Night of the Living Dead (1 October 1968)
directed by George A. Romero
starring Duane Jones, Judith O'Dea, Karl Hardman, Marilyn Eastman, Keith Wayne, Judith Ridley, Kyra Schon
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Studio: Image Ten, Laurel Group Script: George A. Romero, John A. Russo Running time: 96 minutes Suggested retail price: $29.95 (US) Tags: ghouls; Horror; Science Fiction; zombies Tactical strength: [7/10]
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Of all the movies ever made, only a few actually start an entire genre. Romero's Night of the Living Dead sets the stage for zombie movies in the same way that Bram Stoker's novel set the pattern for all vampire stories.
First the horror. For some unknown reason, the recently deceased have come back to life. These zombies (called ghoul's in the movie) have one purpose: to eat the flesh of the living. The zombies don't have much intellect and don't move very fast, but when 10 to 20 zombies start clamoring to get through a locked door, the door eventually give away. The zombies don't really organize; they just follow their instinct for food. You can easily kill a zombie with a gunshot to the head. An organized group of armed humans could easily defeat numerous zombies, and in fact, the government does create some safe zones that it recommends all citizens try to reach.
During the zombie crisis, people look to old standards for safety. They try to lock themselves in a car, but five or more zombies can easily overturn a car or break the windows. The characters in Night of the Living Dead look to the safety of a rural farmhouse. Ben (Duane Jones) quickly takes a leadership role and starts to fortify the house against the imminent attack of the zombies. He tries to enlist the help of Barbara (Judith O'Dea), but seeing her brother eaten by a zombie has made her hysterical and useless. Ben gets most of the way through his fortifications when he hears a commotion in the living room. Of course he suspects that zombies have somehow gained access, but it turns out that other refugees took up residence in the house's cellar before Ben and Barbara arrived. Harry Cooper (Karl Hardman) believes in the hole-up and wait-it-out theory of survival. He believes the cellar provides the greatest safety and butts heads with Ben about the best course of action. Helen Cooper (Marilyn Eastman) doesn't really have an opinion about how to stay safe. She stays in the cellar to tend her ghoul-bitten daughter, Karen (Kyra Schon). Tom (Keith Wayne) just wants something to do. He sways back and forth between supporting Ben and Harry. Eventually Tom agrees with Ben that they should try to make a break for one of the safe zones. Ben has a truck, but no gas. The farm has a gas pump near the barn, so Ben and Tom decide to refuel the truck then everyone can leave. At the last minute, Tom's girlfriend, Judy (Judith Ridley), decides she cannot stand the separation and joins the refueling crew. Well, you get the idea: people under stress don't always make the best decisions.
Many horror movies exist solely to scare the audience. Night of the Living Dead differs because it uses horror to make interesting social commentary. The most obvious commentary comes from Romero casting Duane Jones, a young black man, as Ben. Even today, you don't see too many movies that cast smart, black men as the lead character. Romero could have made Harry Cooper a total bigot, but instead, Harry never argues with Ben based on race. Harry just wants control and would have argued with Ben no matter how Romero cast the part.
Night of the Living Dead implies that if the characters had worked together, they might have survived. What if everyone had helped defend the truck during the refueling attempt? What if everyone had holed up in the basement? What if the characters had practiced a democratic process and taken votes instead of two powerful bullies trying to sway the others through intimidation and emotion? Probably any solution that everyone supported could have worked. The characters fail because they never act as a cohesive whole. Romero implies that evil will come no matter what, and that survival depends on unity despite differences.
Spoilers ahead . . .
Ben ends up surviving by hiding all night in the cellar. Perhaps Harry really did have the best idea for survival. Ben ends up tragically dying, not at the hands of a crowd of zombies, but by a government zombie containment crew mistaking him for a zombie. Ben's death reinforces the idea that the real danger does not come from evil incarnate, but from within. If our country fails, it will not come from some insidious attack by a foreign government or agency. Instead, the country will fail because the people have isolated themselves so completely that we can no longer cooperate.
Night of the Living Dead doesn't have the best script, acting, or make-up effects, but it does set some interesting precedents in the movie industry and some valuable social commentary that remains valid today. And it might just scare you once or twice.
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