Zombie, a Maldição dos Mortos-Vivos

Não é possível questionar a representação perfeita da atmosfera pós-apocalíptica. A primeira meia hora, quando somos literalmente lançados num mundo de caos, é ótima. Mas à medida que os quatro heróis solitários ficam no centro comercial onde se refugiaram, o ritmo do filme começa a cair. George A. Romero tenta enriquecer o horror do inferno de zombie com personagens elaborados e uma psicologia subtil entre eles, mas dá-lhes mais espaço do que é saudável para o filme. As duas horas de duração, das quais acabará por sair com a sensação de uma mistura sangrenta-cómica-de ação-psicológica, são um exagero. Mas a crítica à sociedade de consumo é justamente decadente e atualiza devidamente outra crítica à sociedade do filme anterior de Romero, A Noite dos Mortos-Vivos. (20/04/2004)

Compared to the modern remake, the zombies in this Romero classic aren't the element that's frightening. To put it slightly ironically, instead of dangerous predators, they are poor little maniacs that you can punch, shove or smash cakes on their faces and there's not much danger. Of course, I'm exaggerating a bit, but at times the impotence of the starving dead was really glaring. As for the make-up effects, compared to, say, Fulci's zombies, Romero's are overwhelmingly pale in the face and visually more reminiscent of a person who has eaten something bad and is marching to the bathroom to throw up. Serious scenes are schizophrenically beaten with ironic hyperbole, but thank goodness for it. The much-touted criticism of a consumer society that can't live without its supermarkets even after death (huh!! that's an oxymoron) is not that strong, and Romero is not so good at psychologizing characters. The possibility of approaching the feelings of people living in isolation surrounded by a horde of the "living dead" and have to cope psychologically with their new fate could have been squeezed out in a much more interesting way. This is how Romero bores and puts you to sleep in places, and entertains in others, but there's definitely a pivotal scene missing that would stick in your head with the impact of a zombie bite. (11/07/2004)

I thought that a second viewing would help. It didn’t. The first time I watched Romero’s Dawn of the Dead was four years ago and I didn’t like it at all. Since then, I’ve got used to older horror films and gave this one a second chance, but without very good results. The film never tries to be horror (there isn’t a single scene where you’re supposed to feel scared, but I didn’t mind that much), nor does it work very well as serious social criticism because the characters behave mostly like crazy idiots (and it’s very interesting how some of the fans who bitch about the slightest manifestation of illogical character behaviour in modern horror are satisfied with Dawn). And I’m not even speaking about the comedy that tend to neutralise whatever gloomy atmosphere Romero manages to conjure here and there, despite the zombies, which today look downright ridiculous (likewise with the gore, and there’s no excuse for that, at that same time, the Italians had much better gore in horror). In short, an average film. that can’t be compared with Snyder’s remake. (27/06/2008)

The most critical of society (the author's favorite discipline), the most current, the funniest, the most cynical, the most character-driven, the most acute, but at the same time, because of the second half, the most unraveling Romero. Referring to the director’s cut. (26/07/2008)

To speak openly, considering that this is a revered classic of its genre, I am at a loss, even though I didn't have high expectations. The initial problem is the subject itself because zombies simply don't appeal to me - neither in literature nor in film. Even worse in this form, because George A. Romero's film does not work as a horror movie in my eyes, not even a little bit. It includes several disgusting scenes of eating internal organs, which may still be repulsive today but certainly not scary. Slowly, clumsily moving undead simply did not evoke a sense of danger in me, and I didn't really understand their growing dominance. Throughout the entire movie, a scene from the battle with the terrifying rabbit in the parody film Monty Python and the Holy Grail kept coming to mind. It simply triggered this association in me. That's why the movie couldn't work for me. If Dawn of the Dead doesn't come across as a horror movie, it is possible to somewhat accept it as an allegory of a post-apocalyptic world and a critique of consumerist society. The movie started a tradition where the story takes place in a large supermarket, which was later used by several other successful movies. However, there is also a problem with the overall length, silent passages, and character psychology. Overall impression: 40%. I consider Snyder's recent remake to be a significantly more functional and impressive piece of cinema. (08/07/2008)