Coursework Final Draft
"Who died and made you fucking king of the zombies?" Ed (Nick Frost)
[1]How does British zombie film ‘Shaun of the Dead’ follow the codes and conventions of the zombie genre?
Inspired by the ‘Dead’ films of the 1960s and 1970s ‘Shaun of the Dead’ (2004), directed by Edgar Wright and co-written with Simon Pegg, bought in a massive £1,603,410
[2] at the UK box office. Distributed by United International Pictures ‘Shaun of the Dead’ a low-budget, British film also proved to be popular in the United States. It is a hybrid romantic, zombie comedy which pays homage to the founding director of the zombie genre, George A. Romero. Genre conventions are “always in play…rather than simply being re-played”
[3] as ‘Shaun of the Dead’ is a romantic, zombie, comedy it ‘re-plays’ conventions from each genre. This may be one of the reasons why this contemporary text also subverts some of the codes and conventions usually associated with the zombie genre. This essay will consider whether ‘Shaun of the Dead’ successfully follows the original codes and conventions of the zombie genre in comparison to Romero’s genre-defining films, looking particularly at ‘Night of the Living Dead’ (1968).
‘Shaun of the Dead’ is a contemporary text which shows a good example of conveying the codes and conventions of the zombie genre, hybridity of genres and the inter-textuality that is typical of post-modernism. The zombie genre, or “The horror of Armageddon”
[4] as Charles Derry (1977) referred to is as, was first recognized in the late 60s/early 70s; with the release of Romero’s ‘Night of the Living Dead’. The horror genre during the mid 50s was targeted squarely at the “youth market” or “adolescents of whatever age”
[5] and was less popular amongst critics. Romero’s film set the mark for the beginning of the horror sub-genre, the zombie film and has been critically acclaimed as a cult classic. It still followed the essential codes and conventions of the horror genre. The themes of isolation and the visual iconography of a big remote area (for example a house outside the city) are common elements that can also be seen in other horror texts leading up to ‘Shaun of the Dead’.
The early zombie films by Romero took conventions from earlier horror films such as ‘The Curse of Frankenstein’ (1957) by Terence Fisher. These films take place in isolation and antique settings of “castles, manor houses and remote villages”
[6]. During the late fifties and early sixties Romero’s ‘Night of the Living Dead’, subverted the conventions of the classic horror film, making it a contemporary text of its time. These classic horror films “involve a metamorphosis”
[7] that became a common convention for the horror genre. Although ‘Shaun of the Dead’ is linked by subject matter, the traditional gothic style of horror juxtaposes the contemporary style of ‘Shaun of the Dead’. The gothic look was a visual style and iconography of the genre during the late fifties. However, genre theorist Edward Buscombe (1970) argues that as we are looking at a visual medium we should look out for “defining criteria…on the screen”
[8], suggesting that a genre should be defined by its visual iconography; such as the actors, settings and images that are repeated.
Genre re-defines itself according to technology, the audience and politics. However, Robert Stam (2000) identified four problems with the genre theory, in particular generic labels. One of the four problems outlined was the “monolithic definitions - as if an item belonged to only one genre”
[9]. The diction ‘item’ in this case can be seen as the conventional use of the isolated and gothic location, amongst other stereotypes and conventions. Both ‘Night of the Living Dead’ and ‘Shaun of the Dead’ subvert the classic horror settings and instead use non exotic locations, to create a different visual style for the zombie genre. Romero chooses to use a farmhouse in the Pennsylvania countryside; the use of isolation reinforces the classic horror film conventions, but has also become a convention for the zombie genre. ‘Shaun of the Dead’ is set in a contemporary non-exotic location of an isolated pub, “The Winchester”, subverting the remote farmhouse used by Romero and creating a humorous tone. The main setting, in ‘Shaun of the Dead’, reflects the use of pubs within the British media. They are often used as a place where characters come together and are commonly used in popular soaps like ‘Eastenders’.
