Dawn is generally considered to be the best zombie/Dead film ever made, greater than its predecessor Night Of The Living Dead, and superior to not only its sequel, Day Of The Dead, but also to the near legion of imiatators and wannabes which it spawned in the decades after its release. Even modern fare like the "Resident Evil" games (along with the putrid film versions) owe their entire existence to Dawn of The Dead.
So how does a filmmaker return to that ground some 25 years after the fact, and attempt to make another film in that mold?
Enter Land Of The Dead.
Known in production under the title Dead Reckoning, Land was one of those dream projects which was talked about unofficially by Romero for years on end -- a Dead film wherein he wouldn't have to scale back his script to accomodate the budget and would allow him to make it as gruesome as he wanted. Many fans thought that this project would never materialize, and that if it ever did, it would be such a major disappointment that it could possibly soil the good name of Dawn. This became especially prevalent in the wake of Dawn 04, which, while a good film, lacks any of the original's power and depth.
But the film began to amp itself up, and funding began to come together. Before we knew it the film was really and truly in production, not just in plans. Little bits of the story were leaked, and they began to pique the interest of Romero fans -- well, some of them, anyway, because that cynicism remained. Don't try to recapture lightning in a bottle, because it cannot be done. And don't get me started on the so-called "nu-horror" fans, *shudder*. But things moved along, and pictures began to pop up, and then the first trailer... and people began to take notice. Romero may be onto something here.
And when the film was finally released, we all wringed our hands and wondered, does George still have it?
The verdict: Yes. Yes he does. It is not going to replace Dawn, but Land Of The Dead is one of the best zombie films ever made.
Romero's films -- even the non-zombie ones -- are allegorical in nature; this is not news. So it comes as little surprise that Land follows this trend. The commenatary may not be as subtle as it was in Dawn, but Land is a much broader film than Dawn is -- Dawn certinaly was handled in the same mainstream manner as Land has been, and certainly did not get released to this many rabid fanboys, many of whom (this one included)were not alive when Dawn, let alone Night originally were released. But as a reflection of not only the fictional world of the Dead, and how it has evolved over the unknown number of years since the saga began, but also of our own mondern society, Land effectively gives the audience a little slice of the generally-accepted madness that people will live with.
The setup here is that the Living have essentially conceded most of the world to the Dead. Instead, they horde themselves up in large skyscraper "cities," such as Fiddler's Green, replete with every imaginable luxury. That is, the upper crust of society does. The less fortunate, however, live on the streets in makeshift towns, barricaded in away from the masses of the Dead, while making occasional supply runs deeper into the cities using their massive APC named Dead Reckoning. Still, even in this state, life goes on, since the living have been dealing with the Dead for so long that they are old hat now. The Dead pose little threat. At least, they used to. Things begin to change, though, as one particular Dead, gas station attendant Big Daddy, starts to act with some small amount of intelligence. Able to roughly communicate with his fellow Dead, Big Daddy begins to organize the Dead into something akin to a slow-moving mob which begins to move on the Green!
The plot is fairly action-oriented, but the conceit is the real star here. In the crosshairs this time around are the nature of power and conflict in the modern world. Kaufman (Dennis Hopper!), who runs the Green, is akin to a god with the power to not only command Dead Reckoning, but also the seemingly impregnable fortress. But Kaufman did not build the Green, nor own it -- he simply took over the building when it was abandonded, claiming it and the status and power it grants for himself. Cholo, one of the best raiders in the city, desires that power but cannot have it, being of the wrong class to hold such position. But once he commandeers the Dead Reckoning, the power is shifted to the small man standing on the shoulders of his weaponry, leading Kaufman to declare "We do not negotiate with terrorists!" That power comes not from leadership or example, but instead from armament or defensive capability; not from moral rightness but from the ability to kill one's enemies is indicitive of true strength of not only governments but shadow organizations in today's world. The ability to cause terrible carnage on your enemy's soil makes you powerful, whether you are a giant fighting force, or a handful of men with a bomb. While the conflict between those In Power and those who Want Power builds, it becomes readily apparent that the innocent civilians -- living or otherwise -- will be the true losers. But while the living go on with their lives, blissfully unaware that a great conflict is boiling, Big Daddy mobilizes his Dead to move in and take what he feels is rightfully theirs.
Big Daddy, the true star of the movie, is obviously the Romero Black Hero previously essayed by Ben in Night and then Peter in Dawn. While the Dead are content to wander aimlessly in search of food, Daddy forces them to organize, to think, and to do whatever they can to ensure their survival. The balance has continued to shift away from humanity towards the Dead, to the point now that they have become much like the living were earlier in the series. Their continued evolution as thinking characters suggests that they may yet claim this planet from the increasingly narrow-minded and warlike humans. And frankly, there has to be some doubt in the viewer's mind as to whether the humans even deserve it anymore.
Land Of The Dead succeeds on so many levels that it is difficult to find much fault with it. The acting is fine, if not exactly award-calibur, and the grue will keep fans happily satisfied. And the story is engaging, engrossing, filled with moments of dread and uneasiness, yet not so overbearing that we cannot fathom it. What Romero has done in this film is to reinvigorate the genre he created, if not reinvent it. Which, considering the status of the zombie film nowadays, is probably more desired. With Land, notice is served to all the imitators and wannabes: Big Daddy is back in town.
