Postmodernism and Night of the Living Dead

While this was not the first to use zombies, it was the first to film to popularize zombies. I am of course talking about George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead (1968). While I did see this film years ago, I didn't think much of it upon first watching, thought it was just an old zombie movie. However, re-watching it and going more into it, I realize there is much more to this film then I thought.

As mentioned, the film was directed by George A. Romero and released in 1968. The film follows a group of survivors in a rural farmhouse in Pennsylvania. Although there are other survivors, the film primarily focuses on Barbra, played by actress, Judith O'Dea.

Upon re-watching it and going through the course, I have come to see this film as an example of postmodernism. Going back to one of the videos we were could have chosen about postmodernism, link below, postmodernism is described as there is no absolute truth. Where there is a deconstruction of our society through satire or criticism.

So how does Night of the Living Dead (1968) deconstruct society. First, within the film it actually deconstructs society. The film sees society fall apart in the wake of a zombie attack, the world falls and its everyone for themselves. What is it the destroys the world; mindless, cannibalistic, and savage monsters that arise from fallen humans.

Simple, yet outside of the film it deconstructs the horror films at the time with the decisions Romero made. First, it was one of the few films, even by horror standards, the ended with everyone, including the girl and hero, dying. Films back then ended the regular way, hero and girl escape, monster is killed, and everything ends happily. Night of the Living Dead (1968) ended with all the characters killed in violent an graphic ways. Speaking of the violence, despite the film being in black and white, the violence is pretty unsettling considering when the film was released.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DO_gaxFIRXw