The use of media language can be considered as visually “defining criteria”
[10]. However, the media language can also reflect the directors’ style rather than the genres iconography. Both texts use a similar technique to represent the revelation of the living dead. This drives the narrative and answers the audience’s enigmas by explaining the situation. In ‘Shaun of the Dead’ as Ed is flicking through the TV channels the broken dialogue of each channel ironically explains the situation. This style used by Wright creates humor for the audience. However, once he stops there is a full news report which explains the situation to both the audience and Shaun. The news report also describes how to kill the zombies, foreshadowing the resolution. “by removing the head or destroying the brain”
[11] has always been a generic resolution to kill the living dead. Similarly, ‘Night of the Living Dead’ uses a radio report. The report explains the reason for the living dead but fails to provide a solution of how to rid the zombies. The protagonist, Ben, uses the conventional way to stop the zombies, as well as fire. This represents them as primitive and gives Ben more authority over the white, mindless zombies. The primitive aspects represent the zombies as “the Others”, subverting the stereotype of the African-American protagonist being “the Other”.
The convention of horror films, especially cult films of the zombie genre, often use a hand-held camera. The scene “Shaun’s Plan” in ‘Shaun of the Dead’ uses a hand-held camera. This gives the audience the sense that they are experiencing the situation with Shaun, especially through the over-the-shoulder shot behind Shaun. This involves the audience and creates a more serious tone over the dominant humorous tone that goes on throughout the film. In Romero’s film the hand held-camera is evident as Johnny fights with a zombie, in the opening scene. The use of the hand-held camerawork therefore becomes a convention for the horror genre to represent a realistic situation to the audience. The hand held camera also becomes a common representation of reality.
The directors choose to convey reality through the hand held camera but audiences know the living dead are in fact fictional. Yet by knowing this the audience have a feeling of control. The fictional monsters allow directors to present the audience with an outlet for their “apocalyptic anxieties”
[12] without the audience having to confront them directly. This also makes the audience feel safe as fictional monsters are representing the zeitgeist, making it slightly unrealistic. The rise of zombie films have increased within the last six years, this is due to the fact that the world has experienced many tragic events; terrorism, war, viral outbreaks and natural disasters. Directors feel they can use these social backdrops within in their films. The two British horror films which also uses element of the zombie genre ‘28 Days Later…’ (Danny Boyle, 2002) and the follow-up ‘28 Weeks Later…’ (Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, 2007) reflect viral outbreaks. Both Zack Snyder’s re-make and Romero’s ‘Dawn of the Dead’ (1978/2005) represent the rise of consumerism in the United States. ‘Shaun of the Dead’ was written during the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The social context is shown as Shaun realizes that “the little problems in your life don't go away”
[13]. The ‘little problems’ in the film is the relationship between Shaun and his girlfriend Liz. Although the world might possibly end because of these flesh eating zombies, Shaun still feels the need to make up with Liz which ‘plays’ into the romance conventions.
Films do not often fall into one genre. ‘Shaun of the Dead’ is a hybrid text that takes elements from zombie, comedy and romance films, where as ‘Night of the Living Dead’ is clearly defined as a zombie/horror film. However, each of these genres has defining criteria. Genre theorists, such as Steve Neale (2000), have referred to this as the “repertoire of elements”
[14]. The repertoire of elements can be seen through the iconography, style, setting, themes and narrative structure. This also suggests that audiences’, who watch films defined by genre, have certain expectations of the films. Stam referred to these expectations as the “normativism”
[15] problem. The audiences have “preconceived ideas”
[16] or certain expectations of the genre and because of its hybridity ‘Shaun of the Dead’ rejects the normativism problem, unlike ‘Night of the Living Dead’ which conforms to genre expectations. However, the repertoire of elements can still be applied.
