A Decent Addition to the "Dead" Saga
George Romero's Diary of the Dead begins with a bang. The first several sequences set the tone for what will surely be a stellar, jump-out-of-your-seat zombie survival horror film. I was wrong.
The film, shot entirely in subjective, takes us on a mildly entertaining roller coaster from the hilarious to horrific. We follow not Romero's camera, but that of his characters as they react to the cataclysmic development. The characters are oddly believable despite some instances of absurd (non-)decision-making.
Romero succeeds in defying expectations established by classic and more recent zombie fare. At times during the film, a scene so perfectly welcomes a zombie's arrival only to be deflated by mere discord between the characters. Romero constructs a film that will produce more questions and contemplation than enduring nightmares. It is a film that essentially turns the camera back on the viewer and encourages us to think about viewership and its effect on a world in which the line between truth and opinion is increasingly blurred.
Is this my least favorite of the "...of the Dead" series? Yes. Is it disappointingly not terrifying? That too. That being said, give this film a shot. You may have to grin and bear some corny lines and improbable situations, but what you must not be remiss to acknowledge is the film's thoughtful, intelligent composition and the questions it poses.
Enjoy.
The film, shot entirely in subjective, takes us on a mildly entertaining roller coaster from the hilarious to horrific. We follow not Romero's camera, but that of his characters as they react to the cataclysmic development. The characters are oddly believable despite some instances of absurd (non-)decision-making.
Romero succeeds in defying expectations established by classic and more recent zombie fare. At times during the film, a scene so perfectly welcomes a zombie's arrival only to be deflated by mere discord between the characters. Romero constructs a film that will produce more questions and contemplation than enduring nightmares. It is a film that essentially turns the camera back on the viewer and encourages us to think about viewership and its effect on a world in which the line between truth and opinion is increasingly blurred.
Is this my least favorite of the "...of the Dead" series? Yes. Is it disappointingly not terrifying? That too. That being said, give this film a shot. You may have to grin and bear some corny lines and improbable situations, but what you must not be remiss to acknowledge is the film's thoughtful, intelligent composition and the questions it poses.
Enjoy.
- jose-leonor
- Feb 14, 2008