Godzilla, King of the Monsters, and Gojira. Godzilla 1985 and Gojira 1984... what's the difference?

 
In the original movie, the story followed these basic lines: A ship is sunk at sea, then another, then another. It is found that Godzilla, a 50 meter tall prehistoric reptile awakened by atomic tests, mutated by radioactivity,and worshipped by fearful Oto Island residents, is responsible.
Godzilla comes to Japan and lays Tokyo to waste. This movie showcases the complete devastation of Tokyo, nature's retaliation on mankind for his arrogant rape of nature using the atomic bomb.
Godzilla retreats into the sea. The hero and heroine approaches the good (tragic) scientist, begging him to use his secret weapon against Godzilla. Eventually he relents. He goes with them to destroy Godzilla, and cuts his lifeline, killing himself and burying the secret of the Oxygen Destroyer forever.
This movie was a powerful (political) statement: Atomic weapons threaten the very existence of man and must NEVER AGAIN be used in time of war. It also emphasized that Japan still reels from the horrible blow dealt by Little Boy and Fat Man, the names of the atomic bombs that President Truman ordered dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. 
It was a very powerful film, all in all.
 

The American release of this film was a totally different story. I didn't say opposite, I said different. ;)
The producers of the American film decided to tone down the "preachment" quality of the film. I guess because the American public at the time was unsympathetic to the Japanese sentiments of shock at the bombing of two of their cities?
Scenes including Raymond Burr were added to the film, giving it the atmosphere more like a documentary. Steve Martin (Burr's character) and Dr. Serizawa were college buddies in the revised screenplay. But a lot of the crucial stuff was cut out of the original to make room for the American footage featuring Burr.
For example, in the American version, right after Dr. Yamane gets done explaining Godzilla's origins in the conference room, the room explodes in commotion as the people begin to angrily yell at one another. From just watching the American version, no one knows why.
But when I watched the original, it became clear: In a powerful scene that was inexplicably chopped from the U.S. version, a government official wanted to keep the atomic origins of Godzilla secret. A young woman angrily denounced this and called him an idiot for even suggesting this. She made the ringing statement "THE TRUTH IS THE TRUTH!" "The truth must be made public!" Of course, to preserve his honor or whatever, he answered back.......and everyone joined in the yellfest.
But I guess that it's okay that Raymond Burr was in the first Godzilla movie released in the US. Godzilla and Burr owe their fame to each other, I reckon.=)

However, the 1984 remake, Godzilla 1984, was a completely different story. Boy, I must say, New World REALLY cut the dickens out of this one!
OK...I didn't believe it when others said this to me, but when I saw the original movie w/ English subtitles, I think they must have chopped about 50% of the original footage to make room for Raymond Burr (now his character was "Mr. Martin.")
Also, they gave this movie a HORRIBLE American slant.

GONE are the scenes where Maki throws random objects at the sea-louse...or where Okumura (Ken, in the US Version) identifies Godzilla from a hospital bed with the help of Dr. Hayashida. They cut out so much of the subplot involving reporter Maki, Okumura and his sister Naoko for the U.S. release that the three become more or less, passive bystanders.
The thing that really irritates me though about New World's print of Godzilla1985, is where they deliberately change the dialogue and the screenplay to make it look as though the Soviet Empire deliberately launches a nuclear missile at the Shinjuku district of Tokyo, where Godzilla lies nearly lifeless. In the original version, the young officer is killed trying to stop a missile that has been inadvertently launched. Instead, New World changes the script, the dialogue and everything else just so the rest of us could say, "Oh,those damn evil Soviets!"

I grew up during the Cold War too, so at the time I was ignorant enough to believe it too. Now that I'm older and considerably more cynical, I'm not afraid to look at my country the way others see it. Of course, we have the incredible nerve to take offense when another country labels us as a bunch of inhuman, unfeeling pigs. And we wonder why everyone else hates us? But oh well. This is a Godzilla Page, not a political history/theory page. Whew, nearly got off track there. =)

Anyhow. Mr. Martin is in Washington D.C. for this one (Burr's ticker was probably in too weak shape for his character to get buried underneath tons of rubble again.) watching the whole thing from a Pentagon strategics room, surrounded by three military ding dongs. But mind you, these aren't just any military ding dongs. They're Dr. PEPPER DRINKING DING DONGS! =D
They can't do much better than to run around going "It's Godzilla again, back from the dead. Oh God, Oh God, what are we gonna do?!?!" Oh yeah and they are the ones who launched the American missile. Burr was about the only American actor that was worth much of any of the footage they cut out to make room for!!!! Some other differences, and which ones I preferred:

U.S. version vs Japanese version

When Godzilla picks up the train in the US version, he peers in amidst a group of scared people emitting a bunch of annoying (dubbed) canned screams.Then he drops it.
When he picks up the train in the Japanese version, the camera pans up to the eyes.......and I mean the people were screaming before, but when they see the monstrous face peering into the train window, they REALLY let loose! There is added comic relief as some freak (male or female? Still can't decide.)flashes the Big G a Big Godzilla sized bakayaroo grin.
He carries the train for some distance (the camera showing impressive scenes of G's reflection on a mirrored building....which was CHOPPED from the US version to make room for Burr and the three military Dr. Pepper swilling ding dongs!!!) THEN drops it.
 

I preferred the original. =)
 

At the movies end, when Godzilla gets "sent home", the Japanese version just has him uttering frantic roars. In the US version, before he hits the boiling lava, he emits an agonizing scream that sent a certain 11 year old home from the movies in tears. =) I preferred the US version,here.

I also preferred the parting eulogy by Raymond Burr: "Nature has a way sometimes of reminding man of just how small he is. She occasionally throws up the terrible offspring of our pride and carelessness, to remind us of how puny we really are in the face of a tornado, an earthquake, or a Godzilla. 
"Godzilla, that strangely innocent and tragic monster, has gone to earth. Whether he returns or not, or is never again seen by human eyes,the things he has taught us remain." 
The Japanese version has no such eulogization. Instead, they wrote a really weird song titled "Sayonara Godzilla." Go figure!

In all, BOTH the US. and Japanese versions of these movies are well worth owning. If my VCR hadn't shot craps, I would be watching the Japanese version of Godzilla 1984 right now. =)

Enough of this psychobabble! Take me back to the MUSEUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!