General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Why Godzilla matters [View all]Berlin Expat
(951 posts)of American-inspired backstory to Gojira was the Castle Bravo nuclear test of March 1, 1954, which yielded a far larger explosion than expected..... if I recall correctly, in the 15 megaton range, whereas a six megaton blast was what had been anticipated. The unfortunate crew of a tuna fishing boat, the 'Lucky Dragon #5', was exposed to fallout from the Castle Bravo test, and one of them died as a result with the rest - along with a good many others - suffering from radiation sickness as a result. This real-life tragedy inspired the opening scene of the original Gojira in which the crew of the fictional fishing boat 'Eiko Maru' is obliterated in Godzilla's first attack.
I'm looking forward to this new film; the director has said that in this version, the kaiju Godzilla will be a "force of nature". Certainly, it has a top-notch cast including Ken Watanabe, Juilette Binoche, Bryan Cranston and Akira Takarada - who also appeared in the original 1954 film.