Minus Color Watch: Godzilla Minus One Minus Color (2023/ 2024)

Watched:  02/01/2024

Format:  Alamo

Viewing:  Third

Director: Takashi Yamazaki  

Selection:  Joint - Jamie & me

So, yes.  Third time is the charm for a re-watch of Godzilla Minus One (2023), which we wrote about when we saw it the first time and the second time, and then as part of my end of the year review.  

The version I saw was black and white (or, color desaturated to a monochrome, with plenty of tricks to make sure it works) in theaters for just a week, capping off the end of what was a surprisingly successful run.  On a reported $15 million budget, the movie has made over $105 million, and that's before digital and home video sales (will I buy some ridiculous deluxe version?  Why, most certainly).

After seeing it in Imax and in standard format, I figured: let's do this.  Plus, I saw one of the first shows in Austin, and now one of the last as I saw it both opening and closing night.

Is the "minus color" a goofy stunt?  Does it make sense to release a movie in black and white that was shot for color?  I don't know.  But based on the period setting, that Minus One feels like a 2023 echo to the 1954 original, and as a reflection of the 70 year history of Big G, I was willing to give it a whirl.  

I mean, the presentation is a real YMMV proposition.  I liked it, but I don't know if it would be my default version.  The movie is not framed like a 1940's film, so I never quite felt like I fell through a time hole or anything, but it does capture the media of the era in its way.

In those links above, I talk about why I think the movie is for me.  And, as happens inevitably with a movie seen multiple times in a short time frame, you start to see more of how the movie is put together.  On this viewing I saw how the movie flexes narrative economy, keeping things both lean and meaningful with character beats and dialog that are dense with meaning and resonance for the characters and their actions as they unfold throughout the movie.  This time I really got hit in the feels by some of Noriko and Koichi's dialog and how it reflects what they will each do for each other as the film progresses.  

In short, the movie worked for me again on another viewing.  Glad I went to see it again.

I do follow some Godzilla social media, and it's been mostly positive, some too positive (settle down, buddy.  I saw this movie 3x and raved about it, and I think you're being hyperbolic).  But most of the stuff I've seen from folks who didn't like it...  seemed to miss the point of the movie?  Oftentimes in direct opposition to what the movie was laying out in pretty bold type as The Theme.  And it mostly seemed like these opinions misaligned expectations for how movies work or what they thought would happen with what actually occurred on screen, and The Theme was just stuff people said, but not cool enough or something.  Anyway:  not doing what was expected = bad.

But that's how media works, really.  Not everything clicks with everyone.

The enthusiastic G-fans also wanted this to get some Academy attention, which...  look.  If the past twenty five years has taught me anything - don't count out the weird shit you like suddenly becoming very popular.*  But there's also value in just knowing you've enjoyed a thing and let everyone else chase whatever it is they get out of awards (that said, box office does mean more of that sort of thing might happen).  This was how we survived in a media landscape before an internet connected everyone and you did not curate "fandoms" in lieu of a personality.   

Across three screenings, I was surprised by how dead silent the crowds were (and this movie, which has been showing since November, was 3/4ths full), including during some vital and quiet moments. 

Anyway, here's to a great run by a movie that I think deserved the accolades and was the movie I didn't know I needed but absolutely am glad exists.   

*I can remember a time before Marvel was a movie brand and thinking "man, Iron Man seems like a big risk"