NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD – The Dungeon Review!

“They keep coming back in a bloodthirsty lust for HUMAN FLESH!”

When I started this blog, one of my goals was to check out more horror titles from the 1960′s and previous. A seriously neglected part of the genre for me are those filmed in black and white. Having watched several classic films this year I thought it was about time I revisited one of my all-time favourite’s, Romero’s ‘Night of The Living Dead’.

The action starts immediately, as we watch a car pull into a deserted graveyard. Barbara and Johnny have come to visit their father’s grave and are assaulted by a man. When Johnny is knocked out, Barbara makes a run for it, and eventually comes to an isolated house where she seeks shelter. Barbara meets Ben who has stopped in hopes of finding fuel, but has found the pump locked. As a swarm of zombies gather, Ben decides the best course of action is to fortify their shelter. After several hours they discover there is a small group of five survivors holed up in the basement. The group are Harry and Helen Cooper, daughter Karen and young couple Tom and Judy. Harry’s confrontational and ego-driven fits enrage Ben, so the two butt heads instantly. The tension between the two really adds to the precarious nature of their situation. Barbara is in shock and has suffered a complete mental breakdown and Karen; the Cooper’s daughter is laying barely conscious. With plenty working against them they attempt to construct the best plan of action. An interesting group of characters dealing with an unthinkable circumstance. Duane Jones is outstanding as Ben and delivers an emotional but grounded performance. The acting by all the cast is quite decent. The one and only minor complaint I have is that the women in the film are all pretty useless. The two female leads, O’Dea and Ridley unintentionally battle it out as to who has the better “deer caught in the head lights” look.

I loved the radio broadcasts and televised news footage segments. Early broadcasts warned people to “Get off the streets” and “We don’t know what kind of murder-happy characters we have here”. Later broadcasts confirm that people are coming back from the dead. At one point a commentator announces in horror that victims are being eaten. Every new piece of information learned makes the situation more harrowing.

There are two types of zombies in ‘Night of The Living Dead’. There are the freshly dead who were reanimated by the radiation and then the people who were bitten and have become zombies. The reanimated freshly dead look relatively normal but dazed. Those who were bitten are in various stages of decay and are considerably gorier. The zombies are shown gnawing away on organs and body parts, ripping and tearing away at the human flesh. In one scene there is an impromptu human barbecue where several zombies converge to grab themselves a chunk of the delicious meat. The effects makeup and action scenes really are outstanding. Certainly by modern standards or even Romero’s own, in later films, it may seem tame, but it is considerably more graphic than others I’ve seen from the decade. There is an intense sense of dread that builds slowly through the entire film.

It oozes atmosphere out of every pore. The cinematography is extremely effective. The numerous shots of the living dead ambling among the fields and trees on the surrounding land are a visceral treat. The number of zombies multiplies with every glance outside, and suddenly a shelter begins feeling like a coffin. The feeling of hopelessness is overwhelming and Romero does not reward with a happy ending. It is bleak, cynical and horrifying. Concentrating on the human reaction to the zombie outbreak instead of the creatures themselves allowed Romero to make some interesting and thought-provoking commentary. It is the manner in which he handles his subject that results is a truly eerie and memorable experience. A classic in every sense of the word. In my opinion, ‘Night of The Living Dead’ is one of the best horror films ever made, period. Romero is King. My highest of recommendations!

Dungeon Rating: 5/5

Directed By: George A. Romero

Starring: Duane Jones, Judith O’Dea, Karl Hardman, Marilyn Eastman, Keith Wayne, Judith Ridley, Kyra Schon