Story behind Godzilla vs MechaGodzilla – Pt 3

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1973年はUFOが注目されて超常現象に人々の興味が向かい、1974年は超能力や予言といった超自然的な現象に世間の注目が集まっていく。その複合が「終末ブーム」とでもいう現象で、それは大きなムーブメントとなっていく。1973年3月に刊行された小松左京による『日本沈没』の原作小説は、それらの呼び水にもなり、同年11月に刊行された五島勉の著作、『ノストラダムスの大予言』が決定打となり、超常を滅びに結びつける潮流は経済的な後退期を背景に1974年に最高潮を迎えることになる。田中は以上のような動きを見逃さず、再び東宝映画との提携で『日本沈没』に続くカタストロフ傾向の「スペクタクル路線」を打ち出す。それが、1974年の4月末に脚本が完成した夏の公開作品、『ノストラダムスの大予言』である。

In 1973, UFOs captured the public imagination, drawing people’s interest toward paranormal phenomena; by 1974, societal attention had shifted to supernatural occurrences such as psychic powers and prophecies. The convergence of these elements gave rise to a phenomenon best described as an “apocalypse boom”—a trend that would soon evolve into a major cultural movement. Sakyo Komatsu’s original novel “Japan Sinks” (Nihon Chinbotsu), published in March 1973, served as a catalyst for this trend; however, it was Tsutomu Goto’s “The Great Prophecies of Nostradamus” (Nostradamus no Daiyogen)—published that November—that delivered the decisive blow. Against the backdrop of an economic downturn, this wave of thought—linking the paranormal to impending doom—reached its absolute zenith in 1974. Never one to overlook such societal currents, Tanaka once again partnered with Toho Studios to launch a “spectacle line” of films—a series of catastrophe-themed features designed to follow in the footsteps of “Japan Sinks.” The result was “The Great Prophecies of Nostradamus”—a film slated for a summer release, the screenplay for which was completed in late April 1974.

Caption

決戦に現れたメカゴジラの準備。演技指導をするのは、中野をサポートしていた監督助手の川北紘一。

Preparations for the MechaGodzilla suit, which appeared in the climactic battle. Providing the acting direction was Koichi Kawakita, the assistant director who had been supporting Nakano.

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以上のような流れのなか、「ゴジラ映画」は大がかりな特殊技術を活かす一般映画、「スペクタクル路線」と並行して企画されるようになった。1970年代前半、「領導者」というゴジラへのアプローチは成功しており、『ゴジラ対ヘドラ』と『地球攻撃命令ゴジラ対ガイガン』はブーム下の「ヒーロー路線」に飲み込まれることなく、巧みにゴジラの個性を打ち出すことができた。しかし、テレビヒーローの前哨戦として基本設定が構築された『ゴジラ対メガロ』においては、その「領導者」としての在りようがうまく据わらなかった。ジェットジャガーのピンチに駆けつけるという流れ自体に問題はないのだが、駆けつける様が、多分に演出的なニュアンスから擬人化が似合わないのである。そして、この作品におけるゴジラからは怒りが感じられず、あるのは義俠心とでもいえる擬人化の到達点である。東宝には、『ゴジラ対メガロ』の組み立てからゴジラを外したことへの反省があっただろう。そのために「ゴジラ映画」としてのパワーが異質化し、そんな変容が38万人という観客動員に結びついてしまったと理解したようだ。ヘドラとガイガンによって、対戦怪獣のインパクトはより重要事項として認識されていたはずなので、当時の子供たちの間で大ブームになって高値で取り引きされていた甲虫、なかでもデパートの目玉商品にもなって注目されていたカブトムシをモチーフにしたとはいっても、メガロのビジュアルがストレートすぎるという問題提起に行き当たったことは想像できる。

Amidst this evolving landscape, “Godzilla films” began to be planned in parallel with mainstream features—specifically those following the “spectacle route”—that leveraged large-scale special effects technology. In the early 1970s, the creative approach of casting Godzilla as a “leader” proved successful; “Godzilla vs. Hedorah” and “Godzilla vs. Gigan” managed to skillfully highlight Godzilla’s unique character without being completely subsumed by the “hero route” trend that was sweeping the era. However, in “Godzilla vs. Megalon”—a film whose fundamental premise was constructed as a sort of preliminary skirmish for a TV superhero series—Godzilla’s role as a “leader” failed to find a proper footing. While there was nothing inherently wrong with the narrative beat of Godzilla rushing to Jet Jaguar’s aid when the latter was in peril, the “manner” in which he arrived—heavily colored by specific directorial nuances—resulted in a style of anthropomorphism that simply did not suit him. Furthermore, the Godzilla depicted in this film conveys no sense of rage; what remains is merely the culmination of an anthropomorphic portrayal—a quality best described as a sense of chivalrous duty. Toho Studios likely harbored regrets regarding their decision to sideline Godzilla during the structural development of “Godzilla vs. Megalon.” Consequently, the film’s power as a “Godzilla movie” felt fundamentally alienating; the studio appears to have concluded that this very transformation was directly responsible for the dismal box office turnout of just 380,000 spectators. Given that the films featuring Hedorah and Gigan had surely established the “impact” of the opposing monster as a critical factor for success, one can easily imagine the creative team eventually confronting the criticism that Megalon’s visual design was simply “too straightforward”—even if his motif was inspired by beetles (specifically rhinoceros beetles), which were enjoying a massive boom among children at the time and were even being traded at high prices—to the point where they had become featured attractions in department stores.

Source: Godzilla: A History of Toho Tokusatsu and Sci-Fi Cinema (｢ゴジラ｣東宝特撮・SF映画史 昭和編)