What are some of the major elements of Japanese kaiju movies according to Sanz? Under which of Cohen's 7 Theses would each of these elements fall?
According to Sanz how does an understanding of the Japanese national religion of Shinto help us better understand Godzilla and other kaiju movies? How is this understanding different than the one we have previously encountered looking at Western monster movies?
Bailey interviews several different Japanese scholars and critics, each of whom have a different theory about what Godzilla symbolizes. What are some of these theories? How are they similar or Different? Do you see any similarity with any of the different theory discussed in class about what King Kong may symbolize? Explain.
Bailey briefly discusses the 1962 film King Kong vs. Godzilla; which we will be watching in class next week. According to Sadamasa Arikawa what did director Ishiro Honda intend for Kong and Godzilla to symbolize in this movie?
Bailey further notes that Kong could be seen as analogous to Americans due to what derogatory nickname which the Japanese previously assigned to foreigners?
Sanz and Bailey both discuss how Godzilla, and other kaiju, might be perceived as Shinto gods or kami. Why? How does a monster like Godzilla, or King Kong for that matter, meet the qualifications of being a kami according to the teachings of Shintoism?
According to Emiko Ohnuki-Tierney what position does the monkey occupy in Japanese culture?
How is this different than the role occupied the monkey/ape in Western culture as previously discussed in class?
Ohnuki-Tierney says that the monkey's position in Japanese culture is precarious, or between good and bad, how?
What role does the monkey play in Japanese religion according to Ohnuki-Tierney?