Rodan

"Born from a volcanic crater, the crimson monster bird Rodan tramples the Earth"

1956 1h 12m JA

👍

6.5

SOLID

★6.5TMDB · 197

HorrorScience Fiction

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Mining engineer Shigeru investigates the disappearance and death of his fellow coworkers when prehistoric nymphs are discovered emerging from the mines. After an attack on the local village, Shigeru heads deeper into the mines only to make a more horrifying discovery in the form a prehistoric flying creature. Soon a second monster appears as the two converge in Fukuoka.

“Born from a volcanic crater, the crimson monster bird Rodan tramples the Earth”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Kenji Sahara
Shigeru Kawamura
Yumi Shirakawa
Kiyo
Akihiko Hirata
Professor Kyuichiro Kashiwagi
Minosuke Yamada
Mining Chief Osaki
Yoshibumi Tajima
Izeki
Akio Kobori
Police Chief Nishimura
Mitsuo Tsuda
Staff Officer Takeuchi
Ren Imaizumi
Sunagawa

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Ishirō Honda
Writers: Ken Kuronuma, Takeshi Kimura, Takeo Murata
Languages: Japanese, Tagalog, Mandarin
Countries: Japan

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 72-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

70 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 3 languages: Japanese, Tagalog, Mandarin.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Ishirō Honda, shot by Isamu Ashida. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Akira Ifukube. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Kôichi Iwashita shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Kenji Sahara and Yumi Shirakawa and Akihiko Hirata carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Born from a volcanic crater, the crimson monster bird Rodan tramples the Earth".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Ishirō Honda directs. Isamu Ashida behind the camera. Akira Ifukube scores. Kôichi Iwashita cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese, Tagalog, Mandarin.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 72-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
270 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Dialogue crosses 3 languages: Japanese, Tagalog, Mandarin.
4Directed by Ishirō Honda, shot by Isamu Ashida. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Akira Ifukube. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Kôichi Iwashita shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Kenji Sahara and Yumi Shirakawa and Akihiko Hirata carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Born from a volcanic crater, the crimson monster bird Rodan tramples the Earth".
9IMDB entry: tt0049782 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Released under 13 different titles around the world.