Submersion of Japan Film Review

My DVD cut off before the end of the film but from reading a few summaries, I think I got most of it. At least enough. It is all bad news for Japan. And Japanese movies. And Shohei Ohtani. But fortunately, this is a work of fiction and most experts say that Japan will not sink any time soon. Even if they did make a 2006 film called Japan Sinks.

The science of tectonic plates and the formation of the continents and mountains is fascinating and it isn't over. The earth is still moving and if we are around in another million years we will see changes. In this film though the tectonic plates are moving quickly around Japan causing one disaster after another. This was produced by Toho and it feels at times like one of their Kaiju films - except it is nature. Also, like their Kaiju films it is quite talkie, focusing on government meetings and decisions with only part of it being dedicated to the money shot of destruction. Most disaster films pick out a few people to focus on in order to get the audience to be invested in the story - not really here. It seems to be saying that any individual is not that important when an entire nation is dissolving. It asks a few questions - are there a Japanese people if there is no longer a Japan. Should Japan try and save their people through evacuation or simply let them all die - a mass Kamikaze event - because without Japan what is the point.

Dr. Tadokoro (Keiju Kobayashi) is an expert of the earth's core and on various submerged visits to the bottom of the sea on a submarine with the pilot Onodera (Hiroshi Fujioka) he sees evidence that a catastrophic event may be soon and the government needs to be prepared. The Prime Minister (Tetsuro Tanba) and his cabinet are not ready to believe this old man and his numbers. It would be a huge effort and if the information was wrong, it would be highly embarrassing. And then the earthquake hits Tokyo with devastating effect. This is of course right up Toho's alley. They have destroyed Tokyo many times before. They do it again - but it seemed to me to be much more graphic than the earlier Kaiju films. Fires, huge waves, buildings collapsing and people being set on fire, being crushed and dying. Some great crowd scenes. 3.6 million of them dead. Toho does their usual fine job utilizing models, new footage and I think stock footage.

The Prime Minister debates what to do next - evacuate Japan, ask nations to take them in or simply let Japan sink. Because Dr. Tadokoro says it isn't over. The worst case scenario is that the Japanese landmass will simply disappear. The U.N dithers - what to do with 110 million people. Where can they go, what country will be willing to take them. What country will change their national character by taking in millions. Then Mt. Fuji explodes. This film was a huge hit in Japan. Roger Corman got the US rights and cut a lot out and did a Godzilla by adding new footage starring Lorne Greene. He changed the title to Tidal Wave. I saw the Japanese version but it may be truncated and as I said mine cut off near the end. I assume Ultraman or Godzilla saved Japan at the last minute? Not much personality in this film but some great special effects. It is based on a novel from Sakyo Komatsu, who also wrote Sayonara Jupiter. The producers also produced a TV show from the same source.