Dawn of the Dead is set on the eve of the apocalypse, as zombies progressively take over the United States. The film tells the story of a mysterious sickness that sweeps the country, forcing the recently deceased to rise from their graves and prowl the countryside, fueled by a thirst for human blood. Aerial pictures of the city and the countryside reveal deserted streets, army tanks, and gun-wielding rural folk plucking off undead like fish in a nuclear barrel. The film’s four characters, namely Stephen, Peter, Roger, and Francine, escape the pandemonium by helicopter to take refuge in a Monroeville Mall (Gab Rain, 2020). Their shelter quickly becomes a contemporary Paradise as they subsist on the riches of numerous department stores while indulging in sweets, music, and fur coats.
Nonetheless, as the film unfolds, the heroes are accused of having the same illnesses as the zombies, namely selfishness and greed. Even in the zombies’ presence, the survivors are entangled in the illusion of having everything they have always desired. Hence, if the economy no longer exists, money is still valuable. In the film, consumer psychology is clearly portrayed. For instance, when confronted with a genuine danger of zombies, the survivors try to downplay the issue by listing all of the excellent and valuable items they can grab from shops. The protagonists occupy their time with recreation and material luxuries, but they are never satisfied.
Thus, the film director refuses to distinguish between people and zombies by emphasizing their similarities. The movie questions the idea of what it means to be entirely human by creating a picture in which people and zombies are equally equated, whether aesthetically or narratively. Essentially, Monroeville Mall was one of the first megalopolis retail malls. Its stores provide groceries, clothes, equipment, and firearms—everything a typical customer may want. Important to note that zombies flock to Monroeville Mall, but not for food. The wandering zombies are like window shoppers meandering about on a calm weekday afternoon, not purchasing but observing. Zombies recall their consumption drive, making them less faceless and more human. The first impact of the producer’s visuals, I believe, is to make viewers see the picture as more than simply its horrific extremities. He wants to emphasize that the zombies in Dawn of the Dead are not wicked ones. They behave following their nature and temperaments, and despite the blood and violence streaming from their mouths, they are innocent.
The wickedness is in the healthy survivors, and the true depravity emerges when two gangs of surviving members compete over the retail mall. Nevertheless, Dawn of the Dead is more nuanced than that because the survivors have courage and a sense of humor. To conclude, being at ease with the circumstance does not mean that there is no greater one lurking around the corner. The film director shows a materialistic society to the viewers. For instance, it is easy to ignore the misery, violence, and murder that is wreaking havoc on the planet after people have grown accustomed to what they can possess. Ultimately, consumerism, not zombies, is the actual enemy depicted in the film. The protagonists’ extended stay in Monroeville Mall culminates in a brutal criticism of humankind and commercial society more than the monstrosity of the living dead because the one spawned the other.
Reference
Gab Rain. (2020). Dawn of the Dead 1978 remastered 1080p. [Video]. Web.