Streaming Gems: Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Photo from IMDb
From Shane Conto
What is the most iconic and important zombie film ever created? George A. Romero is one of the most iconic and important filmmakers in the horror genre and revolutionized it with one film. Night of the Living Dead. This is a film that crafted the horror movie idea of what a “zombie” is. This film is one of the most iconic and recognizable representations of zombies. Slow moving. Eerie moaning. Disfigured. Ready to eat some brains. This is THE zombie flick and it has the reputation and respect of a film that has that distinction. There are few zombie films with such pedigree and Romero is certainly the master of them.
What makes this such an impressive and iconic film? There is something special when it comes to such a low budgeted yet effective flick. This feels like a classic style flick with its black-and-white cinematography and intimate hand-held camera work. There is something that feels unnerving when you look at this film where the camera feels like a POV and we are stuck in this isolated farm house and attempting to evade these zombies at all cost. This film only cost roughly $114,000 and that gritty, low budget feel goes a long way in terms of setting an unnerving tone. Turning the lights off late at night with this film is quite the experience for sure.
But what makes this film so important? From the beginning, we are set up to see Barbra (Judith O’Dea) as our protagonist. She is antagonized by her brother (in one of the funniest moments in the whole film) and must go on the run and find her way to this home. In an interesting twist, a black man becomes the leader of these survivors. This is so shocking for a film from 1968 because having a black lead in a film was not common. Genre filmmaking has always been a sandbox for pushing boundaries and that also means in terms of diversity as well. Duane Jones’ Ben is portrayed as a strong and resourceful leader and that is more respect than most black male characters got in film up to that point. Even the final moments of the film hit upon the racial tensions of the time and the complete lack of care regarding black individuals. The scene is shocking and powerful as it nails the themes that Romero wanted to put forth.
What makes Night of the Living Dead so effective? The direction is effective and engrossing. The way the camera moves and the shot choices allow Romero to capture the looming dread of the zombies coming and for the claustrophobia to mount within this farmhouse. There are some shocking moments in the plot as well which keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. The film also has some other impactful themes especially when it comes to human nature. In a post COVID world, we know how people will lie and deceive to avoid the inevitability of illness and death. The way this idea is incorporated with the ramifications of people’s actions makes for some impactful moments in the climax of this film.
If you haven’t seen Night of the Living Dead before, what is the delay? The season might not feel appropriate for such a dark and eerie flick, but this is a film that transcends holiday viewing. There is something deeply impactful and intelligent in regards to Romero’s presentation. The themes are rich and humanistic which resonates so deeply. The story is also impactful with the scares and thrills. Few films in history have captured the creativity and production design that this zombie flick does possess. This low-fi, zombie horror flick is one of the premiere flicks in the horror subgenre and certainly stands the test of time.
Night of the Living Dead is streaming on Mubi.
