How 'Night Of The Living Dead' Redefined Horror
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George A. Romero's 1968 classic "Night of the Living Dead" is more than just a horror film; it's a manifesto for the modern horror genre. This landmark film took inspiration from the racial and political strife of late-60s America and created what has been described as "a vérité nightmare which overturned the conventions of fantastical horror."
Romero did more than just shift the genre's setting from gothic castles to the Pennsylvania countryside; he ushered in a new era of horror cinema, transitioning from the classic to the modern.
Starting in a cemetery, with nods to classic horror icons like Vincent Price and Universal Monsters, it lulls you into familiarity before abruptly thrusting you into a stark new world of apocalyptic horror. The shift is palpable as the protagonist, Barbara, flees from a classic horror movie into a modern nightmare.
The film's impact is furthered by the arrival of the protagonist, Ben, played by Duane Jones when opportunities for black actors were limited. Ben and Barbara find themselves besieged in a remote farmhouse, attempting to fortify it against a horde of flesh-eating zombies.
But what truly sets "Night of the Living Dead" apart is its portrayal of zombies as flesh-eating beings, symbolizing a society devouring itself from within. This allegory of societal decay became a central metaphor in modern apocalyptic horror.
The film's narrative unfolds almost in real time, compressing the apocalypse into a single night, leaving both characters and viewers to witness the moment when history collapses. It's like watching a big bang in reverse, as life diminishes at a rapid rate until there is nothing left of the world we once knew on screen.
"Night of the Living Dead" remains a cultural touchstone for its independent cinema success story and its fearless blending of gruesome horror with acute social commentary. It challenged the norms of its time and paved the way for modern horror.
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