Dawn of the Dead (1978)

Guns, ammo, Jack Daniel's - gives a whole new meaning to one stop shopping.

Intro.

As you could probably tell from my last post, I had a pretty interesting Saturday night.  No, I was not bitten by any zombies (luckily), but I did get to watch Dawn of the Dead for the first time.  And I was surrounded by zombies (and a few zombie hunters).  It made such a difference watching the movie - there were cheers for both the zombies and the survivors.  The right audience can really make or break your initial impression of a film, and I'm very appreciative to all those who made it such a great experience.

Overview

Dawn of the Dead opens with a television station urgently trying to stay afloat during a crisis.  The dead have been walking around devouring people and the disease - and fear - is spreading quickly.  Two of the station's workers, the traffic reporter/helicopter pilot Stephen (David Emge) and his girlfriend/TV executive, Francine (Gaylen Ross) decide to make a break for Canada in the chopper.  They are met by two SWAT team members, who have just witnessed a brutal police bust on an apartment filled with both the living and the undead.  One of the SWAT guys, Roger (Scott H. Reiniger) knows Stephen and had planned to meet him there.  He brings along his friend Peter (Ken Foree), despite Stephen's remark about the extra weight using more fuel.  They fly out and pass fields of both zombies and hunters, and finally decide to take refuge at a shopping mall (with a convenient helicopter pad on the roof).  Turns out there is a locked room accessible by skylight and stacked full of survival supplies.  The crew decide to stay there for awhile, since when they tried to stop for gas, all the pumps were empty and they were attacked by some hungry zombies.  Anyway, what better place to hold up in than a shopping mall?  Everything they need is just outside of the secure passageway.  It's too tempting for Peter, so he and Roger decide to go out and investigate.  Together they dodge some zombies, kill a few more, and then lock themselves safely inside "Penney's" Department store.  Stephen, not wanting to miss anything, follows them and has to be rescued (in a pretty well-thought-out way!) and when they finally think of going back for Franny, they find her about to be chewed on by a zombie because Stephen forgot to leave her a gun.  Anyway, Franny steps up and gets an equal role with the guys (and she's three months pregnant!), learning to shoot and to fly the helicopter.  The guys figure out how to use the duct system to navigate the mall and pretty soon they build themselves a very comfortable home in the safety area.  But nothing good ever lasts, as first Peter is bitten and turns, then a motorcycle gang of hunters/looters comes to raid the mall.  It's all fine until Stephen lashes out and starts an all out war - man vs. man vs. zombies.  It's pretty intense, all the way to the edge of your seat finale. 

Highlights
I've already mentioned how great this film was with such an enthusiastic audience, but I have to say it again.  Like most horror films, they're not always mainstream, but their fans are dedicated.  The popularity has grown and even exploded in more recent years, with college classes in zombie culture now being taught in several schools.  So much of that is owed to George Romero, for his classics such as Dawn of the Dead.  Unlike the original Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead is much more comical, definitely touching on the idea of humor as a coping mechanism.

Prior to seeing the film, I asked Catherine to explain it to me.  She said that where Night of the Living Dead was a commentary on racism (as the remake was on feminism), Dawn of the Dead is a commentary on consumerism.  It's blatantly obvious once they land on the mall's roof and witness all the zombies flocking to the building.  "This was an important place in their lives."  What I liked most of all was how the camera shots set up the zombies and the mannequins in the mall - they were posed and acting the same way, as if shoppers had finally "shopped 'til they dropped" and then rose again to become zombies.  Have you ever felt that way after a long day at work?  Or getting up on Monday before you have any coffee?  Just this morning my co-worker said she felt like a zombie because she hadn't had an tea yet.  But it's even worse during busy shopping days - think about that sense of sullenness and desire to shop the day after any major holiday.  It's consumerism and a bit tragic to consider.  But the zombies aren't the only ones affected in Dawn of the Dead.  The survivors all give in to the riches of all that the mall has to offer, including mink coats and chocolates and three course meals, carpets and money taken from the in-mall bank.  The list goes on and on.  Stephen has the cynical line to Franny "well, you always wanted to play house."  But consider their options - what else can they do?  They are relatively safe, well stocked, well fed and very low on fuel with no idea of where the next gas station might be.  In some ways it could be seen as a perfect haven, but also a bit of a prison, like house arrest.  When the novelty wears off and Roger turns into a zombie (only to be killed by Peter, as promised), they need something, anything, to happen.  Their consumer driven paradise is slowly suffocating them.