Romero’s references to American society, during the time he produced his films is unconventional and breaks stereotypes of the horror genre. ‘Shaun of the Dead’ also uses this technique to reflect the zeitgeist. Romero created and still continues to produces ‘Night’ films and as an opposing argument to the genre theory; Romero can be considered as an auteur. Auteurism “identifies the common attributes that make an individual director's film unique”
[17]. In Romero’s case the common attributes are the social context in his zombie films. Although it is argued that horror films show the least connection with American history, Romero clearly subverts this idea but cannot escape the generic label that associates him with cultism. He therefore fails to “win acclaim as auteur of the cinema”
[18].
In ‘Night of the Living Dead’ there is a clear reference towards the historical and at the time social context of ethnic minorities, black people in particular. Romero’s choice of protagonist was controversial at the time. He does this by casting an unknown, African-American protagonist to play alongside a white dominated cast. This breaks the conventional white, male protagonist used in ‘Shaun of the Dead’. Romero is referring to the Civil Right Movements in America during the mid-1960s and also represents the authorities of the American law over the “innocent black man”
[19]. However, this controversial outbreak reinforces a problem in generic labels; the monolithic definition (Stam). The protagonist Duane Jones worried that audience only saw him as his character Ben; this also meant he was typecast to be a cult-film actor. This reinforces another problem with generic labels outlines by Stam, the “the narrowness of labels”
[20] or extension. The extension problem is also evident in ‘Shaun of the Dead’ both Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are stereotyped to play humorous characters. This representation of the two actors is further reinforced in the follow up to ‘Shaun of the Dead, ‘Hot Fuzz’ (Edgar Wright, 2007).
Character codes are a convention used in film. Vladimir Propp’s folk tale character list can be applied to many films, one of which is ‘Shaun of the Dead’. Simon Pegg is the protagonist ‘Shaun’, according to Propp’s theory he is considered as the hero. Shaun plays a funny and entertaining character; a role that he also played in the TV Series ‘Spaced’ (1999). Pegg has been stereotyped and typecast to play entertaining characters. However, Shaun is often represented as the anti-hero; he does not want the responsibility of a hero. Similarly Nick Frost, ‘Ed’, also starred in ‘Spaced’ is very well known to play humorous and entertaining characters, mainly as a helper rather than a protagonist. Ed plays the Proppian role of the helper/donor, as well as helping, he often prepares Shaun. This can link with the “narrowness of labels”
[21] as both Pegg and Frost have become restricted and typecast to playing humorous characters. Furthermore, the role of the villain is clearly represented by the zombies.
Both texts have the vulnerable character which is common in horror as well as the zombie genre. Barbara, in ‘Night of the Living Dead’ is traumatized and in a “catatonic state”
[22] after witnessing the death of her brother Johnny. Barbara in ‘Shaun of the Dead’ plays Shaun’s mother and is also in a catatonic state, however, she is only represented in this way because she is going through “a metamorphosis”
[23]. This conventional representation of women in zombie films conveys a patriarchal society and gives the male characters more authority, reinforcing both Carol Clover and Laura Mulvey’s view of the male constructed “cinematic gaze”
[24]. However, ‘Shaun of the Dead’ has strong female characters, unlike Romero’s film. This representation of women is due to the change in society and the three waves of feminism. Romero attempts to show ethnic equality, but the death of Ben maintains society’s status quo and is an appropriate resolution for the audience.
‘Shaun of the Dead’ pays homage to Romero’s film, also showing inter-textuality with the character of Barbara. This playfulness within the genre can be identified as post-modernism. The title of the film itself is a clearly parody of and homage to the title ‘Dawn of the Dead’. Furthermore, there are parody references to ‘Spaced’ and the use of similar lines (“We're coming to get you, Barbara!”
[25]) reinforces the post-modern aspects of the text. Romero’s films, on the other hand, only have influences from classic horror films and do not represent aspects of post-modernism. The homage in ‘Shaun of the Dead’ appeals to a wider audience, fans of both Simon Pegg and George Romero.
