Introduction
Films often draw inspiration from real life, even if they do not specifically focus on reflecting reality. Different political events and social and cultural phenomena can also present a source of inspiration for filmmakers. The clash of fiction and details inspired by historical facts can be explicitly observed in horror genre films. The horror genre is generally expected to utilize real-life elements in the story to instill genuine fear in the audience. Therefore, the mix of fiction and reality in horror genre films presents a significant detail in the correlation between art and topical events of the time.
How Events Influence Films
In order to explain how horror films draw inspiration from cultural and social events, this paper will analyze one of the most important modern films in the genre, George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead. The film focused on the events of one night when several strangers were grouped together to survive the sudden attack of undead ghouls. The film famously stars a black actor as the story’s main hero, which presented a significant social event for that time (Russell). However, diving deeper into the film’s political context, one could point out that Romero drew inspiration from the chaos formed in society by political movements, such as the Anti-War and Civil Rights protests (Punch). Thus, the director illustrated society’s inability to withstand a severe threat through the group of characters who prioritize their interests instead of uniting in the fight.
Furthermore, Night of the Living Dead is one of the first horror films that tried to explain the appearance of bloodthirsty ghouls from the point of science. The cause of the ghouls’ appearance is believed to be connected with radioactive contamination in the probe from another planet (Night of the Living Dead). The detail also reflects the important cultural tendencies of society from that period, in which scientists actively explored space, which was incomprehensible and intimidating to ordinary people. In addition, the society of that time experienced explosive growth in the production of goods and consumerism in which Romero’s zombies symbolized manipulated masses (Punch). The ghouls were uninterested in material things and instead posed a direct threat to human lives, which can be perceived as a negative commentary on society.
Tom Savini’s remake of the film in 1990 features additional, more modern themes in the story. The story’s focus is switched to Barbara’s reimagined character, and significantly more details add to her character’s progression (Century). For example, the remake mentions Barbara’s complex relationships with her mother, who perhaps chose a remote place for her burial to purposefully annoy Barbara (Savini). While Romero originally envisioned Barbara’s character to be more tough and independent, the shift of the main character in the remake is connected with the rise of the Final Girl trope in 1980s horror films (Helm). The trope where only one girl from a group of initial characters survives the terror of killings presents filmmakers’ reaction to the second wave of the feminist movement (Helm). Thus, the reimagined character of Barbara presents clear evidence of the correlation between art and topical events of the time.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this essay explored how different social, cultural, and political events influence art and, specifically, films. The connection is more present in the horror genre as it relies on the combination of fiction and real-life elements to achieve maximum impact on the audience. The analysis of Night of the Living Dead defined that the original film drew inspiration from the political climate of that time, prominent cultural events in the development of science, and society’s values. Comparing the original film with the remake illustrated how characters in films can be reimagined or adapted to fit society’s expectations.
Works Cited
Century, Sara. “How the 1990’s Night of the Living Dead Remake Reimagined Barbara.” Syfy, 2020.
Helm, Courtney. “The Final Girl: Dancing Between Feminism and Misogyny.” Wicked Horror, 2020.
Night of the Living Dead. Directed by George A. Romero, performance by Duane Jones, Continental Distributing, 1968.
Punch, David A. “Night of the Living Dead: Horrors of Reality Manifested in the Flesh.” Medium, 2018. Web.
Russell, Calum. “The Importance of Duane Jones’ Character in Night of the Living Dead.” Far Out, 2022. Web.
Savini, Tom, director. Night of the Living Dead. Columbia Pictures, 1990.