Gojira (1954) is many things – a classic monster movie, an allegory for the atomic bomb, a snapshot of the anxieties plaguing those of a post-war Japan. In addition to all of these things, the film is also an example of the enduring power of the Hero’s Journey.
Author: Andrew Tucker
Andrew was a high school English teacher for nine and a half years and teaches a course on the Hero’s Journey at McDaniel College. He has used multiple pop culture examples, such as Godzilla, Star Wars, and Batman, to illustrate the concept of archetypes and the stages of the Hero’s Journey. The release of the Heisei series in the United States when he was a middle schooler cemented the era as his favorite version of Godzilla, although Gojira (1954), Shin Godzilla (2016), and Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) all have a special place in his heart. He enjoys analyzing film, literature, and video games with his friends and family and enjoys collecting Godzilla and Dragon Ball memorabilia.