MPAA Rating: NR/Genre: Horror/ Stars: David Emge, Ken Foree, Scott Reiniger, Gaylen Ross, David Crawford, David Early, Richard France, Howard Smith, Daniel Dietrich/ Runtime: 127 minutes
When George A. Romero’s nil-for-a-budget nightmare on film masterpiece that is Night of the Living Dead first struck fear into the hearts of audiences in the long-gone year of 1968, it is my distinct belief that absolutely nobody could ever in a million and one years have been able to guess the haunting yet lasting impact it would contribute to the world of cinema as we know it. Indeed this was a cinematic experience which proved to be a nightmarish intro for film goers to an amount of violent content of a graphic nature that in American theaters had never truly been seen before. Yet more than that, it would be this movie’s horrific and seemingly omniscient fright and horror which would eternally traumatize film-goers for generations then and since.
However, despite the fact that the first film found itself embracing a quite unexpected success in the world of mainstream cinema for such a little-train-that-could indie film, the filmmaking team behind the chills tragically saw slim to none of the film’s box office profits. So it was that following the first one’s release, George Romero would see his efforts in the aftermath be met with disappointment and severely dent his standing in the world of movie making thus resulting in him facing quite the battle to secure the necessary funds for a sequel to the original nightmare. Then, just when all hope seemed lost, a miracle arrived. A miracle in the form of a horror movie icon from Italy by the name of Dario Argento. Argento, at this time, was a wonderful commodity due to his work on such films as Suspiria. He was also an unabashed fan of Romero’s first zombie epic and wanted to help Romero get off the ground on the 2nd movie. With that in mind, Argento suggested a partnership with Romero where Argento would get him the money he needed to make the film, but in return Romero gave him the ability to be the overseer on an international version of the film. Seeing an amazing opportunity, Romero happily agreed. Suffice it to say that this was the right choice to make: not only for Romero, but for horror fans worldwide. That is because at the end of the day the movie that would become known as Dawn of the Dead has since gone on to become of the most regarded and beloved horror films ever made. Not only that, but Dawn of the Dead is also rock-solid evidence that extremely high amounts of blood, gore; and just general violence does not mean a film is completely idiotic in any way and there just aren’t a whole lot of films who are able to fulfill that. Yet even with all of these accolades to its name, perhaps the most significant achievement that this film manages to achieve is not only that it made George Romero a name for horror fans to always remember and look up to, but it sent a message that there was a new sub-genre of horror cinema on the block and it was time to start taking it a lot more seriously.
The plot is as follows: following the nightmarish events in Night of the Living Dead, the undead apocalypse has simply managed to spiral further out of control to the point that society is now on the verge of complete and total collapse. Thus it is into this madhouse version of our world, that we see 4 individuals: 2 SWAT officers, a helicopter pilot, and his news station operator girlfriend decide to work together and take off in a helicopter to try and get to safety amidst the chaos. It isn’t long thereafter however that they find themselves stumbling upon a giant indoor shopping mall, and seeing an opportunity, decide to take over the mall from the hordes of the undead both on the inside and outside. Yet while they are successful in their attempts to do so, and thus begin to have some kind of normal life, they will eventually find themselves faced with another dilemma. A dilemma that takes the form of the question not only of how long can this utopia last, but also what are our protagonists willing to sacrifice to keep it theirs? Suffice it to say that by the end of the movie you will know the answers to these questions even though there will be a part of you that wishes you didn’t……
Now the not so subtle dual analysis not only on how we are our own worst enemy as well as how vapid and vain a consumer-obsessed society that the director seems determined to place into the movie may initially come across as blurry or disorganized due to the aspect that we choose not to see it; instead we would much rather see that what our protagonists are doing makes all the sense in the world. Yet in my distinct opinion, I would like to argue that this is where just how brilliant that analysis truly comes to the surface. That is because this film, when you really stop and think about, is actually a brilliant look at just how individuals who live in a consumer-based society would legitimately react in this particular nightmare and that happens to make the analysis all the more powerful. In addition, this may be a movie that focuses on the threat of the undead, but Romero manages to insert a documentary-esque feeling to what goes on in the film that works beautifully due to Romero giving the audience just enough to keep them satisfied and wanting more. To be fair, the gore near the conclusion of the film does go a little bit above and beyond, but to be fair even the gore is true to what you might expect a bloodbath committed by massive hordes of undead to look like.
