Dawn of the Dead (2004)

I watched Dawn of the dead, the new version, for the third time. Brainy entertainment - yes. I would also argue that what makes this kind of movie interesting is its exploration of the structure of urban places, stripped off many of their ordinary uses. Thus, we see a group of people, survivors of course, huddling in a shopping mall, the crowd of zombies roaring outside. The shopping mall is no longer the bustling center of economic transactions and fulfillment of consumer desire - but these meanings of the shopping mall lurk in the background, as ironic signifiers of a world that is no longer there. You might blame me of over-intellectualizing a simple Hollywood flick, but I think there is something to that kind of association. During the entire movie, we are served quirky displacements of the typical images of "survival". Instead of the brute desire for survival, the film muses over greed, morality and the occasional glass of champagne. The ironic transformation is epitomized by a pair of security guards at the mall, who try their best to keep up the appearance of "professional responsibility". At least the mall is provided with "reinforced glass" (are we already living the zombie nightmare?).

Afterwards, I read K-punk's interesting analysis of the film, which he interprets as a parable about a capitalist nightmare about immigrants; monstruous masses, improductive, feeding on wealth they have no right to. Though a bit far-fetched, I think the reading has a certain plausibility.