Dawn of the Dead (2004) Still analysis 1

Here we see a scene from the opening credits of Dawn of the Dead (DOTD, 2004), Directed by Zack. Here we can clearly see historical context being used. The movie has cleverly adapted to its early 2000’s audience, and tickled the fears of the population with this opening scene, and the others, of the ever growing fear of a war from the Middle East, but also from an experimental virus causing an apocalypse. Already the director, Zack Snyder, has appealed to the audience in the context of 2004. This is because of the massively devastating terrorist attacks, 9/11, and also the presence of the second Iraq war. The importance of understanding audience’s impact on film was written about by Janet Staiger in Interpreting Films (1992), who looked at appealing to the audience and their contexts more than anything. The use of black and white editing creates a dirty and more sinister look to the scene, and the eerie feeling is also a part of the soundtrack. Also upon analysis, the soundtrack makes references to biblical Armageddon, immediately setting the tone for the movie, and giving the audience a sense of what is going to happen.