Now due to the fact that Romero was able to create such an extraordinary feeling of realism in this film, it also enables us as an audience to genuinely care about the people at the heart of this madness even if we as an audience aren’t really given a whole lot of background about them or that the actors involved aren’t really household names to say the least. Yet I think that is for the best because by doing this, and that is because this enable an audience to insert themselves into just what is going on in the movie, and really get the vibe that we actually have a part to play in just what is going on throughout the movie. Incidentally this also helps the conclusion of the film pack much more of an emotional wallop due to the false security Romero has slyly been enveloping you with throughout the duration of the movie up until that point. Suffice it to say that at the conclusion you as an audience member will actually empathize with the characters and their situation. Thus even though you want to see the inevitable zombie slaughter go down, I mean that is one of the reasons people watch these movies, this one is unique in that this slaughter is one you would rather not have happen to these people. Indeed this psychological tug-of-war is one that cannot be done masterfully that often, but Romero manages to make it work absolutely beautifully here.
This madhouse of a film also is aided immensely by fantastic musical accompaniment courtesy of Dario Argento’s on-call band-for-hire Goblin. Indeed I would even go on the record to say that, with the exception of Suspiria, this is most certainly some of this band’s finest work. I mean this is a musical score that manages to fit to a t what is going on in the film that I really do not think either of these aspects could truly exist separate of each other. Indeed there are many movies where the music seems superficial at best and unnecessary at worst. This movie however has a score that is neither of those things; rather it has a score that not only enhances what is being shown to us, but also makes us feel like what we are watching is frighteningly real rather than just a horrific nightmare that we will eventually wake up from.
Now since a lot of people will mostly give this film a shot on account of the alleged amount of gore that is displayed throughout, it is my pleasure to let you know that this movie most certainly won’t let you down with regard to that. That is because this film is, in complete honesty, one of the goriest cinematic experiences, with perhaps Cannibal Holocaust and a few others being the exceptions, ever put to celluloid. Indeed not only is it animalistic and brutal in nature, but there are quite a few moments within this film that manage to achieve a level of grotesque that most cinema would never aspire to, and most conventional audiences would never wish to see. Thankfully this film is not meant for a “conventional audience” and if you are the kind of person who enjoys that kind of thing trust me when I say the gore in this will stay with you for a long, long time. It is also worth noting that these effects would not have possible for Dawn of the Dead were it not for the genius that is Tom Savini at the helm of the make-up/effects department. Indeed this is a movie which needed a true god of gore to be able to make these effects as squirm-inducing and nausea-creating as they are and Savini manages to deliver just that and then some. Indeed it really is no wonder then that this movie helped his work in make-up/ effects take off and really help him become the revered horror icon he is today.
All in all Dawn of the Dead “78” is most certainly and without a doubt in my mind easily one of the greatest and most crucial horror films ever created. Indeed this is a film which not only managed to inspire quite the gauntlet of imitators and parodies that are still in the process of being filmed and shown to audiences even today, but it is also a film which is pretty highly regarded on quite a few lovers of horror cinema’s lists of their most enjoyed films in this storied genre. Indeed it really truly doesn’t matter how many zombie movies are made or how many years may pass because at the end of the day and now and always, this movie, thanks to phenomenal work from everyone involved, will prove to be an undeniable masterpiece for audiences to be chilled and horrified by for years to come. Just always remember: “When there is no more room in Hell the dead will walk the Earth”…..On a scale of 1-5 I give Dawn of the Dead “78” a solid 4.5 out of 5.
