Director George A. Romero's epic sequel to
his legendary Night of the Living Dead has firmly established
itself as the equal of its ground-breaking predecessor.
Though shot in 1978, ten years after the first films' release,
Dawn's story begins as if the events in Night had happened
only a few months before:
after shambling armies of the recently-dead take over every
major city, seeking warm human flesh for food, the U.S. government
imposes a state of martial law, sending in special National
Guard units to attack and destroy zombie infestation where
they find it.
Two members of one such unit, Peter (Ken Foree) and Roger
(Scott Reiniger) have been tasked to overthrow a nest of zombies
in a Pittsburgh housing project (one of the film's most explicitly
gory scenes).
When the job turns ugly and Peter is forced to terminate his
own berserk, racist commanding officer, the pair decide to
split the outfit with the help of his friend Stephen (David
Emge), a traffic pilot for WGON-TV, and the station's floor
manager, Stephen's girlfriend Frances (Gaylen Ross).
Together they steal the station's helicopter and head for
less-populated areas, but after some narrow scrapes with flesh-hungry
redneck ghouls in the country outside Harrisburg, they opt
for a more secure hideout.
Eventually they find the perfect solution:
a massive, sprawling shopping mall.
After the lengthy process of purging the building of zombies
is complete, the four secure themselves snugly in the miniature
city, consigned to live out their lives in a dull but cushy
consumer's paradise... but the arrival of a menacing gang
of nomadic bikers proves that this is not to be.
With their survival instincts weakened by a mallful of toys
and trinkets, the crew are again forced to face grim reality
as they face both living and undead foes in a final battle.
Romero's excellent, multi-layered story combines high-adventure
heroics, three-dimensional characters and explicit gore (by
the always masterful Tom Savini, who plays a small role as
a leering biker) to excellent effect.
The subtext comparing the glassy-eyed behavior patterns of
the ghouls to those of American consumers is clear, but not
overdone:
"It's some kind of instinct" Stephen comments, observing
the zombies' attraction to the mall;
"This was an important place in their lives".
Despite the glimmer of hope offered by the film's closing
scene, the outlook for humankind is grim.
Perhaps it is Frannie who best expresses Dawn's outlook for
humanity:
"We're not gonna make it, are we?"
Several versions of this film are available on video, including
a faster-paced European version edited by overseas distributor
Dario Argento and a "Director's Cut" with a great
deal of exposition restored (though Romero is quoted as having
preferred the unrated cut released initially to U.S. theaters).
The shooting script also contains a more downbeat ending,
which was never filmed.
Cast:
David Emge, Ken Foree, Scott Reiniger, Gaylen Ross, Tom Savini
Director:
George A. Romero |
