Atragon
Encyclopedia
Atragon, released in Japan as , is a 1963 Toho
tokusatsu
film
based on a series of juvenile adventure novels under the banner Kaitei Gunkan by Shunrō Oshikawa
(heavily influenced by Jules Verne
) and the illustrated story
Kaitei Okoku ("The Undersea Kingdom") by illustrator Shigeru Komatsuzaki, serialized in a monthly magazine for boys. Komatsuzaki also served as an uncredited visual designer, as he had on The Mysterians
(1957) and Battle in Outer Space
(1959). visualizing the titular super weapon, among others.
The film was one of several tokusatsu
collaborations of director Ishirō Honda
, screenwriter Shinichi Sekizawa
, and special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya
. It features Jun Tazaki, an authority figure regular to tokusatsu
, in his largest genre role as the conflicted Captain Jinguji of the super-submarine
轟天号 Gotengō
or Roaring Heaven — the suffix, 号 (gō), simply denotes the object as a ship. The supersub was dubbed Atragon in the English-language U.S.
version, released in 1965 by American International Pictures
. Confusion over the Japanese title of the film by non-Japanese speakers, has led many to assume the original title, 海底軍艦, to be "Undersea Battleship"; unfortunately, the Japanese term for "Battleship
", 戦艦 (Senkan), is nowhere to be found in the title. Since 軍艦 (Gunkan) should be correctly rendered as "Warship
", therefore, the film should be correctly transliterated as Undersea Warship.
As was the case in several other 1960s tokusatsu eiga (visual effects films), producer Tomoyuki Tanaka
insisted that a daikaiju
be incorporated into the storyline for marketing
purposes, and to symbolize the upcoming Year of the Snake, Tsuburaya's Art Director Akira Watanabe
designed Manda—a Japanese dragon
-like sea serpent
that would subsequently appear in several films in the Godzilla
series. The Atragon itself, slightly modified, would reappear in several other movies, including Godzilla: Final Wars
and Super Star Fleet Sazer X The Movie: Fight! Star Warriors, as well as the video game Godzilla: Unleashed
.
There is also an anime
movie named Super Atragon based on the same novels.
reappears to threaten the world with domination. While countries unite to resist, an isolated World War II
Captain
has created the greatest warship
ever seen, and possibly the surface world's only defense.
While on a magazine photo shoot one night, photographers Susumu (Takashima) and Yoshito (Yu Fujiki) witness a car drive into the ocean. While speaking with a detective (Hiroshi Koizumi
) the next day they spot Makoto Jinguji (Fujiyama), daughter of deceased Imperial Captain Jinguji, who is also being followed by a suspicious character (Yoshifumi Tajima
). Her father's former superior, retired Rear Admiral
Kusumi (Ken Uehara
), is confronted by a peculiar reporter (Kenji Sahara
) who claims contrarily that Captain Jinguji is alive and at work on a new submarine project. The threads meet when a mysterious taxi driver (Akihiko Hirata
) almost abducts Makoto and the Admiral, claiming to be an agent of the drowned Mu Empire
. Foiled by the ensuing photographers, he flees into the ocean.
During another visit to the detective, a packaged inscribed "MU" arrives for the Admiral. Contained within is a film depicting the thriving undersea continent (with its own geothermal
"sun") and demanding that the surface world capitulate, and prevent Jinguji from completing his submarine Atragon. The UN
realizes that Atragon may be the world's only defense and requests that Admiral Kosumi appeal to Jinguji. Concurrently, Makoto's stalker is arrested and discovered to be a naval officer under Jinguji. He agrees to lead the party to Jinguji's base but refuses to disclose its location. After several days of travel, the party find themselves on a tropical
island inhabited only by Jinguji's forces and enclosing a vast underground dock.
Eventually Captain Jinguji (Tazaki) greets the visitors, though he is cold toward his daughter and infuriated by Kusumi's appeal. He built Atragon, he explains, as a means to restore the Japanese Empire after its defeat in World War II, and insists that it be used for no other purpose. Makoto runs off in anger, later to be consoled by Susumu. Atragons test run is a success, the heavily-armored submarine even elevating out of the water and flying about the island. When the Captain approaches Makoto that evening they exchange harsh words; again Susumu reproaches the Captain for his selfish refusal to come to the world's aid. After Makoto and Shindo are kidnapped by the reporter (a disguised Mu agent) and the base crippled by a bomb, Jinguji consents to Kusumi's request and prepares Atragon for war against Mu.