Enter the motorcycle gang.  I wasn't sure what the purpose of these guys were at first (besides having those great 70's mustaches).  But then I realized that they were other survivors and now the real fight was not between man and zombie, but between man and man.  Peter's plan of just letting them take what they wanted and hide until they left was a good one.  Unfortunately, Stephen snapped and started shooting.  I'm not quite sure why he did - did he feel like he needed to protect this "important place" in his life?  Did he feel that Franny was in danger?  Did he just snap after that prolonged period of just waiting?  It doesn't really matter why he did it, but what matters is how quickly the survivors change from being alright with killing zombies to being alright with killing the living.  In the pull of a trigger, any shadow of morality shatters.  It reminds me of a sign I've been seeing a lot lately - "Zombies Were People Too".  It's true.  They were once people just like us.  Just as they did in Night of the Living Dead, zombies embody our own fears.  That line between monster and fellow human is a fine one.  It's crossed after Peter kills Roger - a huge turning point.  Here they've lived with Roger, taken care of him while he was dying, and now they have to kill him.  After that, it's hard not to imagine them justifying the killing of the motorcyclists.  If they can kill one of their own, then they have no problem killing strangers.

Before I wrap this up, I wanted to take a moment to look at the historical time frame.  I had to check, but it was the late sixties - early seventies that saw the beginning of postmodernism in the art world.  There's a general disheartening in the world and a loss of faith in all of the optimism of previous generations.  The Vietnam War ended in 1975, but its aftermath can still be felt today.  Our consumer culture boomed and kept going into the eighties with high supply and demand and a need for everyone to have everything and to have it "right at their fingertips".  It's a dark part of our culture, and one that is a basic instinct - to have more and better things than your neighbor.  You could probably argue that it is basic survival because having more means wealth which means you are a better candidate as a mate which means a better chance for passing on your genes and becoming a biological success.  But I won't get too much into that, since it's late and I might just be guessing.

One last thing to leave you with, though.  As I was writing this post, I had the song "No Man's Land" by Billy Joel stuck in my head.  One line in particular struck me: "Give us this day our daily discount outlet merchandise / Raise up a multiplex and we will make a sacrifice."  The song was released in 1993, but I wonder if Billy Joel had seen Dawn of the Dead and films with similar messages.  Especially since one of the lines includes the phrase "Zombie town".  Even the title itself is a reference to the area between the trenches during World War I - the original "no man's land."  The battle ground seems a fitting reminder of what the survivors in Dawn of the Dead faced - a modern paradise with everything they could ever need, except hope.

Review and Recommendation

Of all the zombie films I've seen, this is one of my favorites.  While not as serious or deep as the original Night of the Living Dead, it is just as well constructed and even more enjoyable.  Also, the zombies are blue.  Instant win, right there.  If you only see one zombie movie in your life, I definitely recommend making it this one.   
 

P.S. Also, I loved the shout-outs to the original Night of the Living Dead.  I'm probably missing some, but a few I spotted were the blown up truck, the close-ups of stuffed animal heads in the gun shop, the town for the television station being Monroeville, and the listing of shelters on the television (which was also pointed out by Catherine).

Night of the Living Dead (1968)

"We have met the enemy, and he is us." Well, a slightly more sloppy, drooling, cannibalistic version of us, but still us.

Intro.

Part of my new induction to the world of zombie films included watching both the original Night of the Living Dead from 1968 and the remake from 1990.  Even if you haven't seen either film, you probably know the story - a group of strangers in a farmhouse; lots of slow, flesh-eating zombies; some crazy girl named Barbra.  You've probably even heard the line "they're coming to get you, Barbra!"  So my question going into this film was will it live up to its mighty legacy?   

