Picture source: Duane Jones and Judith O’Dea in “Night of the Living Dead” (1968)
There are a good number of horror movies that have been filmed somewhere in Pennsylvania, but none of them take the cake quite like the classic scary movie “Night of the Living Dead” (1968). Directed by George A. Romero, the movie was filmed primarily in Pittsburgh. Despite being an independent, low-budget film with relatively unknown actors, it became quite iconic with horror fanatics and even inspired some of our favorite modern TV shows and horror movies such as “Get Out” (2017) and “The Walking Dead” series. The movie is good in and of itself, but what additionally makes it such a classic, progressive film is due to its unintentional commentary on social issues at the time.
The movie was both filmed and set in rural Pennsylvania. It stars Duane Jones (Ben) and Judith O’Dea (Barbra). The story revolves around a group of people who are trapped in a farmhouse in rural Pennsylvania as the dead come back to life and start attacking the living. The premise is tame considering the standards of today’s horror movies but it was considered controversial for the time. In part because of the extreme violence and gore – remember, this was 1968 – but also because of the heroic portrayal of its lead protagonist, Ben, who was Black.
While, according to Collider Romero, originally “Night of the Living Dead” was not intended to be a horror movie disguised as political commentary, many viewers took it that way considering its progressive portrayal of a Black character. Ben, played by Duane Jones, was one of the main characters, as well as the hero of the film, which was relatively uncommon for movies including Black actors in the ‘60s. Additionally, the film appeared to be a critique of social issues – particularly racial injustice – at the time.
However, this was not Romero’s goal, as he stated that the role of Ben was not written specifically for a Black actor; he simply felt that Duane Jones was right for the part, regardless of race. Despite this, there is no denying the subtext throughout the film, whether it was intentional or not. Although George A. Romero did not purposefully create “Night of the Living Dead” as a critique of social issues of the time, there is no denying its progressiveness. Take for example how Ben is the clear main character and hero of the film and is not immediately killed off or pushed aside. He is not the sidekick or the laughing stock – which was a typical character role for non-white actors/actresses at this time. Rather, he is the last one alive and does not go down without a fight, which in itself is groundbreaking for the time this movie was released, which was during the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement.
Although it was eventually recognized as groundbreaking and progressive, initially “Night of the Living Dead” was seen as unreasonably horrifying due to the intense violence (e.g. cannibalism, murder, and so forth). Which, at the time, led critics to have mixed reviews on the movie, as it was not a conventional horror movie for its time. It gave viewers something new and something more terrifying. In fact, Rosie Tibbs on Medium.com noted, “Night of the Living Dead” introduced the concept of zombies craving human flesh. Before this, movies about zombies described them as, for the most part, “mindless creatures.”
As previously mentioned, “Night of the Living Dead” inspired many different movies as well as created an entire cult following and many sequels. According to Numbers.com, the classic horror movie grossed $12 million domestically, earning more than 250 times its budget, which was a little over $100,000. It’s no surprise that horror fans are still talking about this movie today with how much it paved the way for modern horror. Although it wasn’t the first ever zombie movie, it was one of the most popular and helped in jumpstarting the zombie subgenre.
Considering it is the 55th anniversary of the movie, there’s no better time to rewatch “Night of the Living Dead” or watch it for the first time! Even though it may not live up to the standards of the horror movies created today, it’s still a classic that inspired some of the best modern horror films. Not only that, but it also has an interesting backstory and political implications.
Ava Werner is a third-year Psychology major with a minor in Women’s & Gender Studies. AW973732@wcupa.edu.