Night of the Living Dead(1968) Review

10/10!!!!

George A. Romero is the king of the zombies(no pun intended).  Even though there were films before his time that had the topic, he was the true innovator. He made the first gruesome zombie flick ever, and it was a 1968 film called "Night of the Living Dead."  This is one of my favorite horror movies ever.  It is a shocking, and extremely fun piece of cinema, and it was the first movie of its kind that I had ever watched.  

The movie starts off with a bang, and it engrosses the viewer right off the bat.  We meet Johnny, and his sister Barbra.  The two of them are visiting their father's grave, and they converse with each other.  Things seem completely normal, until a man starts walking around the graveyard. Johnny walks over to him, and the zombie kills him.  Barbra runs away, and she locks herself in the car. The zombie tries to break in, and Barbra runs away until she finds an abandoned house.  This first ten minutes is so iconic, mainly because of the car scene(which has been mocked and repeated so many times).  Everything is just so exciting though, and it is one of my favorite beginnings ever.

As Barbra hides in this house, an African American man named Ben comes in. He is also hiding from the zombies, but he is a very strong and capable man.  He takes it upon himself to board up the entire house, as a way of saving themselves.  What they don't know yet is the strength of these zombies, and the number of them that will try to take them down.  The viewers also meet five other characters later in the film. Two of their names are Harry and Helen, and they are husband and wife.  Their daughter is also featured, and her name is Karen. The other two are a couple, and their names are Judy and Tom.  Throughout the rest of the film, these seven characters try their best to save each other, but their chances are not likely at all.  The plot is such an intense story, and although it's been used many times after, it was very original for its day of age. 

The cast was extremely talented, and each of them really gave a convincing portrayal of fear and anger.  The standout for me was Duane Jones as Ben.  It was uncommon for an African American to be to the hero of movies at this time, but he did such a great job. He was smart, resourceful, and extremely tough. He was also the most likable character of the film, and it was easy to admire his tenacity.  Judith O' Dea was the other lead in the film, and while she did a good job. Her character was absolutely terrible.  While revolutions were made with Ben, the character of Barbra is one of the most sexist and stereotypical roles I've ever seen. She was weak, dumb, and annoying as she could possibly be.  She is shown to be incapable of doing anything, and it was a wonder she lived as long as she did.  The other actor I really liked in the film was Karl Harden(Harry). He was a very angry man, and it made me laugh a lot.  Harden was a great character actor, and he gives everything you could want in the role.

Even though the film is quite tame by today's standards, it was extremely graphic for its time. There is gory wounds, eating of body parts, stabbings, etc, and it is still quite a gruesome film. I really give a lot of credit to it for this, because a lot was risked.  There was the chance that people were going to hate the movie, and that it would flop immensely.  Even though critics didn't like the gore at the time, this has changed, and it is now known as one of the greatest horror films ever. 

Being the film was made in the late 60's, black and white footage was still used. I really like this for the movie, because it gave a very grainy and dark look, and it was surprisingly realistic to life.  Instead of watching a movie, I feel like I'm actually there, and it adds to the horror extensively.  I honestly don't know why the black and white is special in this one, but it really set itself apart from other films of its type, and it was the best in my opinion. 

One of the things that I really liked in the film was the way that the radio and televisions in the house almost work as a narrator to what is happening. It made things very tense, and it was a genius move.  I feel that it was influential, because "American Graffiti" did a very similar practice years later. 

The most amazing part of the film in my opinion is the closing scene. I have never been so shocked by anything before. I remember watching the movie for the first time, and I literally yelled at the tv because of what happened.  There has never been a better ending of a movie before, and I don't think there ever will be again. 

I will make this conclusion very simple. Watch. This. Film.  If you want to be a true horror film, then there is no escaping this.  It is the absolute gateway to all films of the genre, and it is a true masterpiece. I may have to call it my second favorite horror flick, only behind "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre." I promise all of you that this film will not disappoint you in any sense. Be prepared for a gruesome, shocking, and iconic film from the master himself..... George A Romero.