Explaining the Symbolism of Every Showa Era Godzilla Movie

Last weekend, I went to a 24-hour marathon of the first 15 Godzilla films, otherwise known as the “Showa Era.” The experience was full of highs and lows, testing my mental and physical resilience as I watched film after film of Godzilla and company from noon Saturday to noon Sunday.

This marathon also coincidentally took place one week before my birthday, which is today. Because I always attempt to write some self-indulgent self-reflection on my birthday, I’ve decided to fully indulge and use my superior filmic intellect and explain the deeper meaning of all 15 of the magical films I saw. Spoilers ahead for 15 foreign films that are 50 years old and streaming on HBO Max and Tubi right now.

1. Godzilla (1954)

This viewing of the original film (my fourth I think?) resonated harder than ever. It may have been the 35mm print it was projected from or the fact that I learned more about Japan’s involvement in WW2 than ever before this year, but I was on the verge of tears multiple times throughout this filmic allegory for a future where peace is destroyed by the sheer existence of nuclear weapons. The way that Serizawa stands in for Oppenheimer and chooses honor at all times over science is cutting and makes the whole film’s point as bluntly as possible. There are a ton of messages here, but my favorite is the film’s implication that if Oppenheimer wasn’t a bitch, he would have strapped himself to one of the atomic bombs and went with it.

2. Godzilla Raids Again (1955)

This one keeps growing on me. Aguirus shows up and gets his ass kicked, which is instantly a new staple of the series, and a comic relief character gets a triumphant death. One of the deeper ideas conveyed in this one is that it doesn’t matter how funny or well-liked I am, or even how brave or heroic I am, I’m still going to die and then be forgotten as the world goes on for at least 13 more entries and reaches advances I’ll never get to experience, like technicolor.

3. King Kong VS Godzilla (1962)

The first film in technicolor! For some perspective, we are still doing movies where these two hit each other 50 years later, and Kong was 30 years old when they did this one. He never had a sequel or anything before this. It’s like if tomorrow they announced a movie where Iron Man is going to fight Patrick Swayze’s Ghost, despite the fact that Ghost hasn’t been a thing for 40 years. It’s a metaphor for how it’s never too late and you’re never too old to try something new, take a huge swing, and potentially get your ass kicked. Kind of like how over the last year I co-directed my first feature film finally.

4. Mothra VS. Godzilla (1964)

Godzilla takes an absolute beating. Mothra kicks his ass so hard SHE dies, then two worms hatch and kick his ass harder. This one’s a metaphor for how beautiful and strong my wife is and how I’m a worm or something.

5. Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964)

This one kicks so much ass. Rodan is here! This is probably my only chance to soapbox that the Mothra and Rodan standalone films are incredible and two of my favorite films in their own right. In this one, Mothra has to convince Godzilla and Rodan to work together and they have a full discussion which culminates in Godzilla demanding Rodan apologize. The message here is that I codirected my first feature film with Joe Blackstock and Harrison Pasley and we didn’t kill each other somehow. I’ll now explain who is who. I am clearly Rodan despite wanting to be Mothra really badly. Harrison is Mothra, and Joe is Godzilla. I thought this through for like 30 seconds.

6. Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965)

They leave Godzilla in space and an American named Glenn is dubbed into Japanese. Cool movie. Don’t ask me what the message is because I missed the last 20 minutes to get my second tattoo. I got a Mothra on my arm. Unlike my first tattoo, I can’t really hide this one. I’m committing, at age 30, to being a guy that has to explain a tattoo to people. If I don’t want to spend the time I will say “I really like bugs” and this will not help my social standing in that room.

7. Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (1966)

There are so many of these. In this one Godzilla rips off a monster’s arm and claps with it to taunt the monster. This is a metaphor for how I am also a petty bitch that lives for taunting my enemies. Kind of like how my inner monologue is now taunting me for not doing the other idea for this post where I title it “Walter the 14th” and write about this last year like it is a way too late horror movie sequel. I’ll do that next year. Hold me to it.

8. Son of Godzilla (1967)

His son is so ugly oh my god. He’s tragically hideous. They still give him a whole damn movie. Kind of like how my work promoted me to manager this year despite being almost totally unqualified. This one might be a reach but I’m conveying that I’m now the accounting manager of a million dollar company and that’s funnier than any joke I’ll make in this article.

9. Destroy All Monsters (1968)

Varan and Barugon show up in this for like 1 second. I’m not explaining what any of that means. It isn’t my job to educate you. The metaphor here is that I love my friends and we are all gross freaky guys who sometimes fight each other but always make up, never die, and all live on an island together.

10. All Monsters Attack (1969)

This whole damn movie is a dream sequence, kind of like how this year I lived my dream of starring in a movie where my ex-wife is 30 years older than me. My goal is to sell you on this movie we made and I feel like surely this one did it.

11. Godzilla VS. Hedorah (1971)

This one has cartoons in it. Kind of like how I have cartoons on my cool comedy website RobotButt.com where I published an incredible humor book about the Friday the 13th film franchise. It’s on there for free or to buy. Highly recommend!

12. Godzilla VS. Gigan (1972)

Slept through this one. I’m 30.

13. Godzilla VS. Megalon (1973)

In this one Godzilla makes a cool friend and the two villain monsters become best friends. It’s truly a movie about doing destruction with your boys. There’s some really subtle satire in it about how I did destruction all year with my comedy group, Mr. Sandwich. We had two shows that were like, our shows, led by us. Both were chaotic and one had custom songs, just like Jet Jaguar in this movie. You didn’t think I’d bring one of these BACK around did you?

14. Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974)

Every single joint on this thing shoots missiles. Godzilla gets yet another new friend while the rest just kind of hang out back on their cool island? There is clear DNA here about how your greatest enemy is yourself or whatever. I’m doing a solo comedy routine Monday. My first in like 2 years and (ideally) my first good one probably ever. Your second greatest enemy is Mechagodzilla.

15. Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975)

A goofy new monster shows up and laughs super hard for like an hour until Godzilla super saiyans up and kills it. I don’t actually know what this means but it feels like there HAS to be something there about laughing until you die. I’m into that. I’d like to keep laughing another 30 years minimum, then like 10 more after that. Then I want to get serious.