Reel Talk are pleased to share a video essay on Godzilla (1954), made by finalist Evan Holdback! You can find the video below a short creator’s statement from Evan:

“Nowadays Godzilla is a household name, but he wasn’t always. Godzilla first arose as a monster movie from 1954 and used ground-breaking special effects along with the acting talent of Takashi Shimura, a frequent Akira Kurosawa collaborator, to make a highly charged sci-fi that lives on to this day.

In my video essay I delve into the context and symbolism within the monumental film and its equally monumental central figure. Although post-war Japanese cinema seems like a challenging area of film to fully understand and appreciate in its political and cultural complexities, I believe Godzilla is a great jumping off point and a truly engrossing film.

Enjoy.”