David Bordwell notes that, “any theme may appear in any genre”
[26]. In any zombie film the dominating and obvious theme is the theme of survival and it is explicitly represented to the audience when Shaun says “this is about survival”
[27]. The dialogue also reinforces the post-modern element as the text is aware of itself. Therefore ‘Shaun of the Dead’ mocks the theme by repeating the word ‘surviving’ throughout the film. However, ‘Night of the Living Dead’ does not explicitly mention this theme. The theme of chaos and the breakdown of civilization is another common theme of the genre. There are two types of people in this situation: people who try to maintain humanity by fighting against the zombies and the people who become the animal/zombie. ‘Night of the Living Dead’ and ‘Shaun of the Dead’ show a group of survivors who fall into the category of maintaining humanity. However, in both films within the group one person is represented as becoming a zombie, in ‘Shaun of the Dead’ its Shaun’s mother. ‘Night of the Living Dead’ shows a young girl turning into the living dead. This, therefore, becomes a generic convention of the genre. This formulaic, narrative structure is also seen in ‘28 Day Later…’ Furthermore, the theme of isolation is commonly used in the horror and zombie genre, subverting Bordwell’s theory.
‘Shaun of the Dead’ somewhat follows the Todorov narrative structure. The film does not begin with the living dead, which suggests a disequilibruim. However, the opening scene of Shaun acting like a zombie as he wakes up foreshadows the rest of the film. This subverts the opening of ‘Night of the Living Dead’ as Johnny is attacked by a zombie. Likewise, ‘28 Days Later…’ opens with a disequilibrium, the protagonist ‘Jim’ wakes up to an empty London town, the audience nor Jim knows the reason why. Many of Romero’s other ‘Night’ films begin with this disequilibrium. ‘Land of the Dead’ (2005) begins with a representation of a walled city that protects the humans from the living dead. Although the zombie films are not complex and do not have a non-linear narrative structures, these enigmas keep the audience engaged. Unlike other zombie films, ‘Shaun of the Dead’ shows the transition of humans turning into the living dead. There is a social backdrop of society now turning into the “blue-collar undead”
[28], as their lifestyle becomes mundane. The ending of the film avoids “the usual twist that Hollywood is so fond of”
[29]. The end shows zombies being used as something useful, a humorous resolution that subverts the more serious end of ‘Night of the Living Dead’. By having such a unique resolution ‘Shaun of the Dead’ conveys it is indeed a contemporary text as it subverts the typical generic conventions.
In conclusion, although ‘Shaun of the Dead’ follows the codes ands conventions of the zombie genre, it also subverts genre theory because of its hybridity. The pub reinforces the conventional use of an isolated setting. Although this can be seen as a mock of the horror genre and creates a humorous tone, it still follows conventions of British media. Both films use a similar style of media language. The horror genre uses a hand-held camera to convey a sense of realism to the audience. This also allows the director to present the audience with their “apocalyptic anxieties”
[30] without the audience directly confronting them. Furthermore, a conventional way to represent the situation to the audience and the characters is through radio or TV reports, in the diegtic world of the film. The Proppian character codes in ‘Shaun of the Dead’ are successfully represented. The hero is the protagonist Shaun and the villains are the zombies. However, the role of the hero is often subverted by Shaun as his character does not want the responsibility, making him an anti-hero. Although “any theme may appear in any genre”
[31] it seems that the theme of survival is most common in the zombie genre. ‘Shaun of the Dead’ represents this theme by continually using the word surviving within the dialogue; this also reinforces its post-modern element and generates comedy. Romero used ‘Night of the Living Dead’ to represent the zeitgeist, this has become a common convention of the genre. The statement, made by Pegg, “the little things in life don’t just go away…because the world’s blows up”
[32] refers to the social context of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Finally, the theme of chaos and the breakdown of civilization appear in the zombie genre and is a repertoire element. The use of two types of people in the situation allows there to be a group of people, which is frequent in the horror genre. Therefore, ‘Shaun of the Dead’ successfully follows the codes and conventions of the zombie genre and subverts it due to the hybridity of the text. Thus effectively making ‘Shaun of the Dead’ “A Romantic Comedy. With Zombies.”
