This year the
Melbourne International Film Festival will be holding a career retrospective on the undeniable master and father of the zombie movie George A. Romero. The screenings will begin with the classic and highly influential 1968 film,
Night of the Living Dead.
Upon watching this contemporary horror masterpiece you begin to appreciate how it has shaped the way we understand horror films. The list of movies that pay homage (or blatantly rip-off) this film is so vast you’d wonder why Romero isn’t a household name. Inspired by the Richard Matheson novel
I am Legend (the most recent film version starring Will Smith), it hasn’t lost any of its spooky and eerie feel even after forty years.
The low budget film uses the black and white imagery to its full advantage creating a real sense of suspense and, in some instances, horror that still shocks. As with any film that is almost half a century old it has dated a little bit, but the central story and shocking conclusion still manage to have an impact.
The film looks at the misfortunes of a mismatched group of strangers who find themselves taking shelter from the ravenous living dead in an abandoned farm house. The simple setup is used for full dramatic effect and the suspense and claustrophobia the film evokes is still powerful.
The film also serves as a political snapshot of the US in the late '60s. Romero brilliantly challenged horror film standards of the time by providing a gory and unexpectedly bleak take on the genre that has undoubtedly shaped modern horror movies.
Re-made twice with four sequels and too many imitators to count, there is nothing quite like experiencing the film that started it all. Although not as shocking as when it first premiered, it still provides plenty of scares and truly suspenseful moments.
Interesting side note, the living dead are never referred to as zombies in the film.
- Review by Sebastian Cordoba.
- Night of the Living Dead will screen at 7pm on Tuesday, July 29 at ACMI. To purchase tickets head to the program page.
Check out the trailer: