Godzilla (1954) | Keeping the Score Series
Schedule
Wed, 01 Oct, 2025 at 07:00 pm
UTC-04:00Location
108 E Butler Ave, Ambler, PA, United States, Pennsylvania 19002 | Ambler, PA
๐๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ฒ:The roaring granddaddy of all monster movies. A 400-foot fire-breathing kaiju comes to life in the wake of nuclear testing and makes a beeline for an unsuspecting Tokyo, causing unwanted destruction along its path. Presented in its original Japanese version, this undisputed classic is a remarkably humane and poignant film, made at a time when Japan was still recovering from WWII. Presented in a new restoration with subtitles.
๐๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ:In some ways, composer Akira Ifukubeโs GODZILLA score feels like a piece with many other scores from mid-century Japanese cinema; in that historical sense, it is worthy of inclusion in our series. But it is that banner theme for the great prehistoric monster, which accompanies this movieโs opening credits with such grandeur, that truly sets this score apart. The Godzilla theme relies heavily on menacingly low-octave brass and woodwinds. There is a steady drumbeat, suggestive of the Godzillaโs footsteps. The result is no less than a musical personification of the King of the Monsters. There is a relentless, lumbering, droning quality, suggesting impeccably that a city-ending cataclysm is nigh. The main theme of GODZILLA has proven so iconic in its seventy years, it has been repurposed for a more triumphant context as recently as the 2023 international hit Godzilla: Minus One, proving why this timeless movie monster will never go extinct.
๐๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐: Be it a gentle piano interlude or a glorious orchestral fanfare, no element of filmcraft sets a movieโs tone and identity quite like the musical score. Film music has the power to underline a filmmakerโs narrative ideas, forge our bond to a heroic character, and move us to the point of tears. Join us all year long as we showcase cinemaโs iconic composers whose musical talents enrich the images we see on screen and have us humming their unforgettable melodies as we exit the auditorium. See what else is playing this year at amblertheater.org/score
Where is it happening?
108 E Butler Ave, Ambler, PA, United States, Pennsylvania 19002Event Location & Nearby Stays: