The Dead (2010) Review
Frightfest 2010
General Release TBA
Throwing caution to the wind the Fords chose shoot their zombie flick in Bukina Faso; a near untouched gem in Africa’s crown. The potential ramification of setting a horror film in such a location are clear; broad daylight, large open spaces, plenty of places to run to mention but a few potential tension killers, yet the Ford’s seem to relish in the challenge. It’s a master stroke in outside the box thinking that through dynamic cinematography, shuffling zombies, sound effects and other staples of the genre ensures the audience is not only terrified by what’s on the screen but at the same time inexplicably absorbed by the beauty of it all.
The narrative is a fairly straightforward affair. Rob Freeman stars as Lt. Brian Murphy, the last survivor of a group of mercenaries who must traverse the length of the country in order to find a way home to his wife and child. Along the way he teams up with Sgt. Daniel Dembele played by Prince David Oseia who is searching for his lost son. The coming together of two seemingly independent and otherwise disassociated parties in order to survive is a political undercurrent straight from the pages of a Romero textbook, and rarely if ever feels heavy handed.
The special effects are top notch; the (un)dead look genuinely un(dead) and suffice to say they come in the purist pleasing shuffling variety; there’s no runners here and yet they’re still as relentless and shocking as ever. Not only that but in one the many fraught zombie attacking scenes there’s homage paid to Savini in the form of a perfectly placed machete to the head; It’s all delightfully gory, adorably old school and not for the faint hearted.
The film only stumbles in its failure to tap into the emotional side of an apocalypse film. The most laughable moments come in overly emotional scenes and at points become almost too over the top to bear; Murphy’s vision of his family is perfect example, especially as it’s meant to be in an American suburb yet is clearly shot in England; both a mail box and a door letter box? This doesn’t detract too much to the overall picture as in essence it all harks back to the horror b-movies of by-gone years; it just unintentionally teeters on the line of serious and comedic one too many times not to be noticed.
One of the most compelling and downright shocking elements of this film is not what occurs on the screen but of the events that occurred off. To say production was merely dogged with setbacks would be a gross understatement of the highest order. Countless near death experiences by cast and crew, muggings at knife and gun point, corrupt locals, production stalled by weeks due to missing equipment, crippling sickness and the lead catching Malaria, cultivate in this being probably one of the toughest and arduous experiences most of the people involved will ever face. It’s fitting then that the film stands as the perfect testament to everything they went through and survived; it is after all a well thought out and executed story of survival against all the odds.
The Ford’s have not so much as torn up but re-written the rule book and thrown themselves into the horror arena with quite frankly impressive results. The Dead is a compelling watch; that offers an insight into a part of the world rarely, if at all filmed. Despite its flaws and off pacing in the middle, demands a viewing. A genuinely terrific entrance into the world of co-directed full features; the Fords are ones to watch.
Words - Ben Ross
8.5/10
Trailer Link - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9e6lP7gksV0
