How was the re-release of Toho Studio’s latest Godzilla flick in black and white? In a single word… Skreeoooonk
For my full review covering the story and other aspects, check it out here. This review will solely focus on the differences between the two versions.
A Quick Aside On B/W Movie Versions
I’ve seen some chatter online in the Godzilla / Kaiju forums and few articles about recent B&W film conversions that were umm…interesting to say the least. What I gathered from most of them was that there was either deep appreciation from series fans or eyerolls from folks convinced the black and white edition wasn’t needed. I am mostly in the deep appreciation spectrum and I owe that mostly to George Miller’s black and white version of Mad Max: Fury Road (2015).
Pictured: Charlize Theron as Furiosa in Mad Max: Fury Road
Credit: Warner Bros (2015)
The Black and Chrome edition, which released for a short theater run in 2017, was the way he initially wanted the 2015 blockbuster to look like. Warner Bros said no, and instead we got the saturated, colorful masterpiece that blew audiences away everywhere. However, inside of that color palette was a film shot in such a way that when he released his B&W edition, it made complete sense. It made scenes like the intimate chats in Furiosa’s war rig and night-time bog crossing scene more impactful along with the major sandstorm sequence early in the film. Don’t get me wrong, his color choices in the original were amazing and without Warner Bros intervening, there’s no guarantee that we ever get it. But I would argue the Black and Chrome edition is as good or better just for what elements it brings to the forefront and which ones it leaves behind.
But in fairness, there have also been some garbage B&W versions.
The most recent dumpster in recent memory would be Zach Snyder’s Justice League: Justice is Gray (2021) edition. Since the film borrows the same muted and washed color palette from Batman v Superman (2016), the sharp contrast we would expect to see in a B&W version of the film simply doesn’t come through. Personally, I haven’t made it past the one hour mark of that film because it takes an already bloated story and makes it incredibly less interesting.
Credit: Warner Bros
Given those two extremes, it’s important that we recognize one other reason or mark on the spectrum regarding black and white films: it’s cheap
A young cinematographer that’s trying to cut their teeth early on can use black and white shooting to reduce some work, cut down on a whole color grading process that they would either have to do themselves or pay someone to do. Productions that need to save some dough and utilize it in other departments could certainly benefit by considering if it’s a good fit for their project. Infamously, Kevin Smith’s Clerks (1994) for example, has had numerous theories over the years regarding it’s B&W decision, but only recently did he clarify the real reason…
That’s right. Monies. Kevin Smith tried to save every dollar he could, especially considering that he maxed out every credit card he owned and alternative avenues (like his student loans) to scape together $27k for his project. While he would later get some post-production funds after shopping the film around to Miramax, there was no guarantee that if the film had been in color, that he would have had the necessary funds to properly grade it, especially when shooting on 16mm film stock. Now, it should be noted that shooting in B&W isn’t a major financial savings or silver bullet, and with the wrong creative team, can actually be a distraction or make some areas worse.
So with those caveats and history out of the way, where does Minus One fall?
Visual Effects Boost
Godzilla Minus One visually leans into the Mad Max-side of the B&W experience. There’s an improvement in virtually every scene and would make this film an excellent companion piece to the original 1954 Godzilla and subsequent spin-offs that were in B&W around that time period. While the effects are obviously better with Minus One, I believe spiritually and aesthetically, the B&W choices helps link this newest entry with the legacy of the franchise, past simply the name recognition and the story beads.
Credit: Toho Studios
I think there are some color scenes that likely look better, especially the scenes with Koichi and Tachibana fixing the fighter plane, but the benefit to the CGI can’t be understated. For example, when the deep sea fish make an appearance in the sea, their artificial feel is less noticeable / blends in better to the water. That was one of the few special effects that stuck out as a poor addition in the color version that worked much better in B&W.
Conclusion / Recommendation
I rated the color version a 9 out of 10 and I’m going to do the same here. I do believe the black and white version makes the film better, but not enough to warrant a score change and/or overcome the small issues this film has that kept it from a 9.5 or flat out 10 out of 10.
If it’s still playing near you, many theaters are showing the B&W version so highly recommend you take advantage of that if you can. Otherwise, the hope is that both versions will be available when this film releases on physical media.
Check Us Out On Patreon
Love Nerd Union? Consider supporting us over on Patreon. You’ll get access to early access articles, commercial-free video essays, online discussions and more. Plus, you will be directly responsible for supporting journalism in a field that’s currently being overwhelmed by clickbait focused sites. Supporting us keeps the lights on but it also sets a standard to sites in our field about fair wage practices, citing sources, debunking unconfirmed sources, and helps us investigate stories better. If you want to hear more about our goals and updated ethical standards as a site, you can check out our Editor’s Letter later this month.
About Author
