The Path from Kong to Godzilla Goes Through the Beast

Despite being credited as the first in a generation of atomic monster movies, "The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms" seems to tend to get lost amid the fanfare for the admittedly better "King Kong" (1933) and "Gojira" (1954), or even a big-bug feature such as "Them!" (1954). Regardless, it's still a fun creature feature that marks a historically important bridge between the conception and effects of the 1933 classic to the Godzilla franchise of the 1950s and thereafter, including today's Monsterverse. The relative fiscal discipline and success of this picture, in particular, is said to have given the impetus for the production of the first Godzilla film.

It's no surprise that Ray Harryhausen, responsible for the stop-motion animation of the radioactive dinosaur here, had previously worked, including on "Mighty Joe Young" (1949), with Willis O'Brien, the special-effects master behind "King Kong." There isn't as much in this later film in the way of traveling mattes and direct human-monster interaction, and it lacks a score of the calibre provided by Max Steiner, and, indeed, the monster is missing for most of the movie, but when the "Rhedosaurus" is about, the effect is good. Like Kong, it, too, goes on a rampage through New York. What I find especially interesting is that instead of the earlier film's metaphor of Kong as movie--being captured by filmmakers and unchained on a stage--this one features a romantic coupling of scientists attending a ballet while they ultimately confront the beast at an amusement park (Coney Island) and atop a roller coaster. I'm thinking the movie is closer in comparison overall to the latter entertainment.

Scientifically, this is more aligned with Godzilla, what with both dinosaur-like creatures being awakened by nuclear weapons testing and ultimately attacked with atomic-like weapons, both leaving behind a radioactive or toxic environment (in this case, it's described more as virus or plague), and, reportedly, this beast was originally planned to breath atomic flames like Godzilla would the next year. Despite those striking similarities, however, the treatment of their atomic themes are in stark contrast, and that's surely because this film was created in the country that invented and used the atomic bomb, while Godzilla was born of the nation that was attacked with those bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as well as the testing of hydrogen bombs that were occurring around the time (and around Japan, such as the inadvertent contamination of the crew of a Japanese tuna fishing boat in 1954) that these films were made.

Argued by Chon Noriega in the well-titled article, "Godzilla and the Japanese Nightmare: When 'Them!' Is U.S.," as opposed to this "beast" and mere member of species of dinosaur, Godzilla has a name, and one that is already extant in its filmic universe--legendary songs passed down through the generations being sung about him before his face even appears on screen. No mere mishap that is gone to great pains to explain as in the Hollywood film, Godzilla is thoroughly linked with Japanese past and a consequence of its present in the atomic age. Whereas this title inevitably re-validates dangerously-radioactive science and the militaristic weaponization thereof, the similar resolution in its Japanese counterpart is the source of much reluctance and regret. The love triangle there somewhat even plays into this dynamic, whereas the romance here between the scientists is infantile (I mean, really, these scientists are stupid--having little qualms with abandoning the scientific method as soon as a couple cranks become persistent in confirming each others' ridiculous tales, which, albeit turn out true, but still). On the other end, "King Kong" concerns the colonialism of its age in foreign policy and sexual dynamics, as well as filmmaking and spectatorship. That's why King Kong and Godzilla became cultural icons from great films and numerous sequels, and "The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms" is kiddie matinee fare, albeit quite well done and notable as having been influenced by and an influence upon greater monster movies.

(Added to my list of pandemic-related titles.)