The Mu Empire executes a devastating attack on Tokyo
and threatens to sacrifice its prisoners to the monstrous deity
Manda if Atragon appears. Appear the super-submarine does, pursuing a Mu submarine to the Empire's entrance in the ocean depths. Meanwhile, Susumu and the other prisoners escape their cell and kidnap the Empress of Mu (Tetsuko Kobayashi). They are impeded by Manda, but soon rescued by Atragon, which then engages the serpent and freezes it using the "Absolute Zero
Cannon". Jinguji offers to hear peace terms, but the proud Empress refuses. The Captain then advances Atragon into the heart of the Empire(power room) and freezes its geothermal machinery. This results in a cataclysmic explosion visible even to those on deck of the surfaced submarine. Her empire dying, the Mu Empress abandons the Atragon and, Jinguji and company looking on, swims into the conflagration.
). On this unusually tight schedule, production was divided into one more than the usual two teams (drama and special effects) of tokusatsu production—Unit A for dramatic filming and Units B and C for special effects. Visual Effects Director Tsuburaya and Assistant Visual Effects Director Teruyoshi Nakano
began work in October and concluded within four weeks, a third of the usual time granted to effects work. While the effects of Atragon are generally praised, minor stock footage
of buildings collapsing from Mothra
(1961) were used as inserts during the scene where all-new footage of Tokyo
's Marunouchi
business district collapses (as well as shots of emergency vehicles responding before the collapse). Two other minor instances of stock footage were used in transitional montages of "surveillance satellites" taken from The Mysterians
and Battle in Outer Space
; while another montage, establishing shots of the world's major capitals, were taken from Shūe Matsubayashi's The Last War
(1961).
Kaitei Gunkan became Toho's top box office earner during its month-long run in Japanese theaters and is a popular feature on TV and at film festival
s. In fact, it was so popular that it was re-released in 1968 as the support feature for Honda's Destroy All Monsters
. It was also the 1964 Japanese entry at the Trieste Science Fiction Film Festival.
American International Pictures
afforded the film a successful U.S. theatrical release in 1965 with minimal changes and quality dubbing
by Titra Studios
. The new name Atragon, derived from Toho's international title Atoragon, is presumably a contraction
of "Atom
ic dragon
", a colorful moniker for the titular juggernaut; however, AIP's dubbed dialogue refers to the Goten-go by the name "Atragon." This shortening from four to three syllables was the choice of AIP, since several European markets released the film as Atoragon (Italy) and Ataragon (France). While Kaitei Gunkan became Toho's first tokusatsu eiga (Visual Effects Film) released on home video in 1982, and though the film is exceptionally popular among western tokusatsu fans, Atragon was not released on home video
in the United States until Media-Blasters' DVD
in 2005 (although the film was in constant television syndication in the U.S. until the early 1980s). Media-Blasters had intended to use the original Titra Studios
dubbing, but Toho forced the company to use its international version. This alternate dubbed version syncs up perfectly with the Japanese video, but fans generally consider these international dubs to be inferior. Its enduring popularity in Japan is evident in the number of plastic model kits, garage kits, and adult-targeted toys based on the Goten-gō continually on the market.
, patriotism
, and pride. Unchecked affirmation of these principles manifests in the central character of Captain Jinguji, who built the Atragon for the sole purpose of reviving the Empire of Japan; and in the Empress of Mu, whose motive to reestablish her nation's global dominance parallels Jinguji's. Much as the aggressive policies of Japan secured the nation's defeat in World War II, the former Empire of Mu continues its siege on the surface world even after Atragon—their only feared adversary—rises to challenge. Both leaders vehemently reject the notion of peaceful surrender, and even international cooperation, but while Jinguji is ultimately persuaded to suppress his 20-year vendetta, the young Empress sees her defeated nation through to annihilation. Whereas Jinguji revolted
in order to prepare a counterattack
, the Empress acts differently on her nationalistic resolve by abandoning the Atragon to die with her people.
. The game's cutscenes suggest that these ships are piloted by evil aliens from Planet X, who declare war on Earth in the year 2XXX. Other enemies within the game resemble the creatures from Matango
.
Toho
is a Japanese film, theater production, and distribution company. It is headquartered in Yūrakuchō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group...
tokusatsu
Tokusatsu
is a Japanese term that applies to any live-action film or television drama that usually features superheroes and makes considerable use of special effects ....
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
based on a series of juvenile adventure novels under the banner Kaitei Gunkan by Shunrō Oshikawa
Shunro Oshikawa
, was a Japanese author, journalist and editor, best known as a pioneer of science fiction.-Education and early career:While studying law at Tōkyō Senmon Gakkō at the turn of the century, Oshikawa published Kaitō Bōken Kidan: Kaitei Gunkan , the story of an armoured, ram-armed submarine in a...
(heavily influenced by Jules Verne
Jules Verne
Jules Gabriel Verne was a French author who pioneered the science fiction genre. He is best known for his novels Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea , A Journey to the Center of the Earth , and Around the World in Eighty Days...
