Godzilla (1954 film)

[edit] Plot
When a Japanese fishing boat is attacked by a flash of light near Odo Island two rescue boats are sent but they too are destroyed. Few survive.

Meanwhile, on Odo Island, a village elder blames their poor fishing on Godzilla. Sometimes native girls are sacrificed to the giant sea monster so he won't attack their village. Word gets out and a helicopter arrives on the island with curious but skeptical reporters. Frightened natives perform a ceremony to keep the monster away but it doesn't work. That night while the natives sleep a storm arrives and Godzilla comes with it. Death and destruction ensue.

The next day witnesses arrive in Tokyo. Dr. Kyohei Yamane suggests that investigators be sent to the island. On arrival Yamane finds giant radioactive footprints. When an alarm sounds the villagers run for the hills only to find Godzilla. After a quick skirmish the villagers run some more and Godzilla heads toward the ocean.

Dr. Yamane returns to Tokyo to present his findings. He concludes that Godzilla was created by a nuclear explosion but wants to conceal that fact fearing international repercussions. Others say the truth must be revealed. They prevail and Godzilla's origins are announced to the public.

Ships are sent with depth charges to kill the monster. When they fail Godzilla appears again causing nationwide panic. Officials appeal to Dr. Yamane for some way to kill the monster but Yamane wants him kept alive and studied.

Enter Yamane's daughter Emiko. She is engaged to Yamane's colleague Dr. Serizawa but she has come to break off the engagement because she loves another. Before she can do that Serizawa tells her about his invention, the Oxygen Destroyer, which can kill all life in the sea. He gives a small demonstration using a fish tank in the lab. She is sworn to secrecy and never gets a chance to break off the engagement.

That night Godzilla climbs from Tokoyo Bay and attacks the city. Though the attack is over quickly there is much death and destruction.

The next morning the Army constructs a line of 40 meter electrical towers along the coast of Tokyo that will send 300,000 Volts of electricity through Godzilla, should he appear again. Civilians are evacuated from the city and put into bomb shelters.

That night Godzilla does indeed attack again. He easily breaks through the electric fence melting the wires with his atomic breath. A bombardment of shells from Army tanks has no effect. Godzilla continues his rampage until much of the city is destroyed and thousands of civilians are dead or wounded. A squadron of jets fire rockets as Godzilla descends unscathed into Tokyo Bay.

Come morning Tokyo is in ruins. Hospitals overflow with victims including some with radiation poisoning. Emiko, the daughter, sees the devastation and tells her true love about the secret Oxygen Destroyer. She hopes together they can persuade her fiance to use it on Godzilla. When he refuses the lover and the fiance fight. The lover receives a minor head wound. As Emiko treats the wound the fiance apologizes but he refuses to use the weapon on the monster. Then a newscast shows the devastation Godzilla has caused. He decides he will use it only one time and then the weapon must be destroyed for the good of humanity.

A Navy ship takes the lover and the fiance to plant the device in Tokyo Bay. They don diving gear and descend into the water where they find Godzilla at resting. The lover returns to the surface as the fiance/inventor activates the device. He watches as Godzilla dies then cuts his own oxygen cord sacrificing himself so his knowledge of the device cannot harm mankind. A dying Godzilla surfaces, lets out a final roar, and sinks to the bottom, disintegrating.

And though the monster is gone those aboard ship are still grim. They don't know if the death of Godzilla is the end or the beginning of an apocalyptic era. Godzilla's death has come at a terrible price and Dr. Yamane believes that if mankind continues to develop deadly weapons another Godzilla may appear.

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