Editing Godzilla (1954 film) (section)

==Production==
===Crew===
{{Div col}}
*[[Ishirō Honda]] – director, co-writer
*[[Eiji Tsuburaya]] – special effects director
*{{Ill|Kōji Kajita|ja|梶田興治}} – assistant director
*Teruo Maki – production manager
*{{Ill|Choshiro Ishii|ja|石井長四郎}} – lighting
*{{Ill|Takeo Kita|ja|北猛夫}} – chief art director
*{{Ill|Satoshi Chuko|ja|中古智}} – art director
*[[Akira Watanabe (art director)|Akira Watanabe]] – special effects art director
*{{Ill|Kuichirō Kishida|ja|岸田九一郎}} – special effects lighting
*{{Ill|Teizō Toshimitsu|ja|利光貞三}} – monster builder
*{{Ill|Hisashi Shimonaga|ja|下永尚}} – sound recording
*{{Ill|Ichiro Minawa|ja|三縄一郎}}{{efn|Sometimes credited as '''Ichiro Mitsunawa'''.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=351}}}} – sound and musical effects 
{{Div col end}}
Personnel taken from [[The Criterion Collection]].<ref name="Criterion"/>

===Development===
{{quote box|quote="[If] our hearts were not in it 100 percent it would not have worked. We wanted [the monster] to possess the terrifying characteristics of an atomic bomb. This was our approach, without any reservations."| source= – Honda on his and the crew's vision for the film.{{sfn|Ryfle|Godziszewski|2017|p=85}}|align=right|width=30em}}

In 1954, [[Toho]] originally planned to produce {{nihongo|''In the Shadow of Glory''|栄光のかげに|Eikō no Kage ni}},{{efn|Also known as ''Behind the Glory''{{sfn|Godziszewski|1981|p=17}} and ''In the Shadow of Honor''.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=19}}}} a Japanese-Indonesian co-production that would have starred [[Ryō Ikebe]] as a former Japanese soldier who was stationed in the [[Dutch East Indies]] during the [[Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies|Japanese occupation of Indonesia]], and [[Yoshiko Yamaguchi]] as his half-Indonesian love interest.{{sfn|Motoyama|Matsunomoto|Asai|Suzuki|2012|p=36}} However, anti-Japanese sentiment in Indonesia put political pressure on the government to deny visas for Japanese filmmakers.{{sfn|Ragone|2007|p=33}} The film was to be co-produced with [[Perfini]], filmed on location in [[Jakarta]] in color, a first for a major Toho production, and was to open markets for Japanese films in Southeast Asia.{{sfn|Ryfle|Godziszewski|2017|p=85}}

Producer Tomoyuki Tanaka flew to Jakarta to renegotiate with the Indonesian government but was unsuccessful. On the flight back to Japan, he conceived the idea for a giant monster film, inspired by the 1953 film ''[[The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms]]'' and the ''[[Daigo Fukuryū Maru]]'' incident, which happened in March 1954.{{sfn|Ragone|2007|p=34}} The film's opening sequence is a direct reference to the incident.{{sfn|Ryfle|Godziszewski|2006|loc=00:02:08}} Tanaka felt the film had potential because nuclear fears were generating news and monster films were becoming popular because of the financial success of ''The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms'' and the 1952 re-release of ''[[King Kong (1933 film)|King Kong]]'', the latter of which earned more money than previous releases.{{sfn|Ryfle|Godziszewski|2017|p=86}}

During his flight, Tanaka wrote an outline with the working title {{nihongo|''The Giant Monster from 20,000 Miles Beneath the Sea''|海底二万哩から来た大怪獣|Kaitei Niman Mairu kara kita Daikaijū}} and pitched it to executive producer Iwao Mori. Mori approved the project in mid–April 1954 after special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya agreed to do the film's effects and confirmed that the film was financially feasible.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=21}} Mori also felt the project was perfect as a vehicle for Tsuburaya and to test the storyboarding system that he instituted at the time.{{sfn|Ragone|2007|p=34}} Mori also approved Tanaka's choice to have Ishirō Honda direct the film and shortened the title of the production to ''Project G'' (G for Giant), as well as giving the production classified status and ordered Tanaka to minimize his attention on other films and mainly focus on ''Project G''.{{sfn|Ragone|2007|p=34}}{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=21}}

