While all the attention is on theAcademy Awardsthis weekend, with films likeOppenheimerandThe Holdoverslooking to have huge nights this Sunday, the Japanese Academy Awards just took place on Friday and made a huge genre statement.Godzilla Minus One, one of the most celebrated releases of last year, just won its coveted Best Picture along with seven other awards.
The other major wins include Best Screenplay (Takashi Yamazaki), Best Supporting Actress (Sakura Ando), Best Cinematography (Kozo Shibasaki), and Best Editing (Ryuji Miyajima). The epic film also won for Best Lighting, Best Art Direction, and Best Sound. It’s a monstrous statement, given there were12 categories in total. This is in stark contrast to itsAmerican counterpart, which only sawGodzillaMinus Onenominated for Best Visual Effects,a category where it feels like it’s a sure frontrunner. Many moviegoers, especially those in the horror monster-loving community, felt like it should have been considered and nominated forBest Picture. That’s how brilliantGodzillaMinus Onetruly was. This feat also beats outToho’s last entry in the seriesShin Godzillain 2017, which won seven total awards. That included Best Picture as well.
‘Godzilla Minus One’ Is a Tear-Jerking Monster Movie
When it comes to giant Kuji monster movies, the last thing you associate with the genre israw emotion. However, that’s exactly whatGodzillaMinus Onewas. It was an extremely riveting and relatable war story about the dreadful reality of being on the losing side and how often our governing bodies don’t represent the people affected by their policies.Godzillaonly ever adds to the nightmare of that with the destruction of cities that have already been through the absolute horror of World War II. However, the brilliance ofGodzillaMinus Onelies in its graceful balance. This is also a hopeful story full of endless love and friendship with a community coming out the other side of disaster. Godzilla has always been known for his goofy B-movie side, butGodzillaMinus Onesmartly took the franchise back to its genre roots with a massive tear-jerking spectrum that had never been seen on the big screen before. That goes double for America, where the film brokemultiple box office records. In a time when the American Academy struggles to acknowledge horror,GodzillaMinus Onedeserves every award under the atomic sun.
Godzilla Minus Oneis currently on no streaming service and its historictheatrical run endeda month ago, so you’re going to have to wait until after the Oscars on Sunday to watch the film if you haven’t seen it.GodzillaMinus Oneis the first film in the franchise to be nominated for an American Oscar in its now 70-year history and, if it wins forBest Visual Effects, it will be one of the best stories coming out of Oscar night. The trailer forGodzillaMinus Onecan be viewed below.
Godzilla Minus One
Post war Japan is at its lowest point when a new crisis emerges in the form of a giant monster, baptized in the horrific power of the atomic bomb.
