Godzilla was meant to be a metaphor for the bombings of Japan. Americans laughed at a whitewashed version instead.

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Aug 09, 2020 Godzilla was meant to be a metaphor for the bombings of Japan. Americans laughed at a whitewashed version instead. When Godzilla appeared before Japanese audiences in 1954, many viewers left the theaters in tears, as the film had the monster aggravated by a hydrogen bomb — a political statement on the heels of bombs dropped a decade before. But American audiences found comedic value in what many interpreted as a cheesy monster movie. The stark contrast reflects how Hollywood took the Japanese concept and scrubbed it of its political message before presenting it to American audiences to deflect from the U.S. actions in World War II, critics say. Read More Get the NBC News Mobile App Follow NBC News Check out all of NBCNEWS Newsletters here. Update Preferences | Unsubscribe | Contact | Privacy Update Preferences Unsubscribe Contact Privacy