Toho originally intended for [[Senkichi Taniguchi]] to direct the film, as he was originally attached to direct ''In the Shadow of Glory''. However, Taniguchi declined the assignment.{{sfn|Ryfle|Godziszewski|2006|loc=00:05:50}} Honda was not Toho's first choice for the film's director, but his wartime experience made him an ideal candidate for the film's anti-nuclear themes.{{sfn|Ryfle|Godziszewski|2006|loc=00:06:05}} Several other directors passed on the project, feeling the idea was "stupid," but Honda accepted the assignment because of his interest in science and "unusual things" and stated, "I had no problem taking it seriously."{{sfn|Ryfle|Godziszewski|2017|p=86}} It was during the production of ''Godzilla'' that Honda worked with assistant director Kōji Kajita for the first time.{{sfn|Ryfle|Godziszewski|2017|p=84}} Afterwards, Kajita would go on to collaborate with Honda as his chief assistant director for 17 films over the course of 10 years.{{sfn|Ryfle|Godziszewski|2017|p=83}} [[Science fiction films]] lacked respect from film critics so Honda, Tanaka, and Tsuburaya agreed on depicting a monster attack as if it were a real event, with the serious tone of a documentary.{{sfn|Ryfle|Godziszewski|2017|p=85}}

===Writing===
Tsuburaya submitted an outline of his own that was written three years before ''Godzilla'' and featured a giant octopus attacking ships in the Indian Ocean.{{sfn|Ragone|2007|p=34}} In May 1954, Tanaka hired sci-fi writer {{ill|Shigeru Kayama|ja|香山滋}} to write the story. Only 50 pages long and written in 11 days, Kayama's treatment depicted Dr. Yamane wearing dark shades, a cape, and living in a European-style house from which he emerged only at night. Godzilla was portrayed as more animal-like by coming ashore to feed on animals, with an ostensibly gorilla-like interest in females. Kayama's story also featured less destruction and borrowed a scene from ''The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms'' by having Godzilla attack a lighthouse.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=25}}{{sfn|Ragone|2007|p=34}} Kayama added his own critical stance on nuclear weapons by opening with a voice-over detailing and criticizing the 1952 and 1954 [[Thermonuclear weapon|hydrogen bomb]] tests. This was followed by a montage of shots that included real footage of the ''[[Daigo Fukuryū Maru]]'' aftermath, its victims, and the paranoia that followed. Kayama also repurposed ideas from an early story he had written about a giant lizard that strolled on hind legs.{{sfn|Kayama|2023|p=189–223}}

Takeo Murata and Honda co-wrote the screenplay in three weeks and confined themselves in a [[ryokan (inn)|Japanese inn]] in Tokyo's [[Shibuya]] ward. On writing the script, Murata stated, "Director Honda and I...racked our brains to make Mr. Kayama's original treatment into a full, working vision." Murata said that Tsuburaya and Tanaka pitched their ideas as well. Tanaka requested that they do not spend too much money, but Tsuburaya encouraged them to "do whatever it takes to make it work." Murata and Honda redeveloped key characters and elements by adding Emiko's love triangle. In Kayama's story, Serizawa was depicted as merely a colleague of Dr. Yamane's. Godzilla's full appearance was to be revealed during the Odo Island hurricane, but Honda and Murata opted to show parts of the creature as the film built up to his full reveal. Honda and Murata also introduced the characters Hagiwara and Dr. Tanabe in their draft, but the role of Shinkichi, who had a substantial role in Kayama's story, was cut down.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=24–25}}

