George Romero’s NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD from 1968 has had a greater impact on me than any other piece of art with the exception of the original Star Wars Trilogy. I’ve seen it at least twenty times and it never gets old. A ferocious commentary on the Viet Nam war, civil rights, and the traditional American nuclear family, it also completely works on the surface level as a horrifying and unsettling genre definer. Our idea of the zombie as we know it originates with this film. Inspiring legions of films that followed, there’s a reason this is considered to be one of the greatest horror films of all time and certainly the most influential of the last fifty years.
Lifting generously from Rchard Matheson’s novel, I AM LEGEND, and the cowboy and Indians Western siege film, Romero crafts a tale that satirically comments on a group of characters that are unable to unite against a common foe. Trapped in a single location as the zombie menace grows outside, Romero ratchets up the tension in the house until their squabbling leads to their doom. You can almost see the turning point in film history when the film goes from standard drive-in fare to truly shocking horror. Romero and company had something to say and the film grabs you by the throat. The mood created by the combination of the incongruous yet perfect sci fi score, moody black and white cinematography, and unknown actors lend a hard, realistic edge to the proceedings. The ending is still devastating and offers a bleak summation of the nature of humanity.
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, along with PSYCHO, THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, and HALLOWEEN, is a pillar of modern horror. I would argue even that it’s one of those rare pieces of art that hugely influenced our culture in general. One need only look at the massive popularity of THE WALKING DEAD to see Romero’s long reach, all these decades later. Beyond his political points he was making, which are somewhat rooted in their time, his social criticisms still resonate today. I count this, as well as the other entries in the original Dead Trilogy, to be amongst my all time favorites. Entertaining, thought provoking, game changing, and horrifying, it is an absolute must see for any film fan. Criterion's blu ray is the definitive release for the film, even if it lacks the comprehensive behind the scenes doc, One for the Fire, included on other editions.
