Re: Japan's Disaster Movies

I totally agree, Liz, that there is a definite contrast in comparing American disaster movies to Japan's in the 20th century; a sense of darkness seems something Japan was not afraid to deal with on a grand scale. This is most clearly evident in the way that Gojira directly dealt with the trauma of Hiroshima/Nagasaki itself in 1954, by making the origin of the monster rooted in "U.S. bombing in the Pacific." When the American adaptation of the film occured, Godzilla: King of Monsters, not only refused to acknowledge the political aspects (the U.S. involvement) but the dark thematic elements of war/bombs all together. Was/is the United States more afraid as a culture to deal with the idea of our distruction? Is the fact we are such a "young country" to blame for our fear of Armageddon? I love that Professor Tsutsui brought up the fact that Japan was able to witness first-hand the resilience of its people after its giant earthquakes, tsunamis, and the ravages of nuclear war. (Even in the 1960s, it seems Tokyo itself was rebuilt "every week" for the Tokyo Olympics). Will it take more destruction in America for us to finally reckon with the reality that we Americans are not invincible?