Dawn of the Dead (1979) 3rd Shot Analysis

This films hybrid genre of Body Horror is shown in a scene such as this one, where the bikers invade the mall and some end up being caught and eaten. This specific shot is a close-up of said biker who was captured after attempting to escape the mall, and is part of a montage of deaths and the other bikers escaping. The use of body horror in this scene shows how powerful the zombies can actually be and give them a more threatening representation.

Tom Savini brings his signature style, vivid realistic gore/body horror special FX to this film and specifically this shot, and he works closely with George A. Romero as this is how he got his breakthrough. His realistic gore comes from his memories of his history, being in the Vietnam War and said “If I was going to portray violence, it had to be the way I saw it” meaning that Tom himself is as much an auteur on the film as Romero is. This brings in the historical context of the horrors that were in the Vietnam War, which Tom experienced himself. Tom Savini also features in this film and plays one of the invading bikers, and is killed by being shot off a ledge in the mall.

I love this shot because it has been captured perfectly, the camera was positioned at a long shot before his stomach had been mutilated and then a close-up of the gore to catch the viewers’ attention in this montage. The use of the hands all coming in from off-screen leeching at these organs creates an eerie unsettling effect.

The bikers were invading the mall in an attempt to take over it, but through Stephens’s stupidity and greed which we have seen to be consuming him throughout the film attempts to attack the invading bikers show his character progression, more camera angles from below him represent the idea of him becoming more of a powerful/dominant male hero.

The bikers were invading the mall in an attempt to take over it, but Stephen has been consumed by greed which we’ve seen develop throughout their time in the mall. He says “It’s ours, we took it” showing the use of the greed theme growing within Stephens character. His attack with his phallic weapon, the gun he uses to shoot down the bikers in an attempt to both kill and scare them off. This shows his character progression how he’s being consumed and corrupted by greed and consumption. The camera angles from below Stephen represent the idea of him becoming a more powerful and dominant male hero in the film.