Dawn of the Dead is a 1978 zombie horror film written, directed, and edited by George A. Romero and staring David Emge, Ken Foree, Scott Reiniger, and Gaylen Ross. The film follows the survivors of a zombie outbreak that barricade themselves inside a shopping centre to survive. Dawn of the Dead is a satire about the effects of consumerism on society and how this system turning people into brainless zombies.
The film starts showing a TV station were everyone is freaking out about a zombie outbreak which is happening as a doctor is being interviewed on TV. People scramble to give information about rescue stations which are out of date, but they still need to be on the air as the people behind the scenes freak out. This shows the power of consumerism as the information that everyone responds to in this dangerous time is living though a household appliance that everyone has. A swat team gets ready to raid low-income housing with black and Latino people living in them. A gun fight then erupts as people are killed as well as these zombies are in the flats which ends in a battle where people are overrun and killed. This highlights the dangers of capitalism as the zombies within this scene are symbolic of capitalism devouring the poor. The raid guys and the TV journalists get together and escape in a helicopter as one guy ask for cigarettes as they light up all of theirs highlighting the themes of consumerism in the film and that this is something humanity of obsessed with. People in the film enjoy hunting down and killing zombies, they then try and get gas for the helicopter, but it is empty, and the vending machine is out of order highlighting the dangers of consumerism as the supply and demand chain is destroyed with has ruined society.
They then go to a shopping centre and get supplies with highlights the themes of consumerism in the film as humanity seems to need a consumerist society to survive. The zombies in the shopping centre act out there incitive memory, as this is what they used to do, and it was an important place in their lives. This again showcases consumerism in the film as societies need to feed the capitalist society and that it is important to the general population to consume both though consumerism and the zombies eating flesh. The zombies break through the glass and go into the top the shopping centre linking to consumerism as the zombies wants to lead a human consumerist life, as the survivors go to the shopping centre and get supplies witch also links to the ideas of consumerism as they must feed this consumerist system to survive. The zombies walk around the shopping centre as they turn the power on everywhere which showcases consumerism as the zombies are in the centre to do what they did as people, which is consume products, as they walk around like the people, they once were showcasing humanities need for consumerism. They then run around the shopping centre to get supplies killing zombies in the process which showcases the themes of consumerism as people need products to survive in modern society, as they are excited about raiding the centre witch again shows that they are feeding into consumerism which is used to survive.
They get attacked as they run though the shopping centre killing zombies showing the themes of consumerism as the zombies are symbolic of the brainless consumer feeding of the capitalist system, however this film criticises this as they leave, they consumer goods behind as they are not worth more than their lives. As the zombies go though the shopping centre adverts or food products are heard over the speakers linking to the themes of consumerism as these are mindless creates reacting to the advertisement being played feeding the consumerist machine by becoming mindless hungry drones. They decide to they in the shopping centre and hold up upstairs showing that consumerism can also be a positive as it gives them shelter in a bad situation. When they grab tools and joke about it linking to the themes of consumerism as they need this consumerist culture to stuff. When the zombies attack Fran, she fends it off with a flair, as they are careful about getting supplies this links into the themes of consumerism as they need to be engaged within a consumerist culture to live. Stephan tries to calm Fran down by telling her about the consumer goods they have and how great the mall is as Fran is in a state of shock. This showcases that consumerism is tangent linked to the survivors as the act that they have consumer goods makes them happy. They use a TV to get a signal again showing how consumerism can help people. They manage to find a working radio station saying that certain sections of the eras have zombies in them showing that though consumerism they get vital information. The zombies try and get inside and outside the mall and wander around it as they remember it from when they were human. This links into the themes of consumerism as humanities main desire is to be part of this consumerist society and they are part of this machine even in death.
