DagoraReview

DAGORA, THE SPACE MONSTER (Uchu Daikaiju Dogora), Toho's first entry in the kaiju eiga (monster genre) to feature a giant monster from outer space, also is the first of Toho's monster movies to have elements borrowed from the yakuza (gangster) genre incorporated into it. Yakuza films were very popular back in 1964 when DAGORA, THE SPACE MONSTER was released, and this explains why gangsters were also included in the cast of characters of Toho 's next monster film, GHIDRAH, THE THREE-HEADED MONSTER (San Daikaiju Chikyu Saidai No Kessen).

The film's plot, which was directed by Ishiro Honda from a screenplay by Shinichi Sekizawa, is actually two stories woven into one, the first being about the monster Dagora, and the second about jewel thieves. The main plot centers on the creatures, space cells mutated by "a spot of radiation" over Japan. Like any living thing, these cells must eat to survive, and their food of choice is carbon based sustenance; namely coal and diamonds. Scouring the Japanese countryside the creatures suck up and absorb tons of carbon material, sucking into the air thousands of tons of coal from area coal fields.

Woven into this plot is the story of a local police detective and an International Diamond Insurance Agent named Mark Jackson's attempt to foil a ring of international diamond thieves. The thieves it seems, have had a string of bad luck, as Dagora keeps eating the jewels they attempt to steal. But soon it is learned that the major diamond shipment which the thieves had thought they had gotten away with was in reality sugar cubes substituted by Jackson in a ploy to lure them out. Meanwhile the Dagora creatures have evolved into jelly-fish like creatures approximately 100 feet long, and continue their rampage of destruction. The military attacks, but instead of destroying the creatures the added radiation causes them to split into thousands of giant single cells.

In the meantime the jewel thieves have captured Jackson, learning where he's hidden the real diamonds. Sending two from the gang to gather the diamonds, they are soon double-crossed by one of their own. At the same time, scientist have learn that the Dagora creatures are vulnerable to wasp venom, which causes a chemical reaction within the creatures. They quickly produce the chemical they need in which to destroy the monsters once and for all.

On a stretch of beach, the jewel thieves have caught up with their diamond-snaching comrade, but before they can finish her off, Jackson and the police arrive. Back in Tokyo, the Dagora creatures once again attack, but this time the military is ready for them, spaying the atmosphere with the wasp venom. The Dagora creatures begin to crystallize, falling to the earth. Back on the beach, a gun battle between the jewel thieves and the police is suddenly interrupted as a large crystallized Dagora cell crashes onto the spot where the thieves are standing. The entire gang is instantly killed.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of DAGORA, THE SPACE MONSTER is that for it, special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya developed the technique of filming objects in water so that it would appear that they were floating in air. This is how the creatures in the film were made to seem like they really were descending from space.

Another or the film's more interesting aspects is the makeup or the cast. It includes not only Mie Hama, who is best known for her roles as Madam X in KING KONG ESCAPES (Kingu Kongu No Gy Akushu) and Japanese secret service agent Kissy Suzuki in the James Bond thriller, YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE. Robert Dunham, an American, is in the film as well (he plays Jackson). He also appears in MOTHRA as the Rolisican who takes possession or the fairies after Nelson is killed and GODZILLA VS. MEGALON (Gojira tai Megaro) as the leader or the Seatopians.

DAGORA, THE SPACE MONSTER
Directed by Ishiro Honda
Writing credits Shinichi Sekizawa, Jojiro Okami
Produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka
Music by Akira Ifukube
Cinematography by Hajime Koizumi
Film Editing by Ryohei Fujii
Production Design by Takeo Kita
Assistant Director Ken Sano
Director of Special Effects Eiji Tsuburaya
Art Director Takeo Kita
Director of Photography Hajime Koizumi
Special Effects Photography Teisho Arikawa, Mototaka Tomioka

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