I was interested in exploring the deep psychological trauma ingrained in post-war Japan, particularly stemming from the experience of nuclear warfare which has a profound influence on Japanese popular culture, leading to doomsday cities such as Tokyo as recurring themes in films and media. Critics like Susan Sontag suggest these narratives serve as a means to address and cope with the collective trauma experienced by the population.
Susan Sontag’s perspective on the appeal of postwar science fiction cinema, exemplified through films like “Gojira” (1954), illustrates the connection between trauma and storytelling. “Gojira” visually captures the destruction of Tokyo. Sontag argues that these films play a psychological role by exploring destruction aesthetics and optimistic endings, offering a means of escape and providing a glimmer of hope amid the despair, diverting the traumatised Japanese audience’s attention from the potential of nuclear tragedy.
The mode of narrating catastrophic destruction followed by optimistic endings is crucial in addressing trauma healing. By showing the destroyed but surviving Tokyo at the end of the movie, the narrative instils beliefs in the ability to reconstruct Japanese society in the face of potential collapse.
Furthermore, “Gojira” reinforces the idea that the monster is a product of American science gone wrong and is finally defeated through Japanese science This narrative element strengthens the Japanese establishment and highlights the nation’s capacity to confront and overcome external threats, making the film a symbol of national resilience, rooted in the cultural embrace of disaster and the determination to rebuild.
Anvesha Bajpai (3036137184)