) and the illustrated story
Illustrated fiction
Illustrated fiction is a hybrid narrative medium in which images and text work together to tell a story. It can take various forms, including fiction written for adults or children, magazine fiction, comic strips, and picture books....
Kaitei Okoku ("The Undersea Kingdom") by illustrator Shigeru Komatsuzaki, serialized in a monthly magazine for boys. Komatsuzaki also served as an uncredited visual designer, as he had on The Mysterians
The Mysterians
The Mysterians, released in Japan as , is a tokusatsu science fiction film produced and released by Toho Studios in 1957. It was directed by the "Golden Duo" of Ishirō Honda and Eiji Tsuburaya . It is notable for being the first tokusatsu filmed in TohoScope and the first Toho film to use...
(1957) and Battle in Outer Space
Battle in Outer Space
Battle in Outer Space, released in Japan as is a tokusatsu film produced and released by Toho Studios in Japan in 1959, and distributed worldwide in 1960 by Columbia Pictures...
(1959). visualizing the titular super weapon, among others.
The film was one of several tokusatsu
Tokusatsu
is a Japanese term that applies to any live-action film or television drama that usually features superheroes and makes considerable use of special effects ....
collaborations of director Ishirō Honda
Ishiro Honda
Ishirō Honda , sometimes miscredited in foreign releases as "Inoshiro Honda", was a Japanese film director...
, screenwriter Shinichi Sekizawa
Shinichi Sekizawa
was a Japanese screenwriter. His very first screenplay was for the Shintoho Studios film Fearful Attack of the Flying Saucers, which is now considered to be lost. He went on to script several films by Ishirō Honda, including several classic Godzilla films...
, and special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya
Eiji Tsuburaya
was the Japanese special effects director responsible for many Japanese science-fiction movies, including the Godzilla series...
. It features Jun Tazaki, an authority figure regular to tokusatsu
Tokusatsu
is a Japanese term that applies to any live-action film or television drama that usually features superheroes and makes considerable use of special effects ....
, in his largest genre role as the conflicted Captain Jinguji of the super-submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
轟天号 Gotengō
Gotengo
The , also known in the West as Atragon, is a submarine battleship that has appeared in several tokusatsu films of Toho Company, Ltd., beginning with Atragon in 1963. It was first conceived by author Shunrō Oshikawa in his 1899 novel Kaitei Gunkan , of which Atragon was an adaptation produced by...
or Roaring Heaven — the suffix, 号 (gō), simply denotes the object as a ship. The supersub was dubbed Atragon in the English-language U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
version, released in 1965 by American International Pictures
American International Pictures
American International Pictures was a film production company formed in April 1956 from American Releasing Corporation by James H. Nicholson, former Sales Manager of Realart Pictures, and Samuel Z. Arkoff, an entertainment lawyer...
. Confusion over the Japanese title of the film by non-Japanese speakers, has led many to assume the original title, 海底軍艦, to be "Undersea Battleship"; unfortunately, the Japanese term for "Battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
", 戦艦 (Senkan), is nowhere to be found in the title. Since 軍艦 (Gunkan) should be correctly rendered as "Warship
Warship
A warship is a ship that is built and primarily intended for combat. Warships are usually built in a completely different way from merchant ships. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster and more maneuvrable than merchant ships...
", therefore, the film should be correctly transliterated as Undersea Warship.
As was the case in several other 1960s tokusatsu eiga (visual effects films), producer Tomoyuki Tanaka
Tomoyuki Tanaka
----Tomoyuki Tanaka was a Japanese film producer, most famous for creating the Godzilla series. He was born in Kashiwara, Osaka, Japan on April 26, 1910, and died in Tokyo on April 2, 1997. He died of a stroke at the age of 86....
insisted that a daikaiju
Kaiju
is a Japanese word that means "strange beast," but often translated in English as "monster". Specifically, it is used to refer to a genre of tokusatsu entertainment....
be incorporated into the storyline for marketing
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
purposes, and to symbolize the upcoming Year of the Snake, Tsuburaya's Art Director Akira Watanabe
Akira Watanabe
Akira Watanabe may refer to:*Akira Watanabe , 1978 motocross world champion*Akira Watanabe , Scout Association of Japan National President from 1974 to 2003...
designed Manda—a Japanese dragon
Japanese dragon
Japanese dragons are diverse legendary creatures in Japanese mythology and folklore. Japanese dragon myths amalgamate native legends with imported stories about dragons from China, Korea and India. The style of the dragon was heavily influenced by the Chinese dragon...
