Thematic Symbolism in Night of the Living Dead Film and its Historical Significance

Film Analysis: Night of the Living Dead
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Film Analysis: Night of the Living Dead
Some people tend to look at films as a source of entertainment; on the other hand, other people try to look more beyond the movie, despite being aware of its initial purpose. Since the film is another form of art, it accepts that a film can be interpreted in many ways, especially if supporting arguments can be specified. Several films have been standing in the spotlight from these interpretations and arguments as they are continuously being appreciated by many. One old but famous film that has been loved by the people, titled Night of the Living Dead, will be the focus of this analysis paper.
Background
The film Night of the Living Dead, directed by George A. Romero, was released and premiered in 1968 and was given high regard as its audience remarkably accepted it despite it being his first film with a zombie genre. It was also explained how the film centers on chaos where zombies and human beings fight for survival (Harper, 2005). On the other hand, due to the film’s gruesome violence pornography, controversies surrounded the film, which influenced the film produced by the distributor, Continental Releasing. The controversy started as an article writer expressed his though regarding the pornography of the film, which was exceedingly inappropriate for the children who watched it as it was premiered in an afternoon slot (Heffernan, 2002). Yet despite that, it is well known that this film was seen by many significant figures and is acknowledged for its cinematography.
The film was all about how the seven characters would have to successfully determine ways to survive in a place surrounded by flesh-eating monsters, or what most people call zombies. The plot started as Barbara and Johnny went to see their deceased father and were then attacked by zombies, which led to her brother’s demise. As Barbara continued to flee, she met Ben and accidentally found a farmhouse where they found other people surviving from these zombies. As they continued to stay within the farmhouse, tensions arose as the characters were arguing at some point, which led to the character’s demise in the film until only Ben could survive. Ben, who continuously waited for a rescue team to arrive, was able to meet them successfully, but unfortunately, none of the characters could survive due to how Ben was concluded as a zombie and was shot immediately (Holte, 2019). The ending of the movie, where Ben was included in the pile of zombies despite not being a zombie, relates to various interpretations due to the colors of the characters.
Thematic Symbolism
After watching the film Night of the Living Dead, looking at it on a surface presents a horror story of the seven characters, but in looking more closely through the lens of metaphorical perspectives, the story can be interpreted in many ways. The two most satisfying and argumentative thematic symbolism found in the film was about the struggle for survival and the representation of the color.
The Struggle of Survival
From this forward, the talks about how the characters made their move to survive will be analyzed and...