| Godzilla vs. Hedorah | |
|---|---|
Original poster |
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| Directed by | Yoshimitsu Banno |
| Produced by | Tomoyuki Tanaka |
| Written by | Yoshimitsu Banno Takeshi Kimura |
| Starring | Akira Yamauchi Toshie Kimura Hiroyuki Kawase Keiko Mari Toshio Shiba Haruo Nakajima as Godzilla |
| Music by | Riichiro Manabe |
| Cinematography | Yoichi Manoda |
| Editing by | Yoshitami Kuroiwa |
| Distributed by | Toho American International Pictures |
| Release date(s) | July 24, 1971 |
| Running time | 87 minutes |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese English |
| Budget | $250,000 (U.S)[1] |
Godzilla vs. Hedorah (ゴジラ対ヘドラ Gojira tai Hedora), also known as Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster, is a 1971 science fiction kaiju film. The eleventh film in Toho Co. Ltd.'s Godzilla series (chronologically after All Monsters Attack), it was directed by Yoshimitsu Banno with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano. It was the first film to feature Hedorah. The score was composed by Riichiro Manabe. The film contains several strange impressionistic animated scenes portraying the smog monster at his evil work. This was the like first two and All Monsters attack it teaches a lesson about serious danger threats as edutainment. But unlike the first two Godzilla films and it the one before it, this film teaches a lesson about the dangers of pollution.
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The microscopic alien lifeform Hedorah feeds on Earth's pollution and grows into a poisonous, acid-secreting sea monster. After it attacks Dr. Yano and his young son Ken, scarring them both, Hedorah's toxic existence is revealed to the public. Ken has visions of Godzilla fighting the world's pollution, and insists Godzilla will come to mankind's aid against Hedorah.
Hedorah evolves into an amphibian form, allowing it to move onto land to feed on additional sources of pollution. Hedorah is confronted by Godzilla and Hedorah only an amphibian at the time is easily overpowered by Godzilla and retreats into the sea but returns shortly thereafter in a flying saucer shape demonstrating new, even deadlier forms which it can switch between at will.
Thousands of people die in Hedorah's raids and even Godzilla is overwhelmed by Hedorah's poisonous emissions. As hope sinks, a party is thrown on Mt. Fuji to celebrate one last day of life before mankind succumbs to Hedorah. Ken realizes that Godzilla and Hedorah have come to Mt. Fuji as well for a final confrontation.
Dr. Yano has determined that drying out Hedorah's body may destroy the otherwise unkillable monster. The army swiftly constructs two gigantic electrodes for this purpose, but their power is cut off by Godzilla and Hedorah's violent battle. Godzilla energizes the electrodes with his atomic ray, dehydrating Hedorah's outer body. Hedorah sheds this outer body and takes flight to escape, but Godzilla propels himself through the air with his atomic ray to give chase. Godzilla drags Hedorah back to the electrodes and continues to dehydrate it until Hedorah dies. Godzilla tears apart Hedorah's dried-out body and dehydrates the remains until nothing remains but dust.
With Ken calling after him, Godzilla returns to the sea, but not before glaring threateningly at the surviving humanity whose pollution spawned Hedorah. The question arises: Could it happen again?
Kenpachiro Satsuma, the actor who played Hedorah, was struck with appendicitis during the production. Doctors were forced to perform the appendectomy while he was still wearing the Hedorah suit, due to the length of time it took to take off. During the operation, Satsuma learned that painkillers have no effect on him.[2]
On a side note, this was the first (and only) time we see Godzilla fly under his own power. He uses his atomic ray as jet propulsion. Director Banno reportedly added the scene to provide a light moment in what is otherwise a fairly dark film compared to many of those which preceded it.
Tomoyuki Tanaka, who produced all the Godzilla films before this one, was in the hospital during the time the film was made. Upon recovery and actually seeing the film, it is said that he told the director of the film he ruined the Godzilla series and that he would never direct at Toho again.
The film was released in April 1972 by American International Pictures under the title Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster. There were several small alterations: dialogue was dubbed to English, the song "Save the Earth" (based on a song in the original Japanese version of the film) was added. This version was G by the MPAA.
The AIP version has been replaced in the North American home video and television markets (including Sony's DVD) by Toho's international version, titled Godzilla vs. Hedorah. This version features a different English dub and also lacks the English-language song, Save the Earth.
Critical reaction to the film has been mixed, with some embracing its eccentricity and others deriding it.
Japan Hero said the film is "recommended for Godzilla fans, but don't expect much out of it," adding that while "the special effects appear to be pretty good" and "watching it in its original [Japanese] language does make the movie more tolerable," "the character designs ... are bad" and "the music ... really kills the movie."[3] Monster Zero criticized the film's production values and said that it "succeeds in carrying the series over the edge into strictly kid's stuff" and "begins the series' inexorable slide into oblivion."[4] Stomp Tokyo said the film has "many obvious, crippling flaws" but added that "there are some good things," praising the monster action in particular.[5]
American Kaiju called the film "a confused Godzilla non-epic that doesn't seem to be sure just who it was made for in the first place."[6] DVD Talk said it "earns points for trying something new, to break away from what was fast becoming a tired formula. The film isn't as entertaining as Godzilla vs. Gigan or Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, but it is more original and daring, and ... fans will want to pick [it] up."[7]
The U.S. dubbed version was featured in the 1978 book The Fifty Worst Films of All Time.[8]
In Japan, the film sold 1,740,687 tickets.
Sony Pictures DVD
DigitalDisc DVD
Orion Pictures VHS
After Yoshimitsu Banno finished directing Godzilla vs. Hedorah, he began work on creating another installment in the Godzilla series. Like his first Godzilla movie, Banno had wanted the next film to have a strong message against pollution. The initial idea was that a mutant starfish-like monster battles Godzilla. However, he scrapped this idea and wrote what was going to be Godzilla vs. Hedorah 2. In it, Godzilla was to fight another Hedorah, this time in Africa. Due to Tomoyuki Tanaka's reaction to Banno's first Godzilla film, this was never realized.
Director Yoshimitsu Banno spent several years trying to acquire funding for a 40-minute IMAX 3D Godzilla film starring a new version of Hedorah called Deathla. The project was tentatively titled Godzilla 3D: To The Max. With Banno currently working as a producer on Warner Brothers and Legendary Pictures upcoming Godzilla reboot, the Godzilla 3D: To The Max project has been scrapped.