-like sea serpent
Sea serpent
A sea serpent or sea dragon is a type of sea monster either wholly or partly serpentine.Sightings of sea serpents have been reported for hundreds of years, and continue to be claimed today. Cryptozoologist Bruce Champagne identified more than 1,200 purported sea serpent sightings...
that would subsequently appear in several films in the Godzilla
Godzilla
is a daikaijū, a Japanese movie monster, first appearing in Ishirō Honda's 1954 film Godzilla. Since then, Godzilla has gone on to become a worldwide pop culture icon starring in 28 films produced by Toho Co., Ltd. The monster has appeared in numerous other media incarnations including video games,...
series. The Atragon itself, slightly modified, would reappear in several other movies, including Godzilla: Final Wars
Godzilla: Final Wars
is a 2004 Japanese science fiction-kaiju film directed by Ryuhei Kitamura, written by Wataru Mimura and Isao Kiriyama and produced by Shogo Tomiyama. It is the twenty-eighth film in the Godzilla film series, and the sixth in terms of the series' Millennium era...
and Super Star Fleet Sazer X The Movie: Fight! Star Warriors, as well as the video game Godzilla: Unleashed
Godzilla: Unleashed
Godzilla: Unleashed, abbreviated as G3 or GU, is a 3D fighting video game based on the Godzilla film franchise for the Wii and PlayStation 2, developed by Pipeworks and published by Atari. The PS2 version was released on November 20 and the Wii version on December 5, 2007 in North America and both...
.
There is also an anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
movie named Super Atragon based on the same novels.
Synopsis
The legendary empire of the lost continent of MuMu (lost continent)
Mu is the name of a hypothetical continent that allegedly existed in one of Earth's oceans, but disappeared at the dawn of human history.The concept and the name were proposed by 19th century traveler and writer Augustus Le Plongeon, who claimed that several ancient civilizations, such as those of...
reappears to threaten the world with domination. While countries unite to resist, an isolated World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
has created the greatest warship
Warship
A warship is a ship that is built and primarily intended for combat. Warships are usually built in a completely different way from merchant ships. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster and more maneuvrable than merchant ships...
ever seen, and possibly the surface world's only defense.
While on a magazine photo shoot one night, photographers Susumu (Takashima) and Yoshito (Yu Fujiki) witness a car drive into the ocean. While speaking with a detective (Hiroshi Koizumi
Hiroshi Koizumi
is a Japanese actor. He was born in Japan. In a 1999 interview with Steve Ryfle, Koizumi laments that while he stated he has easy parts to play, he felt he could have done more in his performances...
) the next day they spot Makoto Jinguji (Fujiyama), daughter of deceased Imperial Captain Jinguji, who is also being followed by a suspicious character (Yoshifumi Tajima
Yoshifumi Tajima
Yoshifumi Tajima was an actor in Japanese Kaijū films, best known for his role as Kumayama in Mothra vs. Godzilla. He was born in Kobe, Japan.- Filmography :...
). Her father's former superior, retired Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
Kusumi (Ken Uehara
Ken Uehara
was a Japanese film actor. He appeared in over 200 films between 1935 and 1990. He starred in Entotsu no mieru basho, which was entered into the 3rd Berlin International Film Festival.His son is the singer and actor Yūzō Kayama.-Selected filmography:...
), is confronted by a peculiar reporter (Kenji Sahara
Kenji Sahara
Kenji Sahara is a Japanese actor. He was born in Kawasaki City, Kanagawa. His real name is Masayoshi Kato...
) who claims contrarily that Captain Jinguji is alive and at work on a new submarine project. The threads meet when a mysterious taxi driver (Akihiko Hirata
Akihiko Hirata
was a Japanese film actor. While Hirata starred in many movies , he is most well known for his work in the kaiju genre, including such films as King Kong vs. Godzilla, The Mysterians, and his most famous role of Dr...
) almost abducts Makoto and the Admiral, claiming to be an agent of the drowned Mu Empire
Mu (lost continent)
Mu is the name of a hypothetical continent that allegedly existed in one of Earth's oceans, but disappeared at the dawn of human history.The concept and the name were proposed by 19th century traveler and writer Augustus Le Plongeon, who claimed that several ancient civilizations, such as those of...
. Foiled by the ensuing photographers, he flees into the ocean.
During another visit to the detective, a packaged inscribed "MU" arrives for the Admiral. Contained within is a film depicting the thriving undersea continent (with its own geothermal
Geothermal power
Geothermal energy is thermal energy generated and stored in the Earth. Thermal energy is the energy that determines the temperature of matter. Earth's geothermal energy originates from the original formation of the planet and from radioactive decay of minerals...
