Description

Ishiro Honda: A Life in Film, From Godzilla to Kurosawa by Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski with Yuuko Honda-Yun and a foreword by Martin Scorsese

Paperback – Wesleyan University Press – Jan 2023 – 324 pages

From the atomic allegory of Godzilla and the beguiling charms of Mothra to the tragic mystery of Matango and the disaster and spectacle of Rodan, The Mysterians, King Kong vs. Godzilla, and many others, Honda’s films reflected postwar Japan’s real-life anxieties and incorporated fantastical special effects, a formula that appealed to audiences around the globe and created a popular culture phenomenon that spans generations

In the first full account of director Ishiro Honda’s life and career, authors Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski shed new light on this influential filmmaker’s work and the experiences that shaped it—including his days as a reluctant Japanese soldier, witnessing the aftermath of Hiroshima, and his lifelong friendship with Akira Kurosawa.

Fans of Honda, Godzilla, and tokusatsu (special effects) film, and of Japanese film in general, will welcome this in-depth study of a highly influential director who occupies a uniquely important position in science fiction and fantasy cinema, as well as in world cinema.