The survivors must learn to use equipment like trucks that the mall uses as well as flying the helicopter. This shows that though consumerist means they are using equipment available to them for their advantage. The zombies end up attacking Roger biting him as he gets reckless getting fuel from the truck. This shows the dangers of consumerism as they have been overly greedy in this lifestyle and that has cost him his life. Roger loses his mind and starts attacking the zombies and the forgets his bag as he goes to get it and gets bitten by a zombie. This again shows that though an overly consumerist lifestyle were people just take the products and services they ignore reality which leads to dangerous consequences. They then also raid a gun sore for weapons as they must use consumerism to fight it. They then use a car to escape again showing consumerism as they use the car in the shopping centre for people to win, as they use the drugs, they took from the shopping centre to treat Roger, as again the survivors must use the consumerism that has destroyed humanity to remain human. They then create a fort for themselves using supplies they gathered showing that consumerism is not inherently bad is it is shown to help them as they clean up the bodies like mall cleaners as they are very much participants in consumerist culture. They then find a load of money a steal it witch again feeds into this consumerist culture as all humanity cares about is wealth and their desired goods. The characters then go on a shopping spree getting dresses, watches, clothes, and food. They have fun using sprots equipment and using facilities like playing videos games. This entire sequence showcases the dangers of a consumerist culture as with them constantly devouring the products and services available to them they slip into a hedonist lifestyle were they only pause pleasure and ignore the real threat zombies trying to kill them. the zombies remember that they want to be there as the film states that when there is no more room in hell the dead will walk the earth. This feeds into the themes of consumerism in that all the zombies want to be is like there were as people mindless consumers. Roger has a fit due to him slowly becoming a zombie as he asks peter to kill him when he becomes a zombie the scientist comes on the TV says people should feed the zombies to control then and that they could drop nuclear bombs on the big cities.
Roger becomes a zombie and Peter shoots him in the head killing him and buries his body in the shopping centre, as people must be logical to survive. They bury Roger in the mall linking to the themes of consumerism as even in death in is a all controlling force. Fran and Stephen practice shooting on manakins in a hocky ring as though consumerism they are exploiting the system itself for their own gain and destroying it. Fran and Stephan go on a date in the mall restaurant with Peter as their chef waiter linking into the themes on consumerism in the film as they still want to be part of the consumerist culture to enjoy products and services. Peter then drinks champagne in memory of Roger linking into the themes of consumerism in the film as everyone wants to use the system for their own gain. Stephan asks Fran to Mary her, but she says not now as the two of them have sex as he sleeps whilst she’s awake.
Peter exercises by playing wall tennis on the roof as though consumerism they have enjoyment however that consumerism is very much part of their lives, as this is going om Fran dolls herself up with makeup as consumerism has become part of them showing its dangers. Stephan puts on a record as him and Peter drink and play cards for money as Fran sets the table, Stephan and Fran then get into an argument on weather to have the TV on during dinner. This shows that consumerism has becoming an all controlling entity in that they hare living an artificial life as consumerism controls them. From this they decide to pack everything up and decide to move out a Stephan teaches Fran to drive a helicopter. A biker gang having seen the helicopter decided to break into the mall to take everything for themselves in though consumerism they just want to consume everything like the zombies. They get a broadcast from the bikers trying to trick them to get them inside. The bikers have their own arsenal of weapons and bikers linking into the themes of consumerism in that they want to ransack the store. The bikers then break through the barrier’s ad kill zombies as they shut the gates.
They break through the gates as they break into the shops and steal everything linking into the themes of consumerism in that people are ultimately slaves of mindless consumption within society. They steal jewellery of a zombie as though consumerism there are fuelled by capitalist greed as shown when they steal money. Stephan is consumed by territorial rage and shoots the bikers leading to a shootout out, this is ultimately a war over consumerism as they are fighting for the recourses of the shopping centre showing how consumerism turns people into violent psychos. The bikers kill the zombies as the survivors take out the bikers as they loot the store showing the threat consumerism has infected society so much that people are willing to do battle over it. The bikers go after Peter as a shoot-out begins Stephan is injured as though consumerism people battle over these resources as when Peter kills the head biker he is killed of consumerism and the battle for resources. The bikers flee as they are picked of by Peter and the zombies and though consumerism people wage war over resources becoming just as ravenous as zombies, as the zombies kill and eat the bikes as like consumerism, they are consumed objects to be used. The zombies attack Steven and bites him turning him into a zombie as though consumerism he is transformed into a mindless figure that can only consume. The zombies walk around the mall with mall music playing as though this consumerist culture they are lifeless zombies destined to roam around consuming forever trapped in a never-ending hell. Steven ends up turning into a zombie showing how consumerism dominates everyone turning humanity into mindless zombies. Steven and the other zombies destroy the barricade and make their way upstairs as though consumerism they are destroying everything consuming it for themselves. Peter then kills Steven as though consumerism he was becoming a lifeless creature that must be put down. The film ends with Fran escaping as Peter locks himself in the room and contemplates suicide. He then has a change of heart and fights the zombies and escapes with Fran in a helicopter that is low on fuel to an uncertain future as zombies are seen walking around the shopping centre. This shows that though consumerism the zombies and by extension humanity have obliterated anything in their path and that the world could potentiality end with all the planet’s resources possibly being mindlessly eating up.
Dawn of the Dead is a film about the dangers of consumerism and the effects of this on society can destroy people making them mindless zombies destroying the worlds resources until there is nothing left.
