Here we have a proper cinematic classic. A critical darling and a film studies mainstay, George A. Romero's 'Night of the Living Dead' (1968) is a film that has gown down in history as a game changer. And quite rightly too. This film effectively created the archetypal zombie that exists in pop culture today. Although not the first zombie film it was the first to portray zombies as the undead, flesheaters we all know and love (the zombies of films like 'White Zombie' (1932) were more like mindless vessels used as slaves.) It is a film that has repeatedly been cited as revolutionary and it's narrative threads and themes can be seen in so many zombie films since. The film follows a group of people who all separately find themselves in an abandoned house attempting to escape the onslaught of 'ghouls'. Confused and scared, the survivors all have different opinions on what is best for the group to survive, leading to in fighting and arguments. The group need to find a way to cooperate and escape the house before the 'ghouls' overwhelm and kill them.
Reading that synopsis you can see just how simple the idea is, but also how recognisable it is to so many other films in the zombie genre. 'Shaun of the Dead' (2004), a film that I have already reviewed in this lockdown list, is effectively the same narrative, and it is a narrative that can be seen in so many zombie films. What this does mean is that people going back and watching this after seeing these newer films may find it cliched, but this is the film that invented those cliches and there is a reason they have been adopted ever since. The narrative is engaging and exciting, managing to drag me in despite this not being my first viewing of the film. This may be due to the politics of the film that keep it interesting. It is a film that comments on race relations in America at the time of its release, as well as being critical of the Vietnam War. These underlying political themes are part of the reason that he film keeps interest on repeat reviewing. On a technical level it is a film that can be hit and miss. On the whole it looks like a professional studio film and not the low budget film that it is. It is shot and lit well and has some great cinematography. The special effects also hold up really well. The gore effects used in the film caused such a stir upon release that it had many people calling for it to be censored or completely banned. Now, the effects are actually quite tame by today's standards, but they are still effective and gruesome. However, there are a couple moments in the film where the cheap budget comes to the fore. I don't actually see this a negative, as they are not so blatant that they ruin the film in anyway and I don't remember noticing them on my first viewing. Also, it gives the film charm that would be missing if it was a hollywood blockbuster.
As with the technical side of the film, the acting is also pretty hit and miss. This is not really all that surprising. This was the first and last foray into film acting. Yet, despite this, every single actor does a decent job. Some of the line readings can be a little wooden an unnaturalistic and there are also a couple of over the top moments, and these are more prevalent with a couple of actors. But known of them put in laughable performances and they all hit the emotional beats that they need to. The two stand out performances come from Duane Jones as Ben and Karl Hardman as Harry Cooper. These are the two characters in which a lot of the racial tension is shown through and both actors do well in getting this tension across in their performances, rather than the film spelling it out. Ben is the protagonist in the film. He is resourceful and calm under pressure, taking control of the situation within the house in order to protect everyone. Jones plays this really well, giving a performance that feels like a character in control, but who has an underbelly of fear and anger. Harry Cooper is an older man who has barricaded himself in the cellar with his wife and young daughter. He is an angry and scared man who is threatened by Ben and insists that he knows better than him. He is a coward and irrational, only seeming to look out for his own self interests. Again, Hardman portrays this very well. The importing thing to note here is that Ben is black and Harry Cooper is white. Here you can see where the racial tension that is shown in the film comes to the fore. The two actors play really well off each other and you sense both of their disdain for each other. It feels real and they should be applauded for that.
'Night of the Living Dead' is an absolute classic of cinema, and you can see why even today. Although not all of it hs aged all that well, it still hold up really well for the most part, and for a film with such a low budget and being 52 years old that is a feat in itself. It is responsible for a whole slew of zombie films that came after. This could be seen as both a positive and a negative depending on your opinion of zombie films, but I would say its definitely a positive even if it was just for 'Shaun of the Dead' and '28 Days Later' (2002). It is still an engaging and exciting watch, and the political themes within the film mean that it is worth more than one watch. It is a definite recommend even if your not a fan of zombie films. If you have an interest in film history or socio-political history as portrayed through films then there is so much here as well. However, I should say it is not a happy film so don't expect any pick me ups. And I will end this review with a line in the film that I felt was really fitting in the current climate. The line reads "Safety advice is to stay at home. Despite this there are thousands of frantic people on the highway." If you don't laugh you'll cry.