Structuralism theory in film
emphasises the fact that certain genres follow certain codes and conventions. 28
Days Later is a post-apocalyptic horror film, whereas Shaun of the Dead is a
comedic horror film, this already establishes that the tone of the two films
will be very different.
The portrayal of the zombies in each
film is quite different. 28 Days Later (28DL) challenges the idea of the
typical zombie, when Shaun Of the dead (SOTD) plays on the idea and makes fun
of it. Zombies are usually shown to be mindless, rotten and slow. However in 28DL
takes what usually makes a zombie scary and compares what takes away from the
fear they cause the audience. So they remove the slow pace in which they walk
at and make them run and also jerk. This breaks the convention of zombies not
being able to catch up with their pray due to their slow speed, and this in
turn scares the audience because there is now no hindrance for the zombies as
they can kill any character they wish.
However, SOTD sticks with the classic
codes and conventions tied with zombies and plays around with them, For
example; the main characters are able to get past most of the zombies and attack
them as they wish. In addition, the society that the characters live in is
initially portrayed as dull and lifeless, so when the zombie infection spreads,
Shaun does not realise the sudden change. This also makes fun of British
culture and people. In contrast, 28DL follows the normal paradigm of a zombie
film being set in a post-apocalyptic society (in this case, London) and the
events have taken place over a few months, even though we only see it through
Jim’s eyes, who has only recently woke up from a coma.
The weapons used in both films are
very different. 28DL has conventional weaponry, such as guns and bombs, however
the zombies themselves are even used as weapons towards the end, which
challenges the paradigm. Zombies are usually shown as the threat, and they are
to be killed at all costs. But throughout the film, we see Jim feeling sympathy
for them and trying to understand their way of thinking, and he also uses them
to his advantage as a weapon against the army, as I mentioned previously. SOTD
uses normal house hold items and objects e.g. baseball bats, shovels and
snooker cues and one quote completely contrasts with the paradigm of dangerous
weapons which is ‘Get any blunt objects’. The use of the house hold objects
also tries to make the film more relatable to the ordinary viewer.
Zombie films usually include
characters who have a sense of urgency and purpose. In 28DL, the character
Selena, has a very strong urge to kill and survive, one scene where this is
extremely apparent is when her friend Mark is supposedly bitten, but she
doesn’t take a chance and decides to hack him to death just to be sure. This
could be contrasted with the character of Jim, who at the beginning was very
kind and almost like a pacifist, but as the film goes on, he kills an infected
little boy and stabs the eyes of a soldier. In SOTD, the characters seem to
have no sense of urgency and try to brush off the situation. Two characters who
display this is Ed and Barbara. Ed throughout the film doesn’t really focus on
the matter at hand and is either texting, or wanting to drive the car of his
dreams and act like he is in an action film. Barbara is a typical British
mother who wants to fix everything with a cup of tea or some sandwiches. This
could also be a reflection on our current society and how the majority of us
are quite ignorant to the truth.
The hideaways for the characters were
very different also. In SOTD, a pub was used because Ed wanted a place with
exits he was familiar with, and a ‘place to smoke’. Whereas, in 28DL, the
settings are very run down, and the streets are abandoned, which is very
typical for a zombie film. In addition, locations are used which are familiar
to British audiences e.g. black wall tunnel, oxford circus, tube stations etc.
Overall, 28DL mainly stuck to the
structuralist style of zombie films, whereas Shaun of the dead challenged them
and strayed away from them.
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