DOTD 1979 Image Analysis 3

This establishing shot contains a lot of contextual connotations. During the 1970’s America had a lot of issues with capitalism and an insane obsession with money and materialistic items. This shot shows it well as this it’s set in a shopping mall, Romero wanted to deal with the current affairs and contextual scares America was going through at the time. You can see the zombies walking through the shopping mall. This is suggesting that if the obsession over money continues, we’ll end up like the zombies, basically dead. During the shot, contrapuntal music is being played. It is a happy, upbeat muzak that the zombies walk in time with. The music makes the audience feel confused and manipulated which adds to the idea of horror – to shudder. The shot is a high angle shot which makes the zombies look powerless; this may be because they are slow moving monsters that are not usually as terrifying and threatening as those which are fast. It could also mean that America is powerless when it comes to the idea of capitalism as it has taken over their minds.