Honda toned down much of Kayama's political criticism, especially the opening because he felt it was inappropriate to use the ''Daigo Fukuryū Maru'' incident and wanted to depict Godzilla as an invisible fear.{{sfn|Ryfle|Godziszewski|2017|p=102}}{{sfn|Kayama|2023|p=189–223}}

A [[novel]], written by Kayama, was published on October 25, 1954, by Iwaya Shoten as {{Nihongo|''Monster Godzilla''|怪獣ゴジラ|''Kaijū Gojira''}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://web2.nazca.co.jp/0107hop/data09.html|title=怪獣ゴジラ・小説|work=Nazca.co.jp|language=Japanese|access-date=December 30, 2021|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 26, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171226100858/http://web2.nazca.co.jp/0107hop/data09.html}}</ref>

===Creature design===
[[File:Godzilla (1954).jpg|thumb|alt=Godzilla stands against an armada, used for marketing purposes.|The filmmakers took inspiration from various dinosaurs to shape Godzilla's final design.]]
Godzilla was designed by Teizō Toshimitsu and [[Akira Watanabe (art director)|Akira Watanabe]] under Eiji Tsuburaya's supervision.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=27}} Early on, Tanaka contemplated having the monster be gorilla-like or whale-like in design because of the name "Gojira", a combination of the Japanese words for {{Nihongo|gorilla|ゴリラ|gorira}} and {{Nihongo|whale|クジラ|kujira}}, but he eventually settled on a dinosaur-like design.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=23}} Kazuyoshi Abe was hired earlier to design Godzilla, but his ideas were later rejected since Godzilla looked too humanoid and mammalian, with a head shaped like a mushroom cloud;{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=27}} however, Abe was retained to help draw the film's storyboards.{{sfn|Ragone|2007|p=38}}

Toshimitsu and Watanabe decided to base Godzilla's design on dinosaurs and, by using dinosaur books and magazines as a reference, combined elements of a [[Tyrannosaurus]], [[Iguanodon]] and the dorsal fins of a [[Stegosaurus]].{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=27}} Despite wanting to use [[stop motion]] animation, Tsuburaya reluctantly settled on [[suitmation]].{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=27}} Toshimitsu sculpted three clay models on which the suit would be based. The first two were rejected, but the third was approved by Tsuburaya, Tanaka, and Honda.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=27}}

The Godzilla suit was constructed by Kanju Yagi, Yasuei Yagi, and Eizo Kaimai, who used thin bamboo sticks and wire to build a frame for the interior of the suit and added metal mesh and cushioning over it to bolster its structure and finally applied coats of latex.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=27}} Coats of molten rubber were additionally applied, followed by carved indentations and strips of latex glued onto the surface of the suit to create Godzilla's scaly hide.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=27}} This first version of the suit weighed 100 kilograms (220 pounds). For close-ups, Toshimitsu created a smaller-scale, mechanical, hand-operated puppet that sprayed streams of mist from its mouth to act as Godzilla's atomic breath.{{sfn|Ragone|2007|p=39}}

[[Haruo Nakajima]] and [[Katsumi Tezuka]] were chosen to perform in the Godzilla suit because of their strength and endurance.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=27}} At the first costume fitting, Nakajima fell down inside the suit{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=29}} since it had been created by using heavy latex and inflexible materials.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=27}} This first version of the suit was cut into two and used for scenes requiring only partial shots of Godzilla or close-ups, with the lower half fitted with rope suspenders for Nakajima to wear.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=29}}{{sfn|Ragone|2007|p=39}} For full-body shots, a second identical suit was created, which was made lighter than the first suit, but Nakajima could still be inside for only three minutes before passing out.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=29}} Nakajima lost 20 pounds during the production of the film.{{sfn|Ragone|2007|p=42}} Nakajima would go on to portray Godzilla and other monsters until his retirement in 1972.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=178}} Tezuka filmed scenes in the Godzilla suit, but his older body made him unable to fully commit to the physical demands required by the role. As a result, few of his scenes made it to the final cut, as very few scenes were considered usable.{{sfn|Kalat|2010|p=17}} Tezuka filled in for Nakajima when he was unavailable or needed relief from the physically demanding role.{{sfn|Ragone|2007|p=39}}

