in 1968, Night of the Living Dead Introduced audiences to zombies, but some may be surprised to learn that the end of the movie was not only monstrous, but highly political. Although zombie movies got their start a little later than other horror subgenres, they are some of the most popular types of scary films. of The evil death to 28 days later, Zombies have long been a source of terror for viewers. However, it is easy to forget where the genre first began, and more importantly, the themes the movie was strongly for.
The first horror film to use reanimated corpses, ie zombies, was George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead. The film begins with a woman named Barbara, who sees her brother killed by a bloodthirsty ghoul.And as a result, finds shelter in a nearby farmhouse. Soon, Barbara discovers that the house is full of people hiding from the monsters. Soon an African American man named Ben arrives and helps protect the house. However, the survivors soon realize that the threat outside may be just as prevalent inside as the strangers turn on each other and fight to survive.
Night of the Living Dead had a shocking ending that was heavily political
As Night of the Living Dead became political
like Night of the Living Dead Coming closer to its conclusion, the survivors in the farmhouse are systematically killed by the Guels, and thus, themselves turned into the undead. The one character who manages to escape this terrible fate is Ben. He successfully takes out the survivors, who were killed, and remains confined to the farm. However, the movie does not end on a hopeful note. The next morning, a squad of policemen arrived to fight the Goyas. awakened by their noise, Ben goes outside, only to be shot and killed after the police mistake him for a ghoul.
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What makes this ending so important is the context behind it. In 1968, the United States was at the tail end of the Civil Rights Movement. For over a decade, black Americans fought to end segregation, and more importantly, have equal rights as white Americans. The civil rights movement came with an abundance of violence, especially between law enforcement and black protesters. so, The end of Night of the Living Dead Represents the horrifying scenario in which a black man, despite his best efforts, still ends up being killed By police simply because of how he looks.
The lasting legacy of Night of the Living Dead and deeper themes explained
Night of the Living Dead was deeply controversial for its time
As it turns out, Ben’s wrongful death is not the only political aspect of Night of the Living Dead. Director George A. Romero was heavily involved in graphic violence, unusual for horror movies of the 1960s, which were often attended by children and teenagers. Also, the fact that all the characters died in the end was amazing. Audiences are left feeling horrified and lost after watching a little girl cannibalize her parents on screenAnd then Ben’s shocking and unnecessary death. Many critics panned the movie, calling it too violent and nihilistic.
However, in the following years night of the living dead, Critics have already seen how the movie revolutionized the horror genre. For the first time, viewers saw a horror story happening to people just like them. The violence was not covered by fog and shadows, but instead, was right on the screen for everyone to see. Night of the Living Dead Also strengthened the zombie genre, and is the basis of all future zombies. But most importantly, Ben’s death sheds light on the truth of 1960s America – a truth many audiences are not ready to face.
How Night of the Living Dead impacted the horror genre since 1968
Night of the Living Dead Changed the horror genre in many ways. First and foremost, it made horror more realistic, and thus scary. Romero introduced the concept of a tragic horror movie ending, which continues to be a popular trend in the genre. Moreover, Romero proved that horror can be evocative and relevant. Night of the Living Dead is a perfect example of how horror movies can draw on real-life themes In order to make a statement or affect an audience. This is something that the best horror movies continue to do to this day.
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In the last decade, Horror movies continue to draw from Night of the Living Dead. In terms of zombies, horror movies have created their own monsters based on the cannibalistic goals introduced in Romero’s movie. More importantly, though, Night of the Living Dead Has led to films like Get out, the cleaning, And Candy. These movies not only scared audiences, but also made them see current events in a completely different way. So, the first zombie Movie was much more impressive than anyone ever thought possible.