Chasing an Invisible Godzilla

眼に見えぬゴジラを追って
Chasing an Invisible Godzilla

怪物の説明が一仕事
Explaining the Monster Was a Major Task

想像の演技でエキストラ連マゴマゴ
Extras Flustered While Acting Against an Imaginary Foe

恐怖の島 大戸島ロケ
Location Shoot on the Island of Terror: Odo Island

東宝の空想科学映画「ゴジラ」のロケー ションが行われた志摩半島一帯は、本多 猪四郎監督にとっても文化映画「伊勢志 摩」をはじめ処女作「青い真珠」の舞台 ともなった、いわばホーム・グラウンド である、したがって「ゴジラ」のシナリ オ執筆中にも水中撮影やゴジラの最初の 被害地大戸島のイメージはこの志摩半島 が念頭におかれていた、その中でも半島 の東北端戸数二百余の石鏡(いじか)と いう集落が大戸島の集落、岬一つ越えた 無人の砂浜が大戸島の海岸に選ばれたわ けである

The Shima Peninsula—where location filming for Toho’s sci-fi epic “Godzilla” took place—was something of a “home ground” for director Ishiro Honda; it had previously served as the setting for his debut feature, “The Blue Pearl,” as well as the documentary “Ise-Shima.” Consequently, while writing the screenplay for “Godzilla,” Honda envisioned the Shima Peninsula when conceptualizing elements such as the underwater filming sequences and Odo Island—the site of Godzilla’s initial rampage. Specifically, the settlement of Ijika—located at the peninsula’s northeastern tip and home to just over two hundred households—was chosen to represent the village on Odo Island, while an uninhabited sandy beach just beyond the next headland was selected as the island’s coastline.

この石鏡集落は鳥羽港から巡航船で約 四十分、鳥羽とは陸つづきでありながら 船の方が便利という至ってヘンピな土地、 とり残された古俗を保ち、映画も芝居も 一年に一度か二度、小学校の庭でみられ る程度というから、ましてロケーション など前代未聞、孫子の代までの語り草ぐ らいの値打はある、

The village of Ijika lies about forty minutes by ferry from Toba Port; although connected to Toba by land, it is so remote that traveling by boat is actually more convenient. Preserving ancient customs that have elsewhere been left behind, the village sees movies or plays performed in the elementary schoolyard only once or twice a year—let alone a film shoot, which is an event unheard of in its history. It is the sort of rare occurrence that would be talked about for generations to come.

……ロケにつきもののおびただしい数 の器材、付属品も暑さでグロッキー気味 の一行を尻目にどんどん運んでくれる、 本多監督ちょっと酸っぱそうな顔で「そ れだのに、この集落がゴジラのためにさ んざ荒されることになるんですからね」

…They briskly hauled the vast array of equipment and accessories—paying no mind to the crew, who were wilting in the heat—while Director Honda, wearing a slightly pained expression, remarked, “And yet, this very village is destined to be utterly devastated by Godzilla.”

……海から現れたゴジラが、山のかげからニューッとのぞき、ゴジラの頭に調 査団や船員や村人が驚き恐怖におののく シーンが撮影の主なるところ、しかしな に分にもゴジラは丸ビルくらいの大きさ もある巨獣ということになっているので 合成撮影が行われる、つまりA班(俳優 を中心とした撮影)、B班(ゴジラを中 心とした撮影)、C班(建物その他実景 を中心とした撮影)の三つの仕事が一つ になってはじめて完全な画面が出来上る のだから、ロケーションでもゴジラが目 の前に現れたと想像して演技しなければならない、

The central sequence involves Godzilla emerging from the sea and looming up from behind a mountain, striking the survey team, crew, and villagers with shock and terror. However, since Godzilla is depicted as a colossal beast—roughly the size of the Marunouchi Building—composite photography is required. A complete image is only achieved by combining the work of three separate units: Unit A (focusing on the actors), Unit B (focusing on Godzilla), and Unit C (focusing on buildings and other real-world scenery). Consequently, even during location shoots, the actors must perform while imagining that Godzilla has actually appeared right before their eyes.

現地で雇ったトラさん(エキストラの こと)たちには一々ゴジラとはこういう 怪物で大きさはこのくらい、放射能を口 から吐くので井戸水は飲めなくなるし、 船や家はたちまち燃えてしまう、とにか く恐しいものなんだと説明して山道を逃 げ回ってもらうのだが、年に一度か二度 しか映画を観たことのない人たちにはど うもピンとこないらしい、そのゴジラと やらがいないのにどうして映画が出来る のかと質問続出、そこで調査団の主任に なる志村喬博士嘆じていわく「ゴジラよ りコチラの方が難物だという顔をしてい ますな」

We had to explain to the locally hired extras—whom we called “Tora-san”—exactly what kind of monster Godzilla was: how big it was, how it breathed radioactive fire that poisoned well water and instantly incinerated ships and houses, and just how terrifying a creature it truly was. Yet, for people who might see a movie only once or twice a year, the concept didn’t quite click; they kept asking how a movie could be made when this “Godzilla” wasn’t actually there. Faced with this, Takashi Shimura—playing the head of the research team—lamented, “They look like a tougher problem to deal with than Godzilla.”

(「スポーツニッポン(大阪)」昭和25年9月10日)
(Sports Nippon (Osaka), September 10, 1950)

Source: ゴジラ1954, p 150