Varan the Unbelievable
Encyclopedia
Varan the Unbelievable, released in Japan as , is a 1958 Kaiju
film directed by Ishirō Honda
(drama) and Eiji Tsuburaya
(special effects), and their last black-and-white monster film. The title character Varan
is one of Toho Studios
' least-famed creations. Although shown in Japanese-language theaters in the USA, the film saw general U.S. release in 1962 only after being heavily revised, in the manner of Godzilla, King of the Monsters!
, to have all principal scenes reshot with American actors. Indeed, the plot itself was generally revised, and the Japanese material consisted only of special effects, a few incidental shots, and the ending scene.
Originally, the film was to be produced for American television, but the American producers backed out at the last minute. With most of the film already completed, Toho's crew filmed additional scenes and it was released in Japanese theaters. A reconstructed version of the TV version is included on both the Japanese and American DVDs.
The 2005 subtitled DVD release of Daikaijū Baran, the original Japanese version, was titled Varan the Unbelievable on the front cover leading to confusion as to which version of the film (Japanese or American) was presented on the disc.
. The villagers that live in Iwaya near the river refer to Varan as Baradagi-Sanjin and they both worship him. An expedition team arrives in the area to find a Siberian species of butterfly that has mysteriously made its way to Japan, but are killed in an avalanche after they hear an echoing roar. Some time later, a second team is sent to investigate, only to discover Varan, who then destroys the entire village once disturbed. The JSDF responds to this by arriving in the Kitagami areato lure Varan out by polluting the lake where he is hiding. Later, they light the forest on fire. Distraught with the destruction of his home, Varan takes off into the sky, and heads towards Tokyo bay. Varan eventually unleashes an attack on the Haneda airport, where The JSDF
tricks him into eating several bombs out of the sky. The bombs explode one by one, weakening Varan. When Varan retreats to the sea, the final bomb explodes and destroys the beast.
was used mostly in close ups of buildings getting crushed and when the planes fight Varan.
Kaiju
is a Japanese word that means "strange beast," but often translated in English as "monster". Specifically, it is used to refer to a genre of tokusatsu entertainment....
film directed by Ishirō Honda
Ishiro Honda
Ishirō Honda , sometimes miscredited in foreign releases as "Inoshiro Honda", was a Japanese film director...
(drama) and Eiji Tsuburaya
Eiji Tsuburaya
was the Japanese special effects director responsible for many Japanese science-fiction movies, including the Godzilla series...
(special effects), and their last black-and-white monster film. The title character Varan
Varan
is a kaiju that first appeared in Varan the Unbelievable . Physically, Varan resembles a giant reptile with skin membranes between his arms and legs, allowing him to glide much like a flying dragon or flying squirrel; he also has a horned head....
is one of Toho Studios
Toho
is a Japanese film, theater production, and distribution company. It is headquartered in Yūrakuchō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group...
' least-famed creations. Although shown in Japanese-language theaters in the USA, the film saw general U.S. release in 1962 only after being heavily revised, in the manner of Godzilla, King of the Monsters!
Godzilla, King of the Monsters!
Godzilla, King of the Monsters! is a 1956 Japanese/American black-and-white science fiction kaiju film. It is an "Americanized" version of the original Godzilla film, which had previously been shown subtitled in the United States in Japanese community theaters only, and was not known in Europe...
, to have all principal scenes reshot with American actors. Indeed, the plot itself was generally revised, and the Japanese material consisted only of special effects, a few incidental shots, and the ending scene.
Originally, the film was to be produced for American television, but the American producers backed out at the last minute. With most of the film already completed, Toho's crew filmed additional scenes and it was released in Japanese theaters. A reconstructed version of the TV version is included on both the Japanese and American DVDs.
The 2005 subtitled DVD release of Daikaijū Baran, the original Japanese version, was titled Varan the Unbelievable on the front cover leading to confusion as to which version of the film (Japanese or American) was presented on the disc.
Synopsis
Varan was supposed to be a demon god that lived in the upper reaches of the Kitakami RiverKitakami River
The is the fourth largest river in Japan and the largest in the Tōhoku region. It is 249 kilometers long and drains an area of 10,150 square kilometers. It flows through mostly rural areas of Iwate and Miyagi Prefectures. The river is unusual in that it has two mouths, one flowing south into...
. The villagers that live in Iwaya near the river refer to Varan as Baradagi-Sanjin and they both worship him. An expedition team arrives in the area to find a Siberian species of butterfly that has mysteriously made its way to Japan, but are killed in an avalanche after they hear an echoing roar. Some time later, a second team is sent to investigate, only to discover Varan, who then destroys the entire village once disturbed. The JSDF responds to this by arriving in the Kitagami areato lure Varan out by polluting the lake where he is hiding. Later, they light the forest on fire. Distraught with the destruction of his home, Varan takes off into the sky, and heads towards Tokyo bay. Varan eventually unleashes an attack on the Haneda airport, where The JSDF
Japan Self-Defense Forces
The , or JSDF, occasionally referred to as JSF or SDF, are the unified military forces of Japan that were established after the end of the post–World War II Allied occupation of Japan. For most of the post-war period the JSDF was confined to the islands of Japan and not permitted to be deployed...
tricks him into eating several bombs out of the sky. The bombs explode one by one, weakening Varan. When Varan retreats to the sea, the final bomb explodes and destroys the beast.
Versions
- Toho Co. Ltd.Tohois a Japanese film, theater production, and distribution company. It is headquartered in Yūrakuchō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group...
