and it was perfect for the occasion. Late last year Godzilla Minus One had a limited release in the US and I cannot emphasize enough how powerful and beautiful and important this film is. If you aren't familiar with the symbolism of Godzilla, I recommend checking out this article before watching the film as it will deepen your understanding of the themes and strengthen your empathy for these characters.

My spouse and I both love Godzilla, largely because of the symbolism. While the Godzilla franchise (specifically the Japanese films, as the American ones are just monster movies, robbed of all symbolism so as not to disrupt the flow of US propaganda about World War 2) is entertaining as a series about a terrifying kaiju, the greater historical context is what makes it so special. Godzilla Minus One chose to do something important within the Godzilla universe: it focused on everyday Japanese people right after WW2. People who are grieving, traumatized, and feeling largely abandoned by their own government.

There is a heavy dose of criticism here for the Japanese government, which is kind of a big deal. As Americans we aren't taught the realities of what the Japanese people endured for the sake of WW1 and WW2. The horrors they experienced at the hands of the US military and their own government is almost inconceivable. It's too terrible to process.

My outfit was inspired by fashion worn by Queer women in the 1940's. I chose green trousers as a nod towards Godzilla's skin in most cartoons, and a pair of dinosaur earrings because he is described as a dinosaur who was turned into a monster because of radiation poisoning.

But, Godzilla Minus One went there, with reverence, tenderness, and honesty. There was no glamorizing the horror of war. The heartache and loss were palpable. The characters you meet will break your heart because their humanity is so precious and so, seemingly, fragile.

Herein lies the magic of this film: despite the odds and the fragility, we see how strong humans really are when we work together towards a common goal. And what is that goal? Survival.

There's a love story here as well, but not the one you might expect. As parents we were profoundly impacted by the trials and tribulations of these characters and the strength they find in each other. And as partners in life we couldn't help but search out each other's hands and hold on tight while we fought back tears and sniffles. (I say "fought," but tbh I didn't fight hard. By the end of the film I had rivers of mascara running down my cheeks.)

Godzilla Minus One is a triumph for the franchise. It is a love letter to the Japanese people, but especially those who survived WW2 and were tasked with rebuilding their lives, families, and communities. There are layers to this film that could only have been told by the Japanese people themselves. And it shows.

My spouse and I spent the hour drive back home (we live in the backwoods of rural Florida) talking about this movie and crying about this movie and Googling the character's names (highly recommend looking up the names of the characters because there's symbolism in their names as well), and gushing about buying the Blu-Ray when it's released. (The studio, Toho Studios, also released a black and white variation of the film called "Godzilla Minus Color" and I absolutely must find a way to watch that asap!)

If you're a lover of Godzilla or Japan or history or good storytelling, watch this film. But wear some waterproof mascara and pack some extra tissues. You'll need them. The brutality and inhumanity of war will shake you to your core, if you let it.

I hope, for all our sakes, the war is finally over. Or at the very least, it will be soon.