[33]Word Count: 3,014[1] ‘Shaun of the Dead’ (Edgar Wright, UK, 2004)
[2] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0365748/business[3] Lacey Nick (2005) Pg 54
[4]Derry, Charles (1977) Pg 50
[5] Cook, Pam; Bernink, Mieke (2003) Pg 195
[6] Rubin, Martin (1999) Pg 152
[7] F.Dick, Bernard (2002) Pg 168
[8] Buscombe, Edward (1970) Pg 36
[9] http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/intgenre/intgenre1.html[10] Buscombe, Edward (1970) Pg 36
[11] ‘Shaun of the Dead’ (Edgar Wright, UK, 2004)
[12] The Guardian, Film & Music Weekly Pg 8 – Friday November 10 2006
[13] http://www.timeout.com/film/news/631.html
[14] Lacey Nick (2005) Pg 54
[15] http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/intgenre/intgenre1.html[16] Ibid.
[17] Buckland, Warren (2003)
[18] Cook, Pam; Bernink, Mieke (2003) Pg 195
[19] Jones, Darryl (2002) Pg 162
[20] http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/intgenre/intgenre1.html[21] Ibid.
[22] Jones, Darryl (2002) Pg 161
[23] F.Dick, Bernard (2002) Pg 168
[24] Cook, Pam; Bernink, Mieke (2003) Pg 202
[25] ‘Shaun of the Dead’ (Edgar Wright, UK, 2004)
[26] Bordwell, David (1989) Pg 147
[27] ‘Shaun of the Dead’ (Edgar Wright, UK, 2004)
[28] Jones, Darryl (2002) Pg 162
[29] http://www.combustiblecelluloid.com/2004/shaundead.shtml
[30] The Guardian, Film & Music Weekly Pg 8 – Friday November 10 2006
[31] Bordwell, David (1989) Pg 147
[32] http://www.timeout.com/film/news/631.html[33] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0365748Bibliography – Work Cited
BooksBordwell, David (1989): Making Meaning: Inference and Rhetoric in the Interpretation of Cinema. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Buckland, Warren (2003): Teach Yourself Film Studies. Euston Road, London: Hodder Headline Plc.
Buscombe, Edward (1970): The idea of genre in the American cinema, Screen 2(2), March/April
Cook, Pam; Bernink, Mieke (2003): The Cinema Book. Stephen Street, London: British Film Insistitute.
Derry, Charles (1977): Dark Dreams: A Psychological History of the Modern Horror Film, London.
Jones, Darryl (2002): Horror A Thematic History in Fiction and Film. London: Arnold Publishers.
Lacey Nick (2005): Introduction to Film. Hampshire/NY: Palgrave Macmillan
Rubin, Martin (1999): Thrillers. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Stam, Robert (2000): Film Theory an Introduction. Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishers Ltd.
Internethttp://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/intgenre/intgenre1.html - A site dedicated to Genre Theory
http://www.timeout.com/film/news/631.html - An interview with Simon Pegg and George Romero
http://www.combustiblecelluloid.com/2004/shaundead.shtml - Online review of ‘Shaun of the Dead’
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0365748/taglines - A Page dedicated to the different taglines of ‘Shaun of the Dead’
Films
‘Shaun of the Dead’ (2004) Edgar Wright, UK
‘Night of the Living Dead’ (1978) George Romero, USA
‘Dawn of the Dead’ (1978) George Romero, USA / (2004) Zack Synder, USA
‘Land of the Dead’ (2004) George Romero, USA
‘Day of the Dead’ (
1985) George Romero, USA
‘The Curse of Frankenstein’ (1957) Terence Fisher, USA
‘28 Days Later…’ (2002) Danny Boyle, UK
‘Hot Fuzz’ (2007) Edgar Wright, UK
‘28 Weeks Later…’ (2007)
Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, UK
Newspapers
The Guardian, Film & Music Weekly Pg8 – Friday November 10 2006
/taglines