Godzilla's name was also a source of consternation for the filmmakers. Because the monster had no name, the first draft of the film was not called ''Gojira'' but rather titled ''G'', also known as ''Kaihatsu keikaku G'' ("''Development Plan G''"), but the "G" of the title stood for "Giant." Nakajima confirmed that Toho held a contest to name the monster.{{sfn|Ryfle|Godziszewski|2006|loc=00:24:43}} The monster was eventually named ''Gojira''.{{sfn|Lees|Cerasini|1998|p=12}} One explanation that is chalked up to legend is that a hulking Toho Studios employee's physical attributes led him to be nicknamed ''Gojira''.{{sfn|Lees|Cerasini|1998|p=12}} In a 1998 [[BBC]] documentary on Godzilla, Kimi Honda, the widow of the director, dismissed the employee-name story as a tall tale and stated that she believed that Honda, Tanaka, and Tsuburaya gave "considerable thought" to the name of the monster: "the backstage boys at Toho loved to joke around with tall stories, but I don't believe that one."{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=23}} In 2003, a Japanese television special claimed to have identified the anonymous hulking Toho employee as Shiro Amikura, a Toho contract actor from the 1950s.{{sfn|Ryfle|Godziszewski|2006|loc=00:24:06}}

===Special effects===
[[File:Behind the Scenes of Godzilla 1954.jpg|thumb|left|alt=Effects assistants help suit performer Nakajima set up a crucial scene.|The Godzilla suit was produced with rough materials, resulting in a heavy suit that forced performer Haruo Nakajima only being able to act for three minutes before he would pass out from heat and exhaustion. The miniatures were constructed at certain scales to appear smaller than the suit.]]

The film's special effects were directed by Eiji Tsuburaya.{{sfn|Kalat|2010|p=20}} For the effects footage to sync with the live-action footage, Honda and Tsuburaya would develop plans early during development and briefly meet prior to the day's shoot. Kajita would shuttle Tsuburaya to Honda's set to observe how a scene was being shot and where the actors were being positioned. Kajita also ushered Honda to the effects stage to observe how Tsuburaya was shooting certain effects. Honda edited the live-action footage, and he left blank [[film leader|leaders]] for Tsuburaya to insert the effects footage. At times, Honda had to cut out certain effects footage. Tsuburaya disapproved of these decisions because Honda's cuts did not match the effects; however, Honda had the final say in those matters.{{sfn|Ryfle|Godziszewski|2017|p=88}}

Tsuburaya originally wanted to use stop motion for the film's special effects but realized that it would have taken seven years to complete based on the current staff and infrastructure at Toho.{{sfn|Ragone|2007|p=35}} Settling on suitmation and miniature effects, Tsuburaya and his crew scouted the locations that Godzilla was to destroy and was nearly arrested after a security guard overheard their plans for destruction but were released after they showed the police their Toho business cards.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=29}} Kintaro Makino, the chief of miniature construction, was given blueprints by Akira Watanabe for the miniatures and assigned 30 to 40 workers from the carpentry department to build them, which took a month to build the scaled-down version of [[Ginza]].{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=29}} Most of the miniatures were built at a 1:25 scale, but the [[National Diet Building|Diet Building]] was scaled down to a 1:33 scale to look smaller than Godzilla.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=29}} It proved to be too expensive to use stop-motion extensively throughout the picture, but the final film included a stop-motion scene of Godzilla's tail destroying the Nichigeki Theater Building.<ref>{{cite web |last=Ryfle|first=Steve|url=https://www.scifijapan.com/godzilla-toho/godzilla-50th-anniversary-pressbook|title=GODZILLA 50th Anniversary Pressbook|publisher=SciFi Japan|access-date=October 23, 2021}}</ref>{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=26-27}}