"sun") and demanding that the surface world capitulate, and prevent Jinguji from completing his submarine Atragon. The UN
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
realizes that Atragon may be the world's only defense and requests that Admiral Kosumi appeal to Jinguji. Concurrently, Makoto's stalker is arrested and discovered to be a naval officer under Jinguji. He agrees to lead the party to Jinguji's base but refuses to disclose its location. After several days of travel, the party find themselves on a tropical
Tropics
The tropics is a region of the Earth surrounding the Equator. It is limited in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere at S; these latitudes correspond to the axial tilt of the Earth...
island inhabited only by Jinguji's forces and enclosing a vast underground dock.
Eventually Captain Jinguji (Tazaki) greets the visitors, though he is cold toward his daughter and infuriated by Kusumi's appeal. He built Atragon, he explains, as a means to restore the Japanese Empire after its defeat in World War II, and insists that it be used for no other purpose. Makoto runs off in anger, later to be consoled by Susumu. Atragons test run is a success, the heavily-armored submarine even elevating out of the water and flying about the island. When the Captain approaches Makoto that evening they exchange harsh words; again Susumu reproaches the Captain for his selfish refusal to come to the world's aid. After Makoto and Shindo are kidnapped by the reporter (a disguised Mu agent) and the base crippled by a bomb, Jinguji consents to Kusumi's request and prepares Atragon for war against Mu.
The Mu Empire executes a devastating attack on Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
and threatens to sacrifice its prisoners to the monstrous deity
Deity
A deity is a recognized preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....
Manda if Atragon appears. Appear the super-submarine does, pursuing a Mu submarine to the Empire's entrance in the ocean depths. Meanwhile, Susumu and the other prisoners escape their cell and kidnap the Empress of Mu (Tetsuko Kobayashi). They are impeded by Manda, but soon rescued by Atragon, which then engages the serpent and freezes it using the "Absolute Zero
Absolute zero
Absolute zero is the theoretical temperature at which entropy reaches its minimum value. The laws of thermodynamics state that absolute zero cannot be reached using only thermodynamic means....
Cannon". Jinguji offers to hear peace terms, but the proud Empress refuses. The Captain then advances Atragon into the heart of the Empire(power room) and freezes its geothermal machinery. This results in a cataclysmic explosion visible even to those on deck of the surfaced submarine. Her empire dying, the Mu Empress abandons the Atragon and, Jinguji and company looking on, swims into the conflagration.
Production and distribution
A final draft of Sekizawa's screenplay was approved on 1963-09-05, merely three months before Toho demanded the film be theatrically released (concurrent with the fruitful Winter holiday seasonWinter holiday season
The Christmas season, the holiday season, or simply the holidays is an annual festive period that surrounds Christmas and various other holidays. It is generally considered to run from late November to early January. Its relation to Christmas in official use by schools and governments has resulted...
). On this unusually tight schedule, production was divided into one more than the usual two teams (drama and special effects) of tokusatsu production—Unit A for dramatic filming and Units B and C for special effects. Visual Effects Director Tsuburaya and Assistant Visual Effects Director Teruyoshi Nakano
Teruyoshi Nakano
, is a Japanese special effects director, most notable for his contributions to the Godzilla film series and other tokusatsu movies. Nakano was a special guest at G-Fest XI, where he was the recipient of the Mangled Skyscraper Award....
began work in October and concluded within four weeks, a third of the usual time granted to effects work. While the effects of Atragon are generally praised, minor stock footage
Stock footage
Stock footage, and similarly, archive footage, library pictures and file footage are film or video footage that may or may not be custom shot for use in a specific film or television program. Stock footage is of beneficial use to filmmakers as it is sometimes less expensive than shooting new...
of buildings collapsing from Mothra
Mothra
is a kaiju, a type of fictional monster who first appeared in the serialized novel The Luminous Fairies and Mothra by Takehiko Fukunaga, Shinichiro Nakamura, and Yoshie Hotta...
(1961) were used as inserts during the scene where all-new footage of Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
's Marunouchi
Marunouchi
Marunouchi is a commercial district of Tokyo located in Chiyoda between Tokyo Station and the Imperial Palace. The name, meaning "inside the circle", derives from its location within the palace's outer moat...
business district collapses (as well as shots of emergency vehicles responding before the collapse). Two other minor instances of stock footage were used in transitional montages of "surveillance satellites" taken from The Mysterians
The Mysterians
The Mysterians, released in Japan as , is a tokusatsu science fiction film produced and released by Toho Studios in 1957. It was directed by the "Golden Duo" of Ishirō Honda and Eiji Tsuburaya . It is notable for being the first tokusatsu filmed in TohoScope and the first Toho film to use...
and Battle in Outer Space
Battle in Outer Space
Battle in Outer Space, released in Japan as is a tokusatsu film produced and released by Toho Studios in Japan in 1959, and distributed worldwide in 1960 by Columbia Pictures...
