As a film enthusiast and someone who grew up watching horror classics, I found Zack Snyder’s remake of “Dawn of the Dead” to be a visually stunning yet intellectually disappointing spectacle. Having revered George Romero’s original masterpiece for its profound social commentary, I was eagerly anticipating a modern take that would resonate with the current zeitgeist.
To remake a film from a well-respected director like George Romero requires a good deal of drive and ambition. In 2004, Zack Snyder took up this challenge with his remake of Dawn of the Dead. Romero’s 1978 movie, a sequel to the groundbreaking 1968 film Night of the Living Dead, is often hailed as the pinnacle of the so-called zombie apocalypse genre. Given that Romero co-wrote Dawn of the Dead with Italian horror legend Dario Argento, it’s clear Snyder had a daunting task ahead of him. Romero’s film used zombies to critique consumer culture.
2004 saw me witnessing a film that never hesitated to deliver an exhilarating blend of speed, audacious gore effects, and action sequences that felt like riding a rollercoaster. Critics and audiences alike lauded Snyder’s 2004 remake, as it kept the pedal to the metal when it came to dishing out an unrelenting barrage of action, rivaling other contemporary zombie films such as “28 Days Later”. However, beneath the hordes of ravenous undead and the blood-splattered screen, there lies a disappointing lack of substance that becomes glaringly obvious when compared to Romero’s original vision.
Too Much Familiarity to Stand Out
It’s noticeable that when a horror subgenre like zombie apocalypse films sees success, it often leads to more similar productions being made. For instance, Zack Snyder’s Dawn of the Dead emerged only two years after 28 Days Later, a movie often recognized for revitalizing the genre with its quick and fierce zombies, replacing the traditional slow-moving undead. However, the credit for this change in how zombies are portrayed should rightfully go to Italian director Umberto Lenzi, who had previously introduced this feature in Nightmare City, a film that both the 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead and 28 Days Later have significant influences from.
In the same period when video games were growing in complexity and visual appeal, both films were released. Games like “Resident Evil” perhaps made the concept of a zombie apocalypse more relatable for those who may not have been familiar with the works of Romero or Lucio Fulci. Given that the entertainment world often follows trends and familiarity, it’s no surprise that the 2004 remake of “Dawn of the Dead” incorporated these elements into its portrayal, which could be seen as a disadvantage. In essence, if the original “Dawn of the Dead” was similar to reading a thoughtful graphic novel, Snyder’s remake felt like watching someone play a video game at its toughest setting.
Romero’s prior work in media enabled him to portray Night of the Living Dead in a way that seemed almost like a real-life account of the unfolding events. By 1978, when he worked on Dawn of the Dead, he had the advantage of collaborating with Tom Savini, a former combat medic and special effects expert, which lent a comic book-like feel to the violence, blending color and chaos effectively to create an intriguing portrayal of a world that the original Dawn of the Dead trailer suggested had fallen drastically apart. Unlike Romero’s work, Snyder’s approach prioritizes entertainment over subversive commentary, providing sensory stimulation but catering more to audience expectations rather than provoking thought and questioning conventions.
In Romero’s films, a deep examination of characters’ reactions during crises is presented, making for compelling storytelling by immersing ordinary individuals in extraordinary situations. However, Snyder’s attempt to replicate this essential element from previous works falls short. Instead, the characters portrayed by Snyder are mostly one-dimensional and not particularly memorable. In essence, they tend to fade into the background as chaos ensues and the undead begin feasting on the living.
A Lack of Commentary and a Pointless Cameo
Horror films don’t always need to be filled with satire or social-political discussions; sometimes, they just serve as an exhilarating escape from everyday life’s strains and tensions. The mall plays a crucial role in both versions of “Dawn of the Dead“. It symbolizes mindless consumerism and, at one point, was a cultural phenomenon. The portrayal of the mall by Romero underscores the desire for consumer goods among the public, with the zombies representing the consumers drawn to the location instinctively. The trailer of his version clearly showcases this commentary, particularly with the line: “We have bred our own savagery.
Snyder’s interpretation lacks any insightful analysis concerning the urge for mass consumerism. Instead, it employs a shopping mall as the battlefield against zombie invasions and showcases an array of inventive ways to eliminate them, but unfortunately, it doesn’t delve deeper. If the remake overlooks the importance of portraying the madness and addiction to consumerism, it includes a brief appearance from one of the actors from Romero’s movie, whose dialogue loses some of its original impact due to the rephrasing.
In this rephrased version, the line “When there’s no more room in Hell, the dead will walk the Earth,” spoken by Ken Foree in the classic movie Dawn of the Dead, is followed by a conversation delving into the genuine origins of zombies, rooted in Voodoo. In less than two minutes, Romero connects the contemporary zombie – a metaphor for modern consumerism – to its roots in mythology and folklore. The brief appearance of Foree as a televangelist in the 2004 remake, where he compares the zombie apocalypse to a divine retribution for human immorality, mirrors the puritanical ideas that have persisted in the U.S. for several generations.
An Ambitious but Disappointing Effort
It’s rather uncharitable for a spectator to write off any fresh take or adaptation of previously established content without first evaluating the creativity and dedication invested in it. Zack Snyder’s 2004 reimagining of George Romero’s iconic original exemplifies the determination of a director to present a modernized interpretation of a film cherished by countless fans.
In essence, the 2004 adaptation of Dawn of the Dead is an enjoyable thrill-ride that attracts numerous viewers, yet it lacks the depth or commentary found in the original. The original Dawn of the Dead had ample opportunities to tackle the emotional turmoil and apprehension prevalent in America post-9/11 and during the escalating conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, but it didn’t fully explore these themes subtly as one might expect.
In terms of providing an escape from reality and contributing to the ongoing zombie apocalypse storyline, it’s one of numerous productions that prioritized visual style over delving into human responses during a crisis. This was something that “The Battery” handled more effectively about a decade later. If George Romero’s films used zombies as a tool to examine the human condition and serve as social commentary, Zack Snyder’s production can be seen as a result of a vision that didn’t fully capture the broader implications. Watch it on Peacock.
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2024-10-12 19:01