I'd be hard-pressed to find anything wrong with this film.
This was basically a perfect set-up. The character's breathed-for a while, of course. Ben (Played by Duane Jones) is interesting in his own right and significantly different than his counterpart, Harry Cooper (played by Karl Hardman). Ben and Harry are both correct in their approach to dealing with the outbreak: Ben was more proactive, while Harry was fear-based. Granted, Harry does earn his fair share of sympathy in the film, his inflexibility and hyper-masculine tendencies dampen any chance in reconciliation. Ben in the other hand, has those same masculine tendencies, but his flexibility in perilous situations is what places Ben in stark contrast to Harry.
Now, onto the monster at hand: the zombies. The make-up is what is to be expected in early horror films.This adds a greater depth to the terror of the film. Each zombie has a story: just look at their clothing, and the occasional heroine needle.
All things considered, and there are many, this is close to perfection in the horror genre.
Rating: 5/5
See I never really paid much attention to what the zombies looked like. To me they were the background and I was always focused in on the drama within the house. But that is an interesting point, and something that can be seen in later movies, that the zombies' outfits do have sort of their own story to tell, like what they were doing before they were killed. Interesting point.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't a huge fan of the zombies. They stated they were coming out of the grave, but none of them looked grave-fresh. I know there was little they could do on their budget and current make-up techniques, but jeez, man, a little dirt on the costumes would have gone a long way.
ReplyDeleteI noticed that toward the end, the costuming and makeup got better, but by then I was so annoyed by what was happening in the house I could barely enjoy it.
I didn't find Mr. Cooper sympathetic, but I did find him realistic. You're right that his approach was highly fear based. I also felt he had a need to dominate. I imagined him the type of man that was working in some cubicle getting constantly bossed around at work, so he tries to overcompensate in his personal life. His relationship with his wife was obviously stained, and she didn't follow his lead as she knew he was more interested in being in charge and 'right' than what was best for everyone. When the social order is nullified by the outbreak, Mr. Cooper views it as his chance to claim the top of the food chain, but the other easily see this as the selfish power grab it is.
ReplyDeleteThe zombies were unique characters. Since they were the recently dead, there was no need for rotting limbs and extreme decay, but I did feel they could have been done up a little more. If I recall, many of them were Romero's friends who volunteered to shuffle for the camera, so I bet each of them thought more about their zombie character than just a paid extra.