DVD Review: Atragon (海底軍艦 - Kaitei Gunkan, "Undersea Battleship") R1

While performing a photo shoot one night, photographers witness a lone creature emerge from the ocean in a cloud of steam and a stolen taxi drive into the ocean. Two vapor trails move away from the shoreline. Makoto Jinguji, the daughter of deceased Imperial Captain Jinguji, is being followed by a suspicious character. And a peculiar reporter claims that Captain Jinguji is alive and at work on a new submarine project at a secret location. The mysterious taxi driver reappears and almost abducts Makoto, claiming to be an agent of the drowned Mu Empire. His abduction thwarted by the photographers, he flees into the ocean.

A film from the long lost Mu Empire is delivered and demands that the surface world surrender, and prevent Jinguji from completing his submarine, Atragon. Makoto's stalker turns out to be a naval officer under Jinguji. He agrees to lead a party to Jinguji's base. Captain Jinguji is infuriated by the demands of the MU Empire and the UN's plea to use Atragon> to defend the surface. He built Atragon to restore the Japanese Empire after its defeat in World War II, and insists that it be used for no other purpose. Only after his daughter and her boyfriend, Susumu, are abducted by a disguised Mu agent and the base is crippled by a bomb, Jinguji prepares Atragon for war against Mu.

Meanwhile, the Mu Empire attacks Tokyo and threatens to sacrifice their prisoners, Makoto, Susumu and two scientists, to their god, the daikaiju Manda [in kanji translated ‘ten-thousand snake'] if Atragon appears. Susumu and the other prisoners manage to escape their cell, kidnap the Empress, and are rescued by Atragon. Jinguji uses Atragon's ultimate weapon, the "Absolute Zero Cannon" and freezes Manda. When the Empress refuses terms of peace Atragon breaks through the Empire's defenses and freezes its geothermal machinery. In the cataclysmic explosion the Mu Empress jumps overboard off the deck of the surfaced Atragon and swims into the inferno. The end.

Atragon (海底軍艦 - Kaitei Gunkan, "Undersea Battleship") was one of four ‘special effects', or tokusatsu films, for Toho Studios that year. It was to be their New Years film that was more or less completed in four weeks on a very rigorous schedule. It employed a lot of principal actors from Toho there would have been a lot of familiar faces for movie fans in 1963 and 1964 and for tokusatsu film fans. And given that 1964 was the Year of the Dragon it made sense to make the daikaiju, Manda, a dragon. What is also interesting about the story is that its villain, the Mu Empire, is derived from actual published theories about a lost empire in the Pacific Ocean called by the same name. The screenplay for Atragon was based on the 1899 novel ‘Kaitei Gunkan' by Shunrō Oshikawa and the illustrated story ‘Kaitei Okoku' [The Undersea Kingdom] by Shigeru Komatsuzaki, who also served as visual designer for the film. Books by author James Churchward were also consulted.

Nationalism is a prevalent theme in Atragon. Both Jinguji and the Mu Empress want to see their former empires revived. Remember now that this film came out shy of 20 years after the end of World War II. Many veterans of that war would still be alive and perhaps still struggling with the notion of a new Japan, as Jinguji clearly did in the film. But it isn't so much that Atragon speaks against this nationalism as much as it says that times have changed and the past is best left in the past. It is only when Jinguji lets this go can he focus on rescuing his daughter and defeating the Mu Empire. Just as Japan could not see when it had lost the war and continued on to further decimation does the Mu Empress refuse to concede and sees her empire destroyed. She ultimately dies with it, jumping overboard and into the boiling explosions of her lost empire.

Despite the ‘heaviness' of the drama the film plays out like any other special effects film of that time though I think this one missed the mark by just a little. Perhaps it was the very short shooting schedule and the rush to get a film shot and completed before the holiday season. Atragon was only given the green light for production three months before the holidays. What you get is a very well structured special effects film but lacks the punch to make it an instant classic. What punch is missing? Like any good daikaiju movie you want to see the big monsters lay waste to the land. Sadly, Manda only makes an appearance in the latter half of the film and his melee with Atragon is less than inspiring. Attack the ship. Ship defends itself. Ship freezes giant dragon to sea floor. Dragon is dead.

Atragon serves up all the camp of a special effects film of the era but something is missing. The Mu Empire isn't terribly frightening unless you fear dance numbers by masses dressed up like Easter Island natives. But then perhaps they are there to serve as a metaphor for the necessity for change. ‘We are the Mu Empire. We were once mighty and ruled the surface. Fear us, and our loin cloths and spears. Egads! You have “Absolute Freeze” rays. Waaaaaaaaugh'! It is proof that you can't sit on your laurels but you have to change with the times. Did Atragon serve as such a reminder for its viewing audience?

Mediablasters/TokyoShock has done a great job with this disc. The transfer is perfect. Like any good DVD you get both the Japanese and English audio. Those who have read my reviews will know that the only gaping hole in them is that I don't give the dubbing much time or effort. Alas, I am a purist. But it is there and you want to give it a go then go on my son! The subtitles are clear and legible though and you will have no problem understanding the flow on conversation. Long time Toho collaborator Koji Kajito provides the commentary in Japanese with English subtitles and offers some interesting insights.

Despite its lack of punch and tremendous leaps in logic Atragon serves up all the silliness and entertainment one would expect from tokusatsu. And while it is not the best one you will ever see it is still a satisfying watch and could hold a place in your late night repertoire.

Get your copy of Atragon here.
Region: Region 1
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Run Time: 96 minutes
Available Subtitles: English
Available Audio Tracks: English, Japanese
Commentary by assistant director Koji Kajito (in Japanese with English subtitles)
Trailers

NOTE: Manda and Atragon reunited for another battle in an appearance in Ryuhei Kitamura's Godzilla: Final Wars.