Mothra vs. Godzilla

About Mothra vs. Godzilla

"Mothra vs. Godzilla" is a 1964 Japanese science fiction kaiju film featuring Godzilla and Mothra, produced and distributed by Toho. It is the fourth film in the Godzilla franchise. The story follows as a giant egg that surfaces ashore after a typhoon is claimed by cunning entrepreneurs who refuse to return it to its rightful owner, Mothra. Soon Godzilla arises near Nagoya, washed ashore by the same typhoon and begins a rampage. This forces Mothra's twin priestesses to summon the giant moth to defend the Earth.

Making / Production

The film was written by Shinichi Sekizawa and directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. The plot was crafted carefully to present an environmental message while showcasing large-scale monster battles. The movie leveraged state-of-the-art special effects techniques for its time, including the use of miniatures and suitmation.

Actors

• Akira Takarada as Ichiro Sakai: A skilled and passionate news reporter who becomes involved in the battle against Godzilla.
• Yuriko Hoshi as Junko Nakanishi: A spirited photographer who is determined to get the scoop on the mysterious egg and Godzilla's rampages.
• Hiroshi Koizumi as Professor Miura: A science professor who investigates the mystery behind the large, scale-like particles that keep appearing following typhoons.
• Yu Fujiki as Jiro Nakamura: Nakamura provides comic relief as a bumbling assistant news reporter.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• The film had to be extensively modified for its U.S. release, creating significant differences between the U.S. and Japanese versions.
• Even though the title is "Mothra vs. Godzilla", the monsters do not actually meet until an hour into the movie.
• The film has been re-released in Japan on several occasions, each time under a different title.

Quotes

• "We adults are always saying this world must belong to the youngsters. But look what we've done to it."
• "We are the Peanuts from Infant Island... there's a giant egg."
• "That's the biggest egg I've ever seen!"

Music, Soundtrack

• Music by Akira Ifukube: The iconic music and themes associated with both Godzilla and Mothra were composed by Akira Ifukube, further establishing the legendary status of these characters.
• Soundtrack includes the Mothra song: An enchanting theme for Mothra, it is sung by the Peanuts, a popular singing duo in Japan who portray the twin priestesses.