Last year was the birth of several astounding movies across genres. And amid that, Takashi Yamazaki’s Japanese epic kaiju film Godzilla Minus One shined gaining accolades for creating a masterpiece with the iconic cinematic monster.
The premise of the movie was based on the backdrop of World War II and surprisingly shares a commonality with Christopher Nolan’s 2023 masterpiece Oppenheimer. Coincidence? Yes. Yamazaki, however, cherished the Nolan movie as he flew all the way to Taiwan to witness Nolan’s marvel on the big screen.
All The Trouble For Oppenheimer
Godzilla Minus One director Takashi Yamazaki was restless to watch Oppenheimer on the big screen following his all-round work as a writer, VFX artist, and director for the 2023 monster horror film. Japan didn’t have the initial release of Oppenheimer as the rest of the world, deprived the director of watching the Christopher Nolan movie in his home country with comfort. “I actually wanted to see Oppenheimer so bad,” Yamazaki exclusively told MovieMaker adding, “but it’s yet to receive a theatrical release in Japan.”
“But because I wanted to see it so badly, I flew to Taiwan and watched it with Chinese subtitles. With that said, my English, of course, is not that great. I don’t think I fully understood the nuance of what was happening in the film. But despite that, I did feel this very powerful force of what the film represented. And of course, being of Japanese descent and heritage, I’ve seen a lot more nukes in our pop culture or surroundings since I was really young. I feel that as a filmmaker and director, I do want to provide some kind of answer or response to Oppenheimer someday.”
Yamazaki believes that Godzilla Minus One is not “necessarily a direct response” to the nukes that devastated his nation during the war. Also, the historic nukes begin with the involvement of Oppenheimer to a great extent as he was the creator and father of the atomic bomb. Still, “they point at similar themes,” he explained. Also, without a doubt, the strong thematic essence that resembled the backdrop of both movies released in the same year served as a striking commonality.
Takashi Yamazaki Discussed The Similarity of Godzilla Minus One With Oppenheimer
Yamazaki grew up with the horrific tale of the devastating history of World War II. The director reimagined the iconic movie monster Godzilla in the backdrop of the war. Godzilla is soaked with the radiation of the nukes in the aftermath of the mushroomy fire and dust. The monster is stronger now. But surprisingly, releasing the movie the same year as Oppenheimer posed the question if it was a response to the Nolan movie. It was “definitely a coincidence that both films came out this year,” Yamazaki told MovieMaker.
“But in a much more relevant sense to current events, I think the threat of nuclear warfare is almost at its highest right now in recent years than in any other year that most of us have been alive. And in some ways, the original 1954 Godzilla was created with that same backdrop in the wake of World War II, asking what it means for these superpowers to develop so many nuclear warheads. I think the fear and threat of it is certainly real but the timely relevance of the thematic elements are quite striking.”
Godzilla Minus One, as fans and critics consider it, is a cinematic marvel and treat to the eyes of those who have been in the constant loop of waiting for a good monster movie. Made with less than $15 million, the movie went on to earn a whopping $102 million at the box office. Godzilla Minus One doesn’t have a digital release as of yet. Oppenheimer will be available to stream on NBCUniversal-owned Peacock from 16 February.