; while another montage, establishing shots of the world's major capitals, were taken from Shūe Matsubayashi's The Last War
The Last War
The Last War may refer to one of the following:* The Last War , a 1961 film, known in Japan as Sekai Daisenso directed by Shūe Matsubayashi from a script by Toshio Yasumi and Takeshi Kimura....
(1961).
Kaitei Gunkan became Toho's top box office earner during its month-long run in Japanese theaters and is a popular feature on TV and at film festival
Film festival
A film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theaters or screening venues, usually in a single locality. More and more often film festivals show part of their films to the public by adding outdoor movie screenings...
s. In fact, it was so popular that it was re-released in 1968 as the support feature for Honda's Destroy All Monsters
Destroy All Monsters
Destroy All Monsters, released in Japan as , is a 1968 Japanese horror Science fiction Kaiju film. The ninth in Toho Studios' Godzilla series, it was directed by Ishirō Honda with special effects by Sadamasa Arikawa This is the fifth film to feature Mothra, third to feature King Ghidorah, fourth...
. It was also the 1964 Japanese entry at the Trieste Science Fiction Film Festival.
American International Pictures
American International Pictures
American International Pictures was a film production company formed in April 1956 from American Releasing Corporation by James H. Nicholson, former Sales Manager of Realart Pictures, and Samuel Z. Arkoff, an entertainment lawyer...
afforded the film a successful U.S. theatrical release in 1965 with minimal changes and quality dubbing
Dubbing (filmmaking)
Dubbing is the post-production process of recording and replacing voices on a motion picture or television soundtrack subsequent to the original shooting. The term most commonly refers to the substitution of the voices of the actors shown on the screen by those of different performers, who may be...
by Titra Studios
Titra Studios
Titra Studios is an American dubbing studio. The studio was responsible for dubbing numerous foreign films, including Mothra vs. Godzilla 1964 as well as the Speed Racer cartoon series and the original Ultraman tv series....
. The new name Atragon, derived from Toho's international title Atoragon, is presumably a contraction
Contraction (grammar)
A contraction is a shortened version of the written and spoken forms of a word, syllable, or word group, created by omission of internal letters....
of "Atom
Atom
The atom is a basic unit of matter that consists of a dense central nucleus surrounded by a cloud of negatively charged electrons. The atomic nucleus contains a mix of positively charged protons and electrically neutral neutrons...
ic dragon
Dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
", a colorful moniker for the titular juggernaut; however, AIP's dubbed dialogue refers to the Goten-go by the name "Atragon." This shortening from four to three syllables was the choice of AIP, since several European markets released the film as Atoragon (Italy) and Ataragon (France). While Kaitei Gunkan became Toho's first tokusatsu eiga (Visual Effects Film) released on home video in 1982, and though the film is exceptionally popular among western tokusatsu fans, Atragon was not released on home video
Home video
Home video is a blanket term used for pre-recorded media that is either sold or rented/hired for home cinema entertainment. The term originates from the VHS/Betamax era but has carried over into current optical disc formats like DVD and Blu-ray Disc and, to a lesser extent, into methods of digital...
in the United States until Media-Blasters' DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
in 2005 (although the film was in constant television syndication in the U.S. until the early 1980s). Media-Blasters had intended to use the original Titra Studios
Titra Studios
Titra Studios is an American dubbing studio. The studio was responsible for dubbing numerous foreign films, including Mothra vs. Godzilla 1964 as well as the Speed Racer cartoon series and the original Ultraman tv series....
dubbing, but Toho forced the company to use its international version. This alternate dubbed version syncs up perfectly with the Japanese video, but fans generally consider these international dubs to be inferior. Its enduring popularity in Japan is evident in the number of plastic model kits, garage kits, and adult-targeted toys based on the Goten-gō continually on the market.
Nationalism
The predominant themes of Atragon are nationalismNationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
, patriotism
Patriotism
Patriotism is a devotion to one's country, excluding differences caused by the dependencies of the term's meaning upon context, geography and philosophy...
, and pride. Unchecked affirmation of these principles manifests in the central character of Captain Jinguji, who built the Atragon for the sole purpose of reviving the Empire of Japan; and in the Empress of Mu, whose motive to reestablish her nation's global dominance parallels Jinguji's. Much as the aggressive policies of Japan secured the nation's defeat in World War II, the former Empire of Mu continues its siege on the surface world even after Atragon—their only feared adversary—rises to challenge. Both leaders vehemently reject the notion of peaceful surrender, and even international cooperation, but while Jinguji is ultimately persuaded to suppress his 20-year vendetta, the young Empress sees her defeated nation through to annihilation. Whereas Jinguji revolted
Desertion
In military terminology, desertion is the abandonment of a "duty" or post without permission and is done with the intention of not returning...
in order to prepare a counterattack
Counterattack
A counterattack is a tactic used in response against an attack. The term originates in military strategy. The general objective is to negate or thwart the advantage gained by the enemy in attack and the specific objectives are usually to regain lost ground or to destroy attacking enemy units.It is...
