Social Commentary, in zombie films. awesome.

Wikipedia (I honestly don't know what I would do with out it) defines 'social commentary' as 'the act of rebelling against a government by means of rhetorical propaganda.'

This can be done in various forms such as through literature, music, television and of course, film. It puts across a series of implicit meaning and values often of the film maker trying to show them to the public with out, well offending any one normally.

But whats that I hear you e-cry! Social commentary in zombie films, huh, yeah right next there will be hippos in my coco-pops!

Well calm your nonsense wordings as I am here to enlighten you. Films are a very interesting medium of getting across information and this is evident in many films even those that just seem like mindless gore and violence such as Ruggero Deodato's frankly horrifically gory/disturbing film Cannibal Holocaust. A film which caused much controversy on its release and mass banning and censoring for its graphic scenes. But it wasn't just a excuse to murder animals it uses graphic violence, shocking imagery, and underlying topics in anthropology to express the directors distaste for modern society and more importantly what it has become.

Romero's work is no different. A prominent feature with in my presentation is to be how and what messages Georgey displays in his films. From Night to Diary. Romero's use of social commentary in his films are part of the reason he the genre has risen from his work... almost like a zombie... huh huh see what I did there?

....

Any way. When Night was released in 1968 it received major controversy as it was the first time ever in which graphic scenes such as people eating each other was really seen by the public. This was due to there being no censorship panel back then and also partly due to Romero's confusion of the unwritten horror rule in which "you weren't allowed to see knives going in etc etc". To the ignorant that is one of the reasons in which this film is so popular. But there are many messages and values in not only the narrative but also the visual style that reflect Romero's thoughts. For instance the film is shot in a grainy black and white style, this is quoted by Romero as to "reflect the tension of the times" as a way to express the anger of the era. Romero has also stated that the zombies them self reflect the changing of cultures at the time, a new society over taking the old and how the older generation is finding it impossible to cope (evident in the two middle class characters Henry and Helen Cooper) as they are stuck in their dogmatic ways and how the fight against it can often lead to deaths, such as Harry's conflicts with Ben through out the film.

Also the media plays a part in the narrative as constantly the characters are gathered around a television in the house in which they are shacked up in and how the media has such a grip on people. It also highlights the distrust of our fellow man, do you trust the strangers you meet along the way or kill them in fear of them killing you first. This is linked to the capitalism theme within the film as the zombies represent the capitalists out to get everything they can and doing what ever they have to as the victims represent the oppressed 'others'. These cannibalistic qualities show signs of extreme possession. The faults of the people there to protect us, such as the police and the medical services. None of which come to our characters aide. The, albeit unintentional, casting of a black man in the lead role at a time of severe racial tensions just serves to increase the unsettled nature of the film and the ending which is as shocking as the dead trying to eat your liver. Black men in films usually represented the bumbling incompetent fool who would only screw things up until some white dude strolled in and shook things up. His death was not only unusual just cos he was a black character but also cos no one at the end of the film survives. The epitome of pessimism is no surviving characters in most films, suggesting that there is nothing any one can do to stop the changes in society.

10 years later and Romero released his newest zombie film Dawn of the Dead, hailed as being "Bigger, bolder and bloodier" it was more of an action thriller than a horror like Night. marked the start of a beautiful yet bloody partnership between Romero and special effects make up artist Tom Savini, what made this film stand out with Night is that all the ickyness was in colour! The film takes place in the Monroeville mall, a place formerly known for its massive social interaction and the like. Using the mall as a setting enables Romero to mock the modern consumerist way of life and a portrayal of man-kinds persistent inability to cooperate or make decisions based on logic rather than emotion in the face of danger even when theres an outside chance there face is going to be bitten off this is a consistent theme throughout the entire Dead series and highlighted in Dawn with mans longing for material items which are rendered redundant in a world over run with zombies, most notably when a large sum of money is stolen in a world where monetary value is gone. Not only does human kinds desire for material goods almost get them killed on several occasions during the film (such as when Rogers stolen jacket is grabbed by a zombie and almost results in his ass being handed to him... almost literally) it also creates an abundance of waste. The start of the film also reflects how the police force is oppressive in a raid on a apartment house of minorities which results in a futile resistance, death and eventually the 'victory' for the over whelming police force.

Although Romero has flat out stated that there is no purposeful social commentary with in Dawn it is hard to not see it to be honest. On purpose or not its there as Romero highlights how people can becomes slaves to consumerism and how the mall provides the characters with a "fools paradise". Racism is also a point here combined with consumerism as the character played by Tom Savini calls Peter 'Chocolate man' a casual insult at the time but in context it creates parallels with Peter and one of societies most thrown away goods and how the creation of chocolate focuses on the exploitation of black labour and how the consumerist goods provide some psychological protection against the situation as Peter makes the chillingly simple observation "they're us." which leads to the only female character Fran to shiver and pull up the collar of her expensive fur coat.


In 1985 Romero wanted to finish off the Dead trilogy with a zombie epic in the form of Day of the Dead which was to include a war between 'wild' zombies and conditioned 'docile' zombies. Never the less, this was not to be as studio executives cut the budget of the film and we get what we see today. As with the previous 2 films there is also a number of social commentary in this film as well in the subtley obvious Romero style. In this film Romero delivers a critique of the American military in that no matter how big or bad ass their army is it will not be able to save them from the impending bitter end. It also touches upon capitalism as Rhodes tries his damned hardest to be a dictator in the group and control everyone when all hes really looking after is himself which results in one of THE best death scenes i have ever scene [warning: BAD PUN!"!!]
Romero used Day as an allegory for the America's different societies and how it is tearing apart America such as how the war between the scientists and the military eventually end in the death of them all. Day also takes not of how war changes people, in particular the military, the zombies and the scientists, and obviously changes them for the worse. In this film how ever the zombies are not to blame for the majority of the break downs, it is in fact the humans who take the role as antagonists in this film and we are even invited to sympathise with the zombies, especially with the most famous zombie in cinema, Bub.

Nom, nom nom.

As the mad scientist Dr. Logan suggests the zombies characteristics are merely imperfections in ourself as Day delves into humanities ability to seemingly want to destroy it self.

As I am focusing on the first 3 films in the Dead trilogy, the ones cited and recognised as ze best. I am using Land and Diary as they are not as good simply put. But they both have social issues such as the hieracy and class struggles with in Land even in the face of a zombie apocalypse and how the media has changed and affected news in Diary.

Wow, I really didnt intend for this post to be this long, but ah well, no such thing as too little information!

And that death scene I was talking about;


Oh yeah, its pretty graphic... graphically awesome!!

Also, who would teach a zombie to use a gun?!!?!!!

Ah well. Any way its obvious that there is social commentary in the films I am studying but regardless they are still awesome zombie films.


- Alex x