Dawn of the Dead (1979) Analysis
This shot reflects George Romero’s view on the mindlessness of consumerism in America at the time. The first shopping mall was opened in the mid-70s. Earlier in the film, Peter suggests that the zombies go towards the shopping mall because of “instinct, memory” because it “was an important place in their lives”. This reflects the impact Romero has as the auteur. The long shot enables us to be able to take in everything going on. Unlike a conventional horror movie, the location is vast and there are plenty of places to hide.
This shot shows Stephen and Peter enjoying the shopping mall. This shot allows the audience to relax slightly, and there is a touch of humour because of the fact that the four survivors are enjoying themselves inside the mall while outside there are hundreds of zombies waiting to kill them. The medium long-shot enables us to see all the mess around the room, so although they appear to be having a good time, the use of props reminds us of the inevitable chaos that will break loose. We are also left with the feeling of wondering how long this happiness will last. Romero felt strongly about racism and this shows Peter as one of the survivors. The fact that he is in the front of this shot suggests his power over Stephen. The fact that Romero’s personal views impact the film so much supports Andrew Sarris’ ‘Auteur theory’ established in his essay Notes on the Auteur Theory in 1962.
This shot is from the final scene of the film and shows Fran and Peter as the survivors. They are about to fly away with the realisation that they are low on fuel, therefore this could be seen as an open ending or an unhappy ending, depending on how it is interpreted by the viewer. This typical horror film structure goes against Vladimir Propp’s narrative structure. The emotionless expression on Fran’s face reflects the strength of her female survivor stereotype. She never screams during the film and does not break down in this shot despite the fact that her boyfriend has just been turned into a zombie and shot. DotD (1979) is an example of the ideology of sexism towards women in horror movies not being present, another indication of George A. Romero’s auteur influence of this film, as he abhors sexism.
This shot shows Stephen and Peter enjoying the shopping mall. This shot allows the audience to relax slightly, and there is a touch of humour because of the fact that the four survivors are enjoying themselves inside the mall while outside there are hundreds of zombies waiting to kill them. The medium long-shot enables us to see all the mess around the room, so although they appear to be having a good time, the use of props reminds us of the inevitable chaos that will break loose. We are also left with the feeling of wondering how long this happiness will last. Romero felt strongly about racism and this shows Peter as one of the survivors. The fact that he is in the front of this shot suggests his power over Stephen. The fact that Romero’s personal views impact the film so much supports Andrew Sarris’ ‘Auteur theory’ established in his essay Notes on the Auteur Theory in 1962. 
This shot is from the final scene of the film and shows Fran and Peter as the survivors. They are about to fly away with the realisation that they are low on fuel, therefore this could be seen as an open ending or an unhappy ending, depending on how it is interpreted by the viewer. This typical horror film structure goes against Vladimir Propp’s narrative structure. The emotionless expression on Fran’s face reflects the strength of her female survivor stereotype. She never screams during the film and does not break down in this shot despite the fact that her boyfriend has just been turned into a zombie and shot. DotD (1979) is an example of the ideology of sexism towards women in horror movies not being present, another indication of George A. Romero’s auteur influence of this film, as he abhors sexism. 
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