Day of the Dead

Despite it being my least favorite of the series, I took the opportunity to watch Day of the Dead last night. Given that I just wrote about Land of the Dead, I guess that this means I will be discussing Romero’s films in reverse chronological order. That’s ok though, as it saves my favorite for last.

Pausing for a second to think about it, I’m not entirely certain what it is about this film that I don’t like. I think it may have largely been due to the acting of the soldiers. The concept behind those characters makes sense to me (their aggression, distrust/lack-of-understanding of the scientists, deteriorating mental stability, etc.), but I think their performances were just a little too over the top, and consequently, annoying.

[ZOMBIE INTELLIGENCE]

I am also not crazy about the whole zombie intelligence concept that Romero introduces in Day of the Dead, and then further demonstrates in Land of the Dead. I don’t think there is anything inherently flawed about the idea, as I believe that there is no way of truly knowing what characteristics zombies may exhibit, in the event that an outbreak does occur. However, as a matter of personal preference, I lean towards the concept of an mindless, indiscriminate plague, as opposed to unique identifiable villains.

[ZOMBIE DOMESTICATION]

This is one, if not the primary, concept explored in this chapter of Romero’s saga. Much of the story, and its conflict, centers around Dr. Logan’s research, and his rather gruesome experiments with undead subjects. He, and the film as a whole, puts forward the theory that the zombies are not completely mindless, and that they can be conditioned and controlled. I am personally a bit skeptical about this possibility, though I can’t lay down any solid backing for this opinion. I guess that regardless of how much the undead differ from the living, some level of instinct or intelligence must remain. How else could they identify and pursue the living? If some viral plague turns us into monsters of this nature, who’s to say that some measurable level of intelligence or memory will not be retained? It goes against my feeling of what is to be expected, but we need to stay open-minded.

[MILITARY RULE]

Another interesting element in the film is the rather volatile dynamic between the soldiers and civilian team members. I think this is a situation that everyone should give consideration, as a zombie outbreak would likely push many people into similar circumstances. A wide spread crisis will undoubtedly be quickly followed by martial law, and I’d guess that a substantial number of the survivors will be those under military protection. I’m sure there will be plenty of civilian survivors who make it just fine on their own, but in any group there will be divisions and struggles for power. Maintaining peace, civility, and good mental health will be a monumental challenge for everyone, and I’m honestly not sure what the best solution might be.

I’m guessing that groups of survivors will attempt to organize themselves to loosely resemble various models of government. Some survivors will be under strict military rule, others will attempt to form pseudo-democracies, and I’m sure many will use the chaos to seize absolute power and rule with violence. The situation in Day of the Dead is one that began with civilians simply under the protection of the military, but then it shifted to military rule, and eventually came under the authority of a single dictator. I’m not sure what could have been done to prevent this, as I think it is the natural end-result, when people with conflicting beliefs are trapped together in a high stress, no hope, scenario. I can only venture that survivors should do what they can to distribute and balance the control of the group, establish common goals, and work towards those ends.

[MILITARY BASE] -

[LONG-TERM DEFENSE]

To move onto another aspect of the film, I found the underground base be rather interesting choice. I can’t imagine that there are many of these bunkers available for just anyone to hole up in, but if there were, I really don’t think it would be the wisest choice of refuge. It would certainly be safe and secure (provided you hadn’t decided to fill up the adjoining caverns with zombie test subjects), but I think you’re at high risk of cutting yourself off from the surface. I wouldn’t turn down the opportunity to utilize that facility, but I’d sure as hell work on establishing a secure perimeter around my surface entrance. I just don’t understand why the soldiers decided a rickety chain-link fence was enough to protect their only means of escape. The surface is unquestionably vital real estate if they are going to be stuck there indefinitely. A bunker like that may have food provisions to last years, and could possibly support hydroponic gardens, but I really think they will need the land above if they are to hope for any measure of permanency in that position.

Those are just a few key points that stand out, but there is much more that could be discussed. Much like my post on Land of the Dead, I have some criticisms, but I still enjoyed the movie. There is plenty of entertainment to be found, and the social implications addressed in this film deserve serious consideration by any who hope to continue surviving after the initial chaos has passed.