Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster
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| Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster | |
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| Directed by | Ishirô Honda |
| Produced by | Tomoyuki Tanaka |
| Written by | Shinichi Sekizawa |
| Starring | Yosuke Natsuki Yuriko Hoshi Hiroshi Koizumi Akiko Wakabayashi |
| Music by | Akira Ifukube Song "Call Happiness" (しあわせをよぼう Shiawase wo yobou?) music by Hiroshi Miyagawa (called "Yasushi Miyagawa" in US credits), words by Tokiko Iwatani |
| Cinematography | Hajime Koizumi |
| Distributed by | Toho Continental Distributing (USA) |
| Release date(s) | December 20, 1964 (Japan) September 13, 1965 (USA) |
| Running time | 92 min. |
| Language | Japanese |
| Preceded by | Rodan, Mothra vs. Godzilla |
| Followed by | Invasion of Astro-Monster |
| IMDb profile | |
Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster, released in Japan as San Daikaijū: Chikyū Saidai no Kessen (三大怪獣 地球最大の決戦? lit. "Three Giant Monsters: Greatest Decisive Battle on Earth") and alternatively spelled Ghidrah, the Three-Headed Monster, is a 1964 tokusatsu kaijuu film, and is the 5th film in Toho's Godzilla series. It was directed by Ishiro Honda with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya.
This movie is noted for having Godzilla playing a role where he benefits Japan, instead of trying to stomp it flat. It also features Mothra and Rodan, and introduces King Ghidorah, a very Chinese-looking space dragon, perhaps representative of Japan's anxieties surrounding China's satellite weapon program at the time.
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[edit] Plot
A princess from Selgina, a small Himalayan country becomes possessed by the spirit of a Venusian (a Martian in the American version) and escapes a plane just as it explodes. As this happens a meteorite falls from the sky containing Ghidorah, the monster responsible for her planet's destruction. At the same time, Godzilla and Rodan emerge from hibernation and not only attack Japan, but each other as well. Mothra, along with its twin priestesses, attempt to convince Godzilla and Rodan to stop their fighting each other and to team up to fight the new monster. At the same time, the princess is being hunted by a group of assassins who want to kill her so that her enemies can take over her homeland. Then, just when the only living assassin is about to kill the princess, Ghidorah crushes him by knocking over a pile of boulders on him. Godzilla, Rodan, and Mothra finally drive Ghidorah off. The movie ends with the princess going back to her home land and Godzilla and Rodan watching Mothra swim back to Infant island.
[edit] Trivia
- Not once does Godzilla use his Atomic breath aganst Ghidorah.
- An early concept for Ghidorah had him with Rainbow-colored wings and his three heads spitting fire from their mouths, instead of lightning which was used in the final draft.
- The first Godzilla film to not feature military weapons such as tanks and jets.
- In the game Ed, Edd n Eddy: The Mis-Edventures, the Ravenge of Ed-Zilla bonus level, The Kankerator (the Kankers as a monster) is based on Ghidorah.
- This film marks the first appearance of Rodan in a Godzilla film.
- This is the first film to portray Godzilla as a hero. Also, in the conversation with Mothra he states that he only hates humans because humans hate him, suggesting that he was not really a villain in the first place.
- This film also marks the first appearance of King Ghidorah, who would become Godzilla's most frequently recurring opponent, appearing as Godzilla's enemy in Invasion of the Astro Monster, Destroy All Monsters, Godzilla vs. Gigan, Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah, GMK, and Godzilla: Final Wars.
[edit] U.S. release
The English-dubbed version was presented in American theaters in September of 1965 by Walter Reade-Sterling, and distributed by Continental Distributing on a double bill with Elvis Presley's musical-comedy, Harum Scarum. It was slightly re-titled Ghidrah, the Three-Headed Monster.
Several alterations were made to the American version, including:
- Much of Akira Ifukube's score was cut.
- The lines "Are you a man or a woman?" It would be easier if you removed your clothes!" were removed from the US script.
- In the American version, King Ghidorah destroys Mars (it was Venus in the Japanese version).
- Deleted: Godzilla climbing on the docks in Yokohama harbour.
- The scene of Princess Salno telling the doctors about Ghidorah's arrival occurs after it comes from the meteorite in the American version.
The American version runs 85 minutes, seven minutes shorter than the Japanese version.
[edit] Critical Reception
New York Times film critic Vincent Canby gave it a rather condescending review, concluding with, "This fascination, on the part of contemporary Japanese filmmakers, with the destruction of their land by fantastic, prehistoric forces only 20 years after Hiroshima, might be of interest to social historians. The film, otherwise, is strictly for the comic book set."
[edit] Box Office
The film sold approximately 4,320,000 tickets in Japan.
[edit] Alternate Titles
- Earth's Greatest Battle (literal English title)
- Ghidora, the Three-Headed Monster
- Ghidrah
- Ghidrah, the Three-Headed Monster (USA)
- Gojira Mosura Kingughidorah: chikyu saidai no kessen (Japan) (reissue title)
- Monster of Monsters
- The Biggest Battle on Earth
- The Biggest Fight on Earth
- The Greatest Battle on Earth
- The Greatest Fight on Earth
- Three Giant Monsters: The Earth's Greatest Decisive Battle
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- Canby, Vincent. "Presley Shares Billing" (film review) The New York Times. December 16, 1965.
- San daikaiju: Chikyu saidu no kessen / Ghidrah: The Three-Headed Monster (1964) at kensforce.com (press release information for the American release)
- Variety Weekly. October 6, 1965.
[edit] DVD Releases
Classic Media
- Release date: June, 2007
- Note: Contains the both the original Japanese version and the U.S. release