Overview
Night of the Living Dead actually starts in the evening, with Barbra (Judith O'Dea) and her brother Johnny (Russell Streiner) venturing out to a country cemetery to pay respect to their father.  Although Barbra is obviously uncomfortable in the creepy graveyard, Johnny teases her like when she was a kid - "they're coming to get you, Barbra!" he calls out to her.  The only problem is that another "visitor" in the cemetery actually is coming for her and when he attacks her, Johnny steps in only to get gnawed on himself.  Barbra takes off running, but realizes that Johnny had the car keys.  She coasts the car downhill, hits a tree, then runs to the nearest farmhouse.  She isn't alone long, as a pickup truck pulls up and out comes well-dressed Ben (Duane Jones).  He seems to know exactly what to do and sets about barricading the house.  He even covers the homeowner's half-eaten corpse, despite Barbra's obvious state of shock and complete helplessness.  He tells her about how he saw a gas station blow up because of those "things" and he realizes that they are afraid of fire.  A few stray zombies later and they realize that there are people (non-zombie people) hiding in the basement of the house.  There's a young couple, Tom (Keith Wayne) and Judy (Judith Ridley), and a married couple, Harry (Karl Hardman) and Helen (Marilyn Eastman) who have a young daughter who is sick in the basement.  Harry is pretty stubborn about everyone taking refuge in the cellar and waiting until help arrives.  Ben nixes that idea as there is only one way in and out and he doesn't want to get cornered.  Tensions grow, fights break out, but in the end they all have to work together to survive or become lunch meat.  A television broadcast tells them there's an emergency shelter nearby, and they agree to risk taking Ben's truck to the nearby gas pump to fill up the tank and get them all out of there.  But of course, nothing really works out for our survivors and they get picked off one by one until there's just Ben in the house.  And even his life is in jeopardy.

Highlights

Boy, there is so much to discuss!  George Romero redefined the zombie genre with this film.  It's funny, but some dynamics in this film reminded me of some previous films in different genres.  Although that can happen when a genre begins or is redefined - often the shaping influences are from a wide range of sources and media.  What Night of the Living Dead reminded me of were the Westerns of John Ford and the thrillers of Alfred Hitchcock.  I thought a lot about Ford's classic, Stagecoach, which in its own way helped revitalize the Western film genre.  In Stagecoach, the idea is very simple - take a group of strangers with different and sometimes clashing personalities, put them together in a tight situation and then give them some "outsiders" to fight, which ultimately brings them together.  Be it in a way station on the stage route or in the farmhouse, the tensions and arguments for the best course of survival are the same.  I even expected Ben to say "I saw a ranch house burnin' last night" and then he tells Barbra he actually did see a fire!  In Night of the Living Dead, the argument is to either stay in the basement or to make a break for it; in Stagecoach the argument is to push on towards Lordsburg or to return with the cavalry where they may or may not be safe.  In respect to Hitchcock, there is some great camera work and also the feeling of claustrophobia - almost the entire film takes place in one space - the farmhouse.  Hitchcock often tried to contain his more intense thrillers (like Lifeboat or Rear Window) to one space.  It creates more tension between the characters in close quarters and increases that claustrophobia! *   

I also keep mentioning "others".  In Night of the Living Dead the monsters are never called zombies.  In fact, in most zombie films, the word is never said.  They are the others, the outsiders.  Although in White Zombie the zombies are named - recognized for the people they are.  That's why it's so important that Johnny and later the daughter are recognized among the zombies (sorry for the spoilers, but really? what did you expect - it's a zombie film!!).  It makes it much harder to fight people you know - how can you be expected to shoot your brother or daughter in the head? **  Recognizing the "other" is the key here - they are us.

To make a bit of a detour, I wanted to talk about what was going on when Night of the Living Dead was made.  The cause for the zombie outbreak is attributed to some radiation brought in by a satellite returning from Venus.  It seems a bit silly now, but in 1968, we were 1) in the middle of the Cold War and worried about nuclear warfare 2) we were also in the Space Race and 3) had yet to land on the moon.  Makes it more of a concern, I think.  And it makes the Russians are the "others" of 1968.  It makes it that much more tragic when Ben dies - not at the hands of the zombies, but at the hands of the overzealous survivors who mistake him for a zombie.  Our own fear and paranoia will destroy us. 

