Submersion of Japan 1973

[LSD Jellyfish]

Haven’t seen any recent threads about this.

Anyways, I just watched it in Japanese without subs, so I maybe only understood around 50% of the dialogue.

Movie was pretty good.

I think the highlight of the film is the destruction of Tokyo. It’s pretty brutal, and features some of the most spectacular special effects in any Toho film. I think there’s definitely an advantage that miniatures have, when they aren’t created with the idea that a monster has to walk through it. It’s not just the miniatures though, it’s how we see a lot of the destruction through the views of the helicopters or other things like tv screens. The only downside, is that the ending lacks the same level of spectacle, although I get they wanted to show the whole island sinking is really beyond human comprehension.

The emotional stuff was pretty good as well. I liked the drama with the leads wife, in the Mt. Aso scene. I also liked the scene later, when the lead is begging everyone to escape japan as he wanders around about 2/3rds through the film. The shots of the prime minister towards the end, with covered in ash were fantastic as well.

I liked all the drama and arguing with the other nations about accepting refugees, and it’s pretty heartless. Yet it added a real sense of dark realism. I think it’s interesting that the Australians wind up becoming the “villains” of the film.

Also, what was up with all that kamikaze stuff? Towards the end there’s something about Kamikaze Japan. My Japanese wasn’t good enough to understand it, and the plot synopsis of the film I found seems to be dubious.

Overall, I enjoyed it (if you can call such a bleak film enjoyable). I think I’ll appreciate it more if I was fluent in Japanese. However, to be blunt the film scared the shit out of me, as I currently live near Tokyo. I can’t help but wonder if the film would have bothered me as much.

I think that this is the film you can point to when people talk trash about 70’s era Toho, as they clearly were making fantastic films with great budgets. The Godzilla films just got the short end of the stick.

Also, I’d like to think this film forms a trilogy with Nostradamus and Godzilla 1984. All three have similar tones, deal with japan and internationalism, have very apocalyptic vibes, feature old men professors, and a younger lead who has a romance that is a center point of drama within the film. I think one of the actors is the same as well.

[CrimsonBloodX]

Submersion of Japan needs to be released on home video in North America. This is one of those movies from Toho that I really wanted to see for several years.

[LSD Jellyfish]

Submersion of Japan needs to be released on home video in North America. This is one of those movies from Toho that I really wanted to see for several years.

Semi-related, but a new netflix anime was recently announced that's another adaptation. Could make Toho re-release the older classic.

[CrimsonBloodX]

Submersion of Japan needs to be released on home video in North America. This is one of those movies from Toho that I really wanted to see for several years.

Semi-related, but a new netflix anime was recently announced that's another adaptation. Could make Toho re-release the older classic.

I hope so.

[Terasawa]

One of the most apocalyptic shots in a Toho film:

[Kaltes-Herzeleid]

One of the most apocalyptic shots in a Toho film:

Also really love this shot:

[LSD Jellyfish]

One of the most apocalyptic shots in a Toho film:

Also really love this shot:

That entire sequence with the city on fire is one of the most impressive things I've ever seen. The helicopters and everything, damn.

I can beat you on the most apocalyptic shot though. There's a brief shot in the Last War at the end after the nuclear fallout. It shows a shit ton of fire and lava, and there's a very small structure. It takes you a moment but then it's clear that it's the japanese capital.

[Terasawa]

Also really love this shot:

Incidentally, another frame from the FX footage portion of that shot was repurposed as part of Nami's vision in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla:



However, I'm pretty sure that the exact frame used in GvMG is unseen in Submersion.

I can beat you on the most apocalyptic shot though. There's a brief shot in the Last War at the end after the nuclear fallout. It shows a shit ton of fire and lava, and there's a very small structure. It takes you a moment but then it's clear that it's the japanese capital.

That shot and more in this gallery. For fairly obvious reasons, The Last War wins out as the most apocalyptic Toho film, but IMO Submersion of Japan isn't too far behind.

[mikelcho]

Submersion of Japan needs to be released on home video in North America. This is one of those movies from Toho that I really wanted to see for several years.

I take it that that means the American version of this film, Tidal Wave, never was released on home video in any form in the U.S. either, am I right?

[CrimsonBloodX]

Submersion of Japan needs to be released on home video in North America. This is one of those movies from Toho that I really wanted to see for several years.

I take it that that means the American version of this film, Tidal Wave, never was released on home video in any form in the U.S. either, am I right?

That I do not know. I'm not an expert when it comes to VHS North American releases of Toho films like some people on the Toho Kingdom forums.

[Terasawa]

Submersion of Japan needs to be released on home video in North America. This is one of those movies from Toho that I really wanted to see for several years.

I take it that that means the American version of this film, Tidal Wave, never was released on home video in any form in the U.S. either, am I right?

Never officially.

[mikelcho]

Submersion of Japan needs to be released on home video in North America. This is one of those movies from Toho that I really wanted to see for several years.

I take it that that means the American version of this film, Tidal Wave, never was released on home video in any form in the U.S. either, am I right?

Never officially.

Yeah, I thought so. Thanks!