These humans. Maybe they are the weird ones. Maybe they are the zombies -- a term that's never actually used in the film. Instead of "zombies," the undead are called "ghouls." They are also called "mass murderers." We will eventually see them eating the flesh of human beings.
But the humans are not so noble, either. They bicker and argue. They complain. They stab each other in the back. And, they walk across the landscape, killing anything in their way without much thought.
What's maybe the most interesting aspect of the film is the casting of Duane Jones (Ben). I don't know how 1960s audiences reacted to him, but he's the lead of the film, and he's black. The only other lead black actor of the period that I can think of is Sidney Portier, and Jones is not Portier. Which is not to say he's a horrible actor -- he's just not a known quantity. In a film featuring mainly horrible actors, he's actually not too shabby.
My guess is that George Romero used non-actors in this film. (I plan to research this before finishing the review). I'm also guessing there wasn't much of a written script. There wouldn't need to be, because the main thing is this: Humans holed up in house, trying to make it through the night without the zombies getting them.
The zombies. They all died of radiation poisoning? I feel like the cause is still somewhat underdeveloped. Why were some people affected by the radiation while most weren't? Was this, as the TV news reports suggest, a localized problem? And yet, it was a national problem, too -- maybe just radiation outbreaks in different regional areas, and apparently mainly in rural areas, not urban areas. A big enough problem to attract the attention of the President, but Washington D.C. itself seems to be operating normally...
But back to Ben: He's a black man who makes it through the night. He and the houseful of humans unsuccessfully attempt to make it to a safe location and fail, but in the end, it seems like Ben will be rescued. So what happens to him at the end, and is this a zombie movie, or is it a social commentary on American society in the 1960s, using zombies as a way to discuss it?
If Ben were just another generic white actor, would the ending have the same impact? Would it transcend beyond the surface -- just a silly zombie movie -- to something more?
Professional actors? Apparently, the main cast are professionals, but the zombies and some of the minor parts used locals and non-professionals. The film itself was made on a shoe-string budget -- about $100,000. The zombies themselves: Sometimes completely naked (no shame). Don't like light or fire but sometimes have an understanding of how to use tools. What compels them to attack humans? Are they just attracted to humans like moths are to flames?
As a zombie movie, I find it weird and somewhat underwhelming. I'd much rather watch Shaun of the Dead. But for its "social commentary" aspect, I like it slightly better. I've been mentioning that Ben is black, but I think it's important and significant that race is never once mentioned in the film. Race adds an unspoken dynamic that any 1960s American viewer probably would have noticed, but Romero was correct not to draw attention to it. He didn't have to.
Rating: 3/5 stars
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