Godzilla as a metaphore for war antifragility
One of the greatest benefits of cultivating good relationships is that they lead us to read, which makes us think, which makes us feel, which induces us to act, and of course, the films (and other works of art) that guide us to learn. Generally, agent-based models (ABMs) suggest that the opinion (decisions) of an agent is essentially the average of those around them (their neighbors).
Thus, my good friend Trishank Karthik Kuppusamy (brother from another mother), introduced me to the world of Gojira before the release of “Godzilla Minus One” (GMO), recommending two classic Gojira films: “Gojira” (1954) and “Shin Godzilla” (2017).
Like the original 1954 film, GMO presents a perspective on the nature of war, its impact on humanity, and effective ways to address it. Godzilla, the radioactive creature, represents both war and its devastating consequences, especially in the context of the collective Japanese trauma resulting from the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Thus, Godzilla symbolizes war, how it grows and becomes indestructible if not confronted in time, and how weapons prove ineffective against it. In contrast, the film suggests that knowledge and love are the forces capable of ending this threat.
Since its initial appearance in 1954, Godzilla has been a metaphor for war and a representation of the collective Japanese trauma caused by the atomic bombings. The radioactive creature emerges from the ocean, triggered by nuclear tests, reflecting the fear and devastation brought by nuclear weapons to Japan. The destruction Godzilla causes in Japanese cities directly mirrors the experiences of total devastation witnessed by the Japanese people during and after the atomic bombings. Thus, the monster symbolizes war and personifies the indescribable terror and loss associated with nuclear war.
Godzilla’s radioactivity and its ability to generate a ray that causes nuclear-like explosions underline this connection. Radiation, invisible and lethal, became a symbol of pervasive fear in the post-war period. The long-term effects of radiation on the survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, along with the fear of new nuclear attacks, are encapsulated in the figure of Godzilla, always lurking from the depths. Its energy ray serves as a constant reminder of the destructive power of nuclear weapons and the suffering they caused. Each of Godzilla’s ray attacks is a symbolic recreation of nuclear explosions, reiterating the trauma and persistent threat, which in the original 1954 version was a palpable reality in the midst of the Cold War, reaching its most dangerous expression during the Cuban Missile Crisis when for 13 days from October 16 to 29, 1962, the world was on the brink of mutual assured nuclear destruction.
Moreover, Godzilla as an expression of collective trauma goes beyond the physical and delves into the psychological and emotional. The recurring appearance of Godzilla in Japanese cinema can be interpreted as an attempt by Japanese society to process and understand its traumatic experience. The battle against Godzilla symbolizes not only the fight against a physical enemy but also the effort to confront and overcome pain and loss. This element is reflected on a human scale in the personal drama of the film’s protagonist, Shikishima, who survives Godzilla’s initial attack but, paralyzed by fear, inadvertently causes the death of almost everyone on the base. Thus, Shikishima wanders through life like a living dead. Here, human hope versus tragedy first appears in the form of empathy, forgiveness, and mutual care (no spoilers). In this sense, Godzilla is both a reminder of the horrors of war and a narrative tool for exploring the process of post-traumatic healing and reconstruction.
One of the most interesting aspects of Godzilla in “Godzilla Minus One” for me is its antifragility to violence. Briefly, the concept of “antifragility,” originally proposed by N.N. Taleb, refers to the ability of something not only to withstand disruptions, stressors, damage, time, and even chaos (not in its technical mathematical sense), but to grow stronger through them. Godzilla, as a metaphor for war, grows stronger with each attack it receives. Conventional weapons, designed to destroy, are not only ineffective against Godzilla but often strengthen it.
This concept is illustrated in scenes where military attacks not only fail to stop Godzilla but sometimes intensify its fury and destructive power. This dynamic reflects how violence and war can fuel a vicious cycle where each act of aggression breeds more conflict and destruction. Godzilla’s resistance and strengthening through violence underscore the idea that confronting war with more war is not only ineffective but counterproductive. In this context, GMO highlights the need to seek alternative approaches to resolve conflicts.
In this line of thought, GMO transcends its origins as a cult, horror, action movie, etc., and becomes something more. As the plot progresses, it becomes clear that conventional solutions based on violence cannot defeat Godzilla. Instead, science and knowledge emerge as crucial tools. This approach symbolizes how deep understanding of problems and the use of knowledge can provide effective solutions that violence cannot. Additionally, in this respect, the original film warns about science and technology in terms of how they could destroy Godzilla, but could also be used for evil later. The scientist who creates the solution not only destroys his notes but also commits suicide to prevent this knowledge from being used for evil. This element is also present, albeit more subtly, in GMO, where the scientist has “Skin in the Game” (SITG), another Taleb concept that establishes the ethical perspective of antifragility.
Furthermore, the film emphasizes the role of love and compassion. Human interactions, based on empathy and mutual care, present a unifying force that can overcome the destruction of war. Love, in its various forms, acts as a counterbalance to violence and destruction, offering a path to redemption and reconstruction. The solidarity and personal sacrifice of the characters, motivated by love and hope.
The representation of these values in the film underscores that lasting solutions to the world’s major problems are not found in brute force, but in the power of knowledge and humanity’s ability to care for and protect one another. In some way the movie suggest how for some antifragile processes the key is to desamble the mechanisms that enhence the antrifragility of the problem in a much more ecosystemic way of thinking.
For me it is clear how GMO offers a reflection on how to face our own internal and external monsters, suggesting that only through understanding and compassion can we truly overcome the challenges we face and even improve from them in an antifragile way. So if Godzilla is antifragile, we can be even more antifragile.
And yes, of course GMO is a great movie to see with awesome action sequences than combines perfectly with human drama developing through the movie, great visual effect, music… and that strange capacity of touching our souls (yes i cried).
