“I’m pointing the finger at us, not at the zombies.” – George A. Romero
Believe it or not, we just passed the 39th anniversary of George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead. If you grew up on a steady diet of video store VHS horror, then you probably idolized Romero and watched his Dead Trilogy every chance you got.
Romero’s first zombie film, 1968’s Night of the Living Dead, was the “little indie flick that could.” Even if by happy accident, as Romero always claimed, the film reminded us of just how much horror can teach us about the world. An unflinching look at race issues in America, it is just as relevant today as it was 50 years ago. The violence and gore shocked audiences. The infamous zombie feast still holds up. As Night of the Living Dead comes to an end, the zombies slowly devour the entrails of two of the film’s heroes. A little girl turns into a zombie and brutally murders her mother. After this, there was no turning back for American horror.
It wasn’t until Dawn of the Dead that the Dead Series solidified its place in horror history. The film, picking up where Night left off, continues to explore America’s social tensions. It warned against overindulgence in mass pop culture. And with Tom Savini at the helm, the film’s special effects raised the stakes for on-screen gore and violence and made Savini a household name. All of this, combined with Romero’s teaming with Dario Argento and Goblin’s haunting operatic score, came together to create a vital addition to the zombie canon.
Roger Ebert, a notorious hater of almost all things horror, gave Dawn four stars. He called it “sickening and appalling,” but also “brilliantly created and savagely merciless in its satirical view of American consumer society.” Dawn of the Dead cautions us of the dangers of our distractions. The film demands that we acknowledge the pitfalls of our greed and obsession with material things. It forces us to face the reality that our biggest danger isn’t the “others” lurking just outside the door- it is us.
And the thematic undertones did not stop at the problems of America’s fascination with consumption. The turmoil of the opening scenes demonstrates society’s turbulent reliance on the media. Racial injustice and social inequity are highlighted by the attack on the inner city apartment building. Dozens of minorities are holed up in the building, trying to contain their dead friends and family. They do not trust the authorities and do not want the police to intervene for fear of their lives. And when the SWAT team swoops in, and all sides shootout ensues. It is haunting and disheartening to think that this disharmony between law enforcement and minorities is still so relevant and accurate almost forty years later.
Awesome ways to celebrate Dawn of the Dead:
- Rewatch the film. But don’t just watch Romero’s American version. Carve out about six hours of time, and a few bucks, and get the Collector’s Extended Edition Box Set on Amazon. Watch all three major versions. Start with Romero’s alternate ending American-released film. Then compare it with Argento’s Italian-released cut. Finish off with the 1978 Cannes Film Festival Extended Edition.
- Check out the re-release of Goblin’s Complete Score on vinyl, available on Discogs.com.
- On the East Coast? Check out The Living Dead Weekend. You can spend the weekend in the actual mall where the movie was filmed. There are vendors, special events, panels, guest stars, and all kinds of zombified fun.
- Check out Zach Snyder’s 2004 remake, available On Demand and for rent on Amazon and iTunes, and decide for yourself which version is the superior film.
Is the film your favorite Romero zombie flick? Let us know how Dawn of the Dead ranks for you!