: JapaneseJapanese languageis a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
(86 min.; original version) - Crown International PicturesCrown International PicturesCrown International Pictures is an independent film studio formed in 1959 by Newton P. Jacobs Jacobs was a former branch head of RKO Pictures until 1947 when he formed his own company "Favorite Films"; a film releasing organisation. Jacobs became one of the first franchises for showing American...
: EnglishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
(70 min.; released to American theaters)
US release
- An entirely new film was created, using American players for all significant dramatic scenes which now centered around an American military scientist Cmdr. James Bradley (Myron HealeyMyron HealeyMyron Daniel Healey was an American actor. He began his Hollywood, California, career during the early 1940s in bit parts and minor supporting roles at various studios.-Early years:...
) and his Japanese wife Anna conducting desalinization experiments in the salt water lake which awakened the monster. Except for the final scene, Daikaju Baran was represented only by its special effects, cut to accommodate the new script, and two or three brief incidental shots. Nothing was dubbed as there were no dialogue shots left to dub. - The entire music and sound tracks of Daikaiju Baran were replaced.
- All footage showing Varan flying was removed.
- In the US version the name Varan is never spoken, the monster is instead referred to as "Obaki" (from "obakeObakeand are a class of yōkai, preternatural creatures in Japanese folklore. Literally, the terms mean a thing that changes, referring to a state of transformation or shapeshifting....
", a Japanese word for "monster"). - Varan's attack on Tokyo was much shorter.
Production
Much stock footage from GodzillaGodzilla (1954 film)
is a 1954 Japanese science fiction film directed by Ishirō Honda and produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka. The film stars Akira Takarada, Momoko Kōchi, Akihiko Hirata and Takashi Shimura. The film tells the story of Godzilla, a giant monster mutated by nuclear radiation, who ravages Japan, bringing back the...
was used mostly in close ups of buildings getting crushed and when the planes fight Varan.
Cast
- Kenji Uozaki - Kozo Nomura（Akiji Nomura）
- Yuriko Sinjo (woman journalist) - Ayumi Sonoda
- Motohiko Horiguti - Fumindo Matsuo
- Ichiro Sinjo - Hisaya Ito
- Yutaka Kawata - Nadao Kirino
- Dr. Sugimoto - Korenari Senda
- Dr. Majima - Fuyuki Murakami
- Dr. Fujimura - Akihiko HirataAkihiko Hiratawas a Japanese film actor. While Hirata starred in many movies , he is most well known for his work in the kaiju genre, including such films as King Kong vs. Godzilla, The Mysterians, and his most famous role of Dr...
- Director General of the Defense Agency - Minosuke Yamada
- Colonel. Kusama - Akio Kusama
- Katsumoto，Lieutenant Commander - Yoshio TsuchiyaYoshio Tsuchiyais a Japanese actor who has appeared in such films as Toshio Matsumoto's surreal masterpiece "Bara No Soretsu" and Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai and Red Beard, and Kihachi Okamoto's Kill!. He has a long-standing interest in UFOs and had written several books on the subject...
- Captain Maritime Self-Defense Force vessel - Yoshifumi TajimaYoshifumi TajimaYoshifumi Tajima was an actor in Japanese Kaijū films, best known for his role as Kumayama in Mothra vs. Godzilla. He was born in Kobe, Japan.- Filmography :...
- Minesweeper coxswain - Jiro Mitsuaki
- Shinto priest - Akira Sera
- Issaku - Akira YamadaAkira Yamadais a Japanese scholar and philosopher of the West European Medieval philosophy. Member of the Japan Academy since 1998.Yamada graduated from the Kyoto Imperial University, Philosophy section of the Department of Literature in 1944....
- Jiro - Toku Ihara
- Ken - Takashi ItoTakashi ItoTakashi Itō is a Japanese former welterweight kickboxer fighting out of Yamaki Gym in Setagaya, Tokyo. He is the owner of kickboxing gym "TARGET", and a manager of promotion company "R.I.S.E." of kickboxing events. He won the world title of WMAF at Junior middleweight. He is Christian.-Early...
- Ken’s Mother - Ayako Honma
- Villager - Yoshikazu Kawamata
- Medium - Kin Sugai
- Varan - Haruo NakajimaHaruo Nakajimais a famous Japanese actor. He is best known for playing Godzilla and is considered by many to be the best suit actor in the long history of the franchise...
，Katsumi TezukaKatsumi Tezukais a Japanese actor. He is best known for playing monsters in several Toho science fiction and horror films directed by Ishirō Honda.-Films:* 1954 - Godzilla * 1955 - Godzilla Raids Again * 1956 - Rodan...
US Cast
- Cmdr. James Bradley - Myron HealeyMyron HealeyMyron Daniel Healey was an American actor. He began his Hollywood, California, career during the early 1940s in bit parts and minor supporting roles at various studios.-Early years:...
- Anna - Tsuruko Kobayashi
- Capt. Kishi - Clifford Kawada
- Matsu (the boy) - Derick Shimatsu
- Paul Isoh - Kozo Nomura
- Shidori Isoh - Ayumi Sonoda
- Paul's Friend - Fumindo Matsuo
- Pvt. Seki - Hiroshi Hisasume
Miscellaneous credits
- Akira Watanabe Special Effects Set Director
- Koji Kajita Assistant to the Director
- Teisho Arikawa Special Effects Photographer
- Keizo Murase Suitmation Effects Director
External links
- DVD review at DVD Drive-In