The buildings' framework was made of thin wooden boards reinforced with a mixture of plaster and white chalk.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=29}} Explosives were installed inside miniatures that were to be destroyed by Godzilla's atomic breath. Some were sprayed with gasoline to make them burn more easily; others included small cracks so they could crumble easily.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=29}} Optical animation techniques were used for Godzilla's glowing dorsal fins by having hundreds of cells, which were drawn frame by frame.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=30}} Haruo Nakajima perspired inside the suit so much that the Yagi brothers had to dry out the cotton lining every morning and sometimes reline the interior of the suit and repair damages.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=30}}

The typhoon waves were created by stagehands who overturned barrels of water into a water tank where the miniature Odo Island shoreline was built.{{sfn|Ryfle|Godziszewski|2006|loc=00:14:10}} Multiple composition shots were used for the Odo Island scenes.{{sfn|Ryfle|Godziszewski|2006|loc=00:17:56}} Most of the Odo Island scenes were filmed near rice fields.{{sfn|Ryfle|Godziszewski|2006|loc=00:18:11}} Toho hired en masse part-time employees to work on the film's optical effects.{{sfn|Ryfle|Godziszewski|2006|loc=00:18:20}} Half of the 400 hired staff were mostly part-timers with little to no experience.{{sfn|Ryfle|Godziszewski|2006|loc=00:18:28}} An early version of Godzilla's full reveal was filmed that featured Godzilla, via hand-operated puppet, devouring a cow. Sadamasa Arikawa thought the scene was too gruesome and convinced Tsuburaya to refilm it.{{sfn|Ryfle|Godziszewski|2006|loc=00:21:38}} Optical effects were utilized for Godzilla's footprints on the beach by painting them onto glass and inserting them into an area of the live-action footage.{{sfn|Ryfle|Godziszewski|2006|loc=00:22:43}} Special effects photography lasted for 71 days.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=30}}

===Filming===
On the first day of filming, Honda addressed a crew of 30 to read the script and to leave the project if they did not feel convinced since he wanted to work only with those who had confidence in him and the film.{{sfn|Ryfle|Godziszewski|2017|p=84}} Most of the film was shot in the Toho lot.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=31}} Honda's team also filmed on location in the [[Shima Peninsula]] in Mie Prefecture to film the Odo Island scenes, which used 50 Toho extras, and Honda's team established their base in the town of Toba.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=31}} Local villagers were also used as extras for the Odo Island scenes.{{sfn|Ryfle|Godziszewski|2006|loc=00:08:25}} The dance ritual scene was filmed on location in Mie Prefecture, with local villagers performing as the dancers.{{sfn|Ryfle|Godziszewski|2006|loc=00:11:21}} The cast and crew commuted every morning by boat to [[Toba, Mie]], and worked under harsh weather temperatures. Honda worked shirtless and so suffered a blistering sunburn on his back that left permanent scars.{{sfn|Ryfle|Godziszewski|2017|p=83}}

Toho had negotiated with the [[Japan Self-Defense Forces]] (JSDF) to film scenes requiring the military and filmed target practices and drills for the film. Honda's team followed a convoy of JSDF vehicles for the convoy dispatch scene.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=31}} Two thousand girls were used from an all-girls high school for the prayer-for-peace scene.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=31}} The filmmakers had little co-operation from the JSDF and had to rely on World War II [[stock footage]], provided by the Japanese military, for certain scenes.{{sfn|Ryfle|Godziszewski|2006|loc=00:29:08}} The stock footage was sourced from [[16 mm]] prints.{{sfn|Ryfle|Godziszewski|2006|loc=00:29:31}} Honda's team spent 51 days shooting the film.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=31}}