Speaking of Ben and his horrible end, Night of the Living Dead was meant as a commentary on racism.  Ben's the lone African-American in the film, the one guy with any class and BAM he gets killed by friendly fire (or should that be not-so-friendly fire?).  This is where the film really diverges from its parallels with Ford's Westerns - there is no happy ending.  Ben doesn't get to go off into the sunset with a girl.  He gets killed anyway, like the whole thing was for naught.  Society (the guys coming in as relief) doesn't recognize his efforts or what he's endured.  But we see it.  Romero makes us see it and makes us painfully aware that Ben is treated as just another dead zombie.  What does that say about audiences in 1968?  What does it say about us now? ***

As much as this film is about racism, it fails to also address sexism (a major criticism).  Barbra, although in shock, just shuts down once a man arrives to take care of her.  My friends and I yelled at her the entire film because of her inability to do or say anything.  Although it is a good step above White Zombie, it still makes you very angry at Barbra.  Luckily we have more sensible women like Judy and especially Helen to balance it out some.  My friend Rachel brought up a good point - Barbra seems to be more afraid of Ben because she's alone in a house with him (and he's an African-American) than she is of the zombies.  If nothing else, she definitely takes on the "deer in headlights" attitude.  Which is fitting because in this farmhouse there are several animal heads mounted on the wall and Barbra is often shot being close to or right in front of the deer's head.  In some way, this could explain her docile nature.  She can't run, so she freezes up and won't move.  That explains why she's also taken by the zombies - she's easy prey.

The Remake - The Night of the Living Dead (1990)
Since the remake of Night of the Living Dead isn't a classic time-wise, I won't give it a separate write-up.  The basic plot and story line remain, but there are some major changes.  Thankfully the biggest one is Barbra (played by Patricia Tallman).  She kicks ass in the remake!  The new Barbra is a determined woman, one who won't passively cower on a couch when there are zombies to kill and people to save.  Instead of Romero commenting on racism, this version he focuses on sexism.  The ending is also very different, as Barbra actually makes it out of the house, down the road and stumbles onto the search and rescue crew.  A key scene there is when she sees a fenced in ring and spectators watching a "zombie fight."  It's a way to distance yourself from zombies being real people - in the remake Tom is related to the farmhouse owner and recongizes many of the zombies as friends and neighbors.  It's a chilling thought about how far you would have to go to survive.  To survive as an individual then, must you turn your back on your family?  Does that have anything to do with the re-establishment of Barbra as a woman of her own independence?  Think about the films of the eighties that dealt with the breaking up of families as a result of women going back to work (Die Hard) comes to mind.  I'm not sure if these ideas are related, as it is getting pretty late and I'm feeling a bit sleepy.  So let me end with this - are zombie movies really about monsters after all?  Or about facing what scares us most about our own selves?    

Review and Recommendation

I recommend both versions of the Night of the Living Dead.  Each one has very good merits and serve as great reflections and commentaries on society.  I have a new-found respect for the zombie genre and look forward to watching more films! 

P.S. I know I've probably left a lot out of this post, which is why you should check out Catherine's zombie blog, here.  If you think of any points you want to bring up, feel free to post comments!!

P.P.S. I was just looking for other sites to reference you for further reading and check this out - it's an article about how Romero was influence by Ford and Hitchcock.  I wasn't making it up - who knew?!  I'm still reading through it, but I couldn't resist linking it!

* I should mention that Romero also used the classic vampire film I Am Legend as inspiration, and possibly the film Things to Come.  

** I also watched the modern zombie film Zombieland right after seeing this film and I loved it!  It mixes both the traditional zombie films with a great sense of humor.  It's a very dark, survival type of humor, often like that seen in war films.  The movie also makes the point never to learn anyone's real name, as you never know when you might need to kill them.  Distance from the other is again in play.  Also, check out the opening shot of Zombieland and the opening shot of Night of the Living Dead (1968).  See anything identical?  I'll give you a hint - it's a pretty big hint that this film is about to comment on American culture.

*** Last note, I swear.  I just realized that 1968 brought America into Vietnam as well.  That's a whole other blog post about racism and fighting "the others".  Something to think about!