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One sheet movie poster for the 1961 Japanese science fiction kaiju film,
Mothra. This film was directed by Ishir? Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya, and stars Frankie Sakai, Hiroshi Koizumi, Ky?ko Kagawa, and the twin singing duo The Peanuts (Yumi and Emi Ito).
Synopsis
The plot follows an expedition to the irradiated Infant Island, where a native tribe and two miniature twin priestesses, known as the Shobijin, are discovered. An unscrupulous Rolisican businessman, Clark Nelson, abducts the twins for a commercial show in Tokyo. The Shobijin telepathically call upon their deity and protector, Mothra, who, in her larval form, travels to Japan to rescue them, leaving a path of destruction in her wake. After building a cocoon, she emerges as a giant moth to retrieve her guardians.
Key Information
Directed by: Ishir? Honda
Produced by: Tomoyuki Tanaka
Written by: Shinichi Sekizawa
Starring: Frankie Sakai, Hiroshi Koizumi, Ky?ko Kagawa, Jerry Ito, The Peanuts
Release Date (Japan): July 30, 1961
Release Date (US): May 10, 1962, by Columbia Pictures
Themes: The film serves as a commentary on nuclear testing, Western capitalism, and human greed, with Mothra acting as a force of nature seeking balance and justice.
Mothra was a significant box office success and the titular monster went on to become Toho's second most popular kaiju character after Godzilla, appearing in numerous subsequent films. |
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