bubble blower: Bubble Blowing Godzilla

In 1952, “The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms” became the first film to associate nuclear weapons with destructive creatures. Soon after the nuclear metamorphosized giant monster genre started to blossom. Monsters like Godzilla and The Beast were awakened, not created, by atomic testing. Films developed during the post-war culture climate In Japan were referred to as Hibakusha Cinema. During this time, people had a fear of radiation and the long-term effects of atomic bombings. In March 1954, the United States conducted the Castle Bravo tests. This was the most powerful nuclear device ever detonated by the United States. It was about 1,000 times more powerful than the atomic bombs dropped in 1945. Stephen D. Sullivan, author of “Daikaiju Attack,” believes that “Godzilla, both the character and the film, reflect the Japanese experience at the end of World War II: destruction beyond imagining, and the lurking sense that we brought this on ourselves show how, even with without meaning to.” The American public’s perception of Godzilla as a heroic monster was heavily influenced by the burgeoning television markets. Godzilla has since become a multicultural icon.