, the Empress acts differently on her nationalistic resolve by abandoning the Atragon to die with her people.
Cultural references
Space ships resembling those seen in the movie appeared in the video game Godzilla: Monster of MonstersGodzilla: Monster of Monsters
-Gameplay:The game features two playable characters, Godzilla and Mothra. The player uses both monsters in turn by selecting the desired character on a virtual gameboard, representative of the planet it is on, and moving it like a chess piece. Each space is a hexagon that represents playable,...
. The game's cutscenes suggest that these ships are piloted by evil aliens from Planet X, who declare war on Earth in the year 2XXX. Other enemies within the game resemble the creatures from Matango
Matango
, also known as Matango, Fungus of Terror and Attack of the Mushroom People, is a 1963 Japanese tokusatsu movie. It was directed by Ishirō Honda, written by Takeshi Kimura based on the story "The Voice in the Night" by William Hope Hodgson , and had special...
.
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Tadao Takashima | Susumu Hatanaka, Photographer |
| Yōko Fujiyama | Makoto Jinguji, daughter of Captain Jinguji |
| Yu Fujiki | Yoshito Nishibe, Assistant Photographer |
| Ken Uehara Ken Uehara was a Japanese film actor. He appeared in over 200 films between 1935 and 1990. He starred in Entotsu no mieru basho, which was entered into the 3rd Berlin International Film Festival.His son is the singer and actor Yūzō Kayama.-Selected filmography:... |
Rear Admiral Kusumi (Ret.), Kokoku Shipping Company |
| Jun Tazaki | Captain Hachiro Jinguji, Imperial Japanese Navy Imperial Japanese Navy The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes... |
| Kenji Sahara Kenji Sahara Kenji Sahara is a Japanese actor. He was born in Kawasaki City, Kanagawa. His real name is Masayoshi Kato... |
Umino, Journalist/Mu Agent |
| Hiroshi Koizumi Hiroshi Koizumi is a Japanese actor. He was born in Japan. In a 1999 interview with Steve Ryfle, Koizumi laments that while he stated he has easy parts to play, he felt he could have done more in his performances... |
Detective Ito, Tokyo Metropolitan Police |
| Yoshifumi Tajima Yoshifumi Tajima Yoshifumi Tajima was an actor in Japanese Kaijū films, best known for his role as Kumayama in Mothra vs. Godzilla. He was born in Kobe, Japan.- Filmography :... |
Seaman Saburo Amano |
| Hiroshi Hasegawa | Lieutenant Junior-grade Fuji |
| Akihiko Hirata Akihiko Hirata was a Japanese film actor. While Hirata starred in many movies , he is most well known for his work in the kaiju genre, including such films as King Kong vs. Godzilla, The Mysterians, and his most famous role of Dr... |
Mu Agent #23 |
| Tetsuko Kobayashi | Empress of Mu |
| Hideyo Amamoto Hideyo Amamoto was a prolific Japanese actor from the Wakamatsu ward of Kitakyūshū best known for portraying Dr. Shinigami in the original Kamen Rider series as well as many other characters in tokusatsu films and the Godzilla series. Amamoto also used the pseudonym of Eisei Amamoto for most of his career, Eisei... |
High Priest of Mu |
| Minoru Takada | Commander, Japan Defense Agency Japan Defense Agency The is a cabinet-level ministry of the Japanese government. As a result of a law enacted on December 15, 2006, it became a ministry on January 9, 2007. Prior to that, it was the Japan Defense Agency ... |
| Susumu Fujita Susumu Fujita was a Japanese film and television actor. He played the lead role in Akira Kurosawa's first feature, Sanshiro Sugata, and appeared other Kurosawa film including The Men Who Tread On the Tiger's Tail and The Hidden Fortress . Later, he was a supporting actor in Ishirō Honda's Mothra vs... |
Officer A, Japan Defense Agency Japan Defense Agency The is a cabinet-level ministry of the Japanese government. As a result of a law enacted on December 15, 2006, it became a ministry on January 9, 2007. Prior to that, it was the Japan Defense Agency ... |
| Mitsuo Tsuda | Officer B, Japan Defense Agency Japan Defense Agency The is a cabinet-level ministry of the Japanese government. As a result of a law enacted on December 15, 2006, it became a ministry on January 9, 2007. Prior to that, it was the Japan Defense Agency ... |
