The Function of Special Effects in Rodan (Sora no daikaiju Radon):

The Aspects of “Cinema of Attractions” in Kaijū Eiga (monster movies)

Abstract

  Rodan (Sora no daikaiju Radon, dir. Ishiro Honda, 1956), whose special visual effects were directed by Tsuburaya Eiji, has been highly appreciated as a kaijū eiga since the original release. However, little study on the significance of special effects of the film has been done, partly because the majority of the previous studies on the special effects of kaijū eiga have almost exclusively focused on Godzilla (1954). Drawing on Tom Gunning’s concept of “cinema of attractions,” this paper attempts to illuminate the historical and cultural significance of the film. According to Gunning, the cinema of attractions is characterized by not so much by its storytelling as its effect of shock or stimulation directly affecting the viewers. However, this paper argues that in the case of Rodan, the aspect of attractions is characterized by the viewer’s reflective attitude toward the special effects rather than direct shock effects on the viewer, and this kind of attitude, I would argue, will later lead to the otaku spectatorship. The film, in this regard, could be considered as a turning point of spectatorship of special visual effects.

  In this paper, I first shed light on the basic principles of Tsuburaya as the director of special effects. He gave the highest priority to the respect of narrative function in his direction of special effects, yet he also allowed to leave the technique itself visible. This also meant a potential for transforming special effects to the element of attraction. Secondly, I analyze how Rodan reflects Tsuburaya’s directorial principles, especially in the scenes when Rodan makes appearances in the Saikai bridge or Fukuoka. Lastly, by examining contemporary popular articles called “Technical descriptions,” I demonstrate that the contemporary viewers saw the film paying special attention to special effects in the reflective mode of spectatorship.