Zombies in a shopping mall.  The simplest of ideas but an innovative execution that cemented Dawn of the Dead into the lexicon of our culture.  This is one of those rare cases where a sequel has been as good as the original or has even surpassed it.  Volumes have been written about DotD examining every possible aspect of it, the religious perspective of the movie to the sociological impact upon our culture and society.  There has yet been no other pop culture icon that has been so dissected as George A. Romero’s zombie films, Dawn of the Dead in particular.  Homage and tributes can be seen in all sections of entertainment from television shows to music to movies.

Dawn of the Dead has achieved a worldwide acclaim.  The Italian movie industry in particular owes a gargantuan debt to DotD.  If it wasn’t for Dawn of the Dead at least a decade’s worth of Italian zombie and cannibal movies would have never been made.  Lucio Fulci’s “Zombie” was released in Italy as “Zombi 2” to capitalize on the success of Dawn which was released there as “Zombi.” This simple film helped propel Fulci to cult appeal the world over and unleashed a slew of derivative movies varying in quality upon an unsuspecting world. In DotD the world is seen on the brink of collapse and society’s moral framework is crumbling.  Our intrepid foursome that invade and conquer the mall like modern day warlords find out all too easily that a prison with everything you could ever want is still a prison none the less. 

There is another angle, another introspective view that has been ignored for all these years.  The mall, itself the largest and strongest character in the movie, is like a ring of Hell or perhaps more accurately it is one of the Seven Deadly Sins – the sin of Greed.  Fran, Roger, Peter and Stephen are drawn to it in the course of their seemingly random travels.  Their supposed flight to Canada is all but forgotten as the mall calls out to them like a beacon in the night.  From the moment they set foot into the mall, breaking in to plunder its spoils, it is their death that they constantly flirt with and run from, not the mindless hordes of zombies.  When the boys are downstairs Fran nearly becomes a victim of a roaming zombie and she, the sole voice of rationale and reason, is not even immune to the malls cancerous grip.  Months later, visibly pregnant Fran has settled into an almost walking death herself, wandering around their makeshift home of boxes and furniture or meandering through the empty mall with all of the pleasure of window shopping now gone.  

Not once does anyone suggest they leave and with their number diminished by Roger’s death the surviving trio almost resign themselves to a zombie-like living catatonia, aimlessly roaming the mall just like the dead did earlier.  It should be noted that Roger perished while fortifying their stolen fortress after they liberated it from the walking dead.  Not only has the mall sent out its warriors to strengthen its battlements but it makes Roger, Stephen and Peter fortify their own prison.  Roger’s line of, “There’s a lot left to do before you can afford to lose me” when he is bitten by zombies is very accurate because even death is a luxury to postpone when the mall’s needs come first to be tended to. 

Our heroes have become lethargic, only snapping back to a semblance of reality when the advancing biker gang threatens to breach their safe haven.  Once the gang does break in, the trio becomes hunted just as the zombies were earlier with everything coming full circle.  The mall has sent out its tentacles to entice a new group who must dispatch the old group firmly nestled in place.  Since the only two survivors are Peter and Fran, only those who eventually turn their back on the mall’s warm embrace can escape the lure it presents.  The bikers are consumed by their greed as much as our original foursome was, with many never able to leave again. 

At its heart, Dawn of the Dead is a movie about greed and its effect on others. It offers a slight of hand trick, forcing us to see its very plain and obvious statement while hiding themes and deeper meaning embedded in its story.  At times a roller coaster of a movie and a severely disturbing look into the human psyche, Dawn of the Dead is one of the finest movies ever made.

It’s easy to lose oneself and all meaning higher than any of our base senses in Dawn of the Dead’s over the top imagery.  DotD is a very rare movie that manages to be both strikingly frightening while being cartoonishly macabre.  Dawn is simply a movie that must be cartoonish; it must be over the top.  With the frequency and severity and even the morbid nature of so many sight gags hurtling toward you, heads must literally roll to balance what you see and what you feel. With a more somber tone the movie would simply drown under the weight of its own cataclysm, but with a lighter tone in spots the movie is easier to digest, with the viewer hungry for the next set piece.

Tom Savini’s work on Dawn, while extremely uneven in spots, is worthy of its legendary status and is justifiably the movie to rocket him to stardom.  Savini is also someone who works better in a more personal setting, with many of his then bargain basement techniques barely able to work their magic.  But when they work, they offer some of the classic moments in Dawn of the Dead’s reputation.  Another example of this can be found in “Creepshow” where Savini’s work, while also touted as “classic”, is extremely uneven; from his wooden, barely articulate “Creep” outside the boy’s window to the amazingly intricate “Fluffy” from the segment “The Crate.”  Simply put, in Dawn of the Dead there are so many nifty moments in such a rapid succession that any shortcomings it may have are easily overlooked just because they are so audacious and spectacular.

What is actually amazing is that Romero initially envisioned his original concept of “Night of the Living Dead” as a three act movie with the first segment comprising what would eventually come to be “Night” and the second segment becoming “Dawn”.  The third segment, which would show zombie soldiers, would eventually evolve into Romero’s third chapter “Day of the Dead.”  Even more mind blowing is that Romero originally conceived Dawn as a male and female who have reverted to caveman ways living in the air ducts of the mall.  A more detailed synopsis of this original tale can be found in the highly recommended book “Book of the Dead: The Complete History of Zombie Cinema” by Jamie Russell.

Romero has stated that he prefers the theatrical release version of Dawn of the Dead as it moves faster and is his now preferred vision of the film.  I beg to differ with the actual creator of the movie, but personally my favorite is the longer “Festival Cut” or Extended Cut.  There are more character moments including some people never even seen in any other version such as Joe Pilato, better known as Captain Rhodes in 1985’s “Day of the Dead”, as a wayward police officer.  There are also an amazing amount of gore gags and zombie makeups not seen in the other cuts, which also includes director Dario Argento’s shorter cut which he helped release overseas.  The Extended Cut may offer some superfluous scenes but personally, as much as I adore Dawn of the Dead, I feel that more is definitely better.

Dawn of the Dead remains the pinnacle in zombie cinema.  If may not have come first but it raised the bar so high that realistically there is no way it will ever be topped.  The “Gone with the Wind” of horror movies, the best movie ever made, or the reason to get up in the morning whatever you call it, Dawn of the Dead is a cinematic experience that has never and will never be topped.