| Shin Otomo | Officer C, Japan Defense Agency Japan Defense Agency The is a cabinet-level ministry of the Japanese government. As a result of a law enacted on December 15, 2006, it became a ministry on January 9, 2007. Prior to that, it was the Japan Defense Agency ... |
| Ikio Sawamura | Taxi Driver |
| Akemi Kita | Rimako, the Bikini Model |
| Hisaya Ito | Shindo, Kidnapped Civil Engineer |
| Nadao Kirino | Kidnapped Civil Engineer |
| Tetsu Nakamura Tetsu Nakamura is a Japanese medical doctor. He was awarded the 2003 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Peace and International Understanding. He has devoted his work among refugees in the Afghanistan/Pakistan borderlands.-ex.link:***... |
Merchant Ship Captain |
| Yutaka Nakayama | Lookout on Cargo Ship |
| Wataru Omae | Radar Operations Officer |
| Shoichi Hirose Shoichi Hirose was a Japanese actor. He is probably best known for playing Godzilla's archenemy King Ghidorah and for being the actor inside the King Kong suit in King Kong vs... |
Mu Empire Subject |
| Katsumi Tezuka Katsumi Tezuka is a Japanese actor. He is best known for playing monsters in several Toho science fiction and horror films directed by Ishirō Honda.-Films:* 1954 - Godzilla * 1955 - Godzilla Raids Again * 1956 - Rodan... |
Mu Empire Subject |
| Koji Uno Kōji Uno was a noted Japanese novelist and short story writer.Uno was born in Osaka to parents of Samurai origin. His grandfather was a police captain and his father a teacher. After his father's death when Uno was four, his family lost all their savings speculating in the stock market... |
Constable, Oshima Island |
| Yukihiko Gondo | Bus Passenger, Mt. Mihara |
| Yutaka Oka | Bus Passenger, Mt. Mihara |
| Yasuzo Ogawa | Mu Empire Subject, Attached to High Priest |
Production credits
- Executive Producer - Tomoyuki TanakaTomoyuki Tanaka----Tomoyuki Tanaka was a Japanese film producer, most famous for creating the Godzilla series. He was born in Kashiwara, Osaka, Japan on April 26, 1910, and died in Tokyo on April 2, 1997. He died of a stroke at the age of 86....
- Screenplay - Shinichi SekizawaShinichi Sekizawawas a Japanese screenwriter. His very first screenplay was for the Shintoho Studios film Fearful Attack of the Flying Saucers, which is now considered to be lost. He went on to script several films by Ishirō Honda, including several classic Godzilla films...
(Based on Kaitei Gunkan by Shunro OshikawaShunro Oshikawa, was a Japanese author, journalist and editor, best known as a pioneer of science fiction.-Education and early career:While studying law at Tōkyō Senmon Gakkō at the turn of the century, Oshikawa published Kaitō Bōken Kidan: Kaitei Gunkan , the story of an armoured, ram-armed submarine in a...
) - Director - Ishirō HondaIshiro HondaIshirō Honda , sometimes miscredited in foreign releases as "Inoshiro Honda", was a Japanese film director...
- Visual Effects Director - Eiji TsuburayaEiji Tsuburayawas the Japanese special effects director responsible for many Japanese science-fiction movies, including the Godzilla series...
- Cinematographer - Hajime Koizumi
- Production Designer - Takeo Kita
- Assistant Director - Koji Kajita
- Sound Recordist - Masanao Uehara
- Lighting - Shoshichi Kojima
- Music - Akira IfukubeAkira Ifukubewas a Japanese composer of classical music and film scores, perhaps best known for his work on the soundtracks of the Godzilla movies by Toho.-Biography:...
- Sound Editor - Hisashi Shimonga
- Assistant Director - Koji Kajita
- Film Editor - Ryohei Fujii
- Sound Effects - Minoru Kaneyama
- Film Development - Far East Laboratories
- Production Manager - Shigeru Nakamura
- Visual Effects Photography - Sadamasa Arikawa and Sokei Tomioka
- Optical Photography - Yukio Manoda and Yoshiyuki Tokumasa
- Visual Effects Production Designer - Akira WatanabeAkira WatanabeAkira Watanabe may refer to:*Akira Watanabe , 1978 motocross world champion*Akira Watanabe , Scout Association of Japan National President from 1974 to 2003...
- Conceptual Designer - Shigeru Komatsuzaki (uncredited)
- Composites - Hiroshi Mukoyama
- Assistant Visual Effects Director - Teruyoshi NakanoTeruyoshi Nakano, is a Japanese special effects director, most notable for his contributions to the Godzilla film series and other tokusatsu movies. Nakano was a special guest at G-Fest XI, where he was the recipient of the Mangled Skyscraper Award....
- Visual Effects Production Manager - Tadashi Koike