Diary of the Dead
Are we worth saving? You tell me.
They’re not my words, but those of a character in Romero’s latest instalment of the “Dead” series: Diary of the Dead.
Romero’s gratuitously violent and darkly comic zombie tales have explored many facets of human behaviour. Among the themes explored in his latest film, are racial inequities, corrupt militia, media saturation and its role in inducing hysteria, government propaganda (or citizens’ paranoia, depending on your view) and, most importantly, the regular citizen’s contribution to news reporting, and the influence of the internet in disseminating alternative perspectives on current events.
Perhaps in light of America’s involvement in Iraq, there is a greater emphasis on the impact that killing can have, upon the individual who carries out the deed. After fending off a number of threatening un-dead, one character reflects, in disbelief, upon having killed “...three men and a woman”. There is even an older, cynical and world-wise character in the film, who has served in the military.
In keeping with more contemporary horror storytelling (Blair Witch, [REC]), Romero arms his cast with cameras, and tells the story from the camera-operator’s point/s of view. But is he taking up the cause of P.O.V. storytelling, or making fun of it? You be the judge.
It’s unlikely that Romero will ever surpass the brilliance of the consumerist fable Dawn Of The Dead, but his latest feature is interesting from a filmmaking point of view, in its reliance upon CGI, rather than laborious splicing of multi-camera perspectives in the editing room, as was customary with Romero’s other films.
Mostly, though, it’s an entertaining zombie yarn: best enjoyed at night, in a darkened room, with a bucket of pop-corn and a group of friends.