One might think that a movie like The Dead is destined to be eclipsed by the behind-the-scenes turmoil that took place during production. I'm not talking about Hollywood tabloid drama or anything scandalous like that; the folks behind this one truly suffered for their art. The tumultuous filming conditions - on location in Burkina Faso and Ghana, West Africa - resulted in hardships that made production nearly impossible.
In addition to the majority of the crew becoming violently ill at various points and being robbed at gunpoint and taken advantage of by locals under the perception that they were rich, lead actor Rob Freeman contracted malaria and nearly died as a result. And while coming away from all of that with a completed film makes for one hell of a triumphant story, the true selling point is the movie itself.
The viewer is immediately immersed in rich desert landscape, but the scenery is quickly tarnished by a zombie lumbering on a broken leg. We meet flight engineer Lieutenant Brian Murphy (Rob Freeman), the sole survivor of a military plane crash. While Africa is plagued by war, there is an even greater threat to man: the walking dead. Murphy, invigorated by the thought of returning home to his family in America, must defend himself from the hordes of zombies that inhabit the continent - and, perhaps, beyond.
Along the way, Murphy runs into Daniel Dembele (Prince David Oseia). The local sergeant is on a similar quest: he is searching for his son, who fled their village when it was attacked by zombies. Despite cultural differences, the two band together in a desperate attempt at survival.
A stand-in location could never replace the poetically desolate backdrops of West Africa. It feels real - because it is - adding an immeasurable amount to the production value. It doesn't hurt that it was shot on 35mm either. Not only does the film utilize the beautiful, remote landscapes of the continent, but also their locals. Many natives, most of whom had never even seen a camera before, stepped in front of one to portray the living dead. Out of context, it's quite sad, but their emaciated frames, some missing extremities, work perfectly for zombies.
While the vast yet sparse locations bring to mind imagery from Lucio Fulci's Zombie, The Dead is a driven more by its character's journey rather than just zombie kills. That's not to say that the gore isn't there; the kills, both human and undead, are well done with excellent make-up effects and CGI that's anything but overbearing. The Dead is the movie you wish George A. Romero made after Day of the Dead. It even has a semblance of Romero's signature social commentary.
As good as it is, The Dead is not perfect. The middle act drags a bit, weighed down by the increasingly formulaic scenes: the excursion is threatened by zombies who are killed off just in the nick of time. The relentless, nomadic ghouls are everywhere; I don't think the film ever goes five minutes without at least showing one in passing. The constant surveillance serves as fine reminder of the imposing threat, but it also leads to repetitive sequences that border on tedious.
For a film that lies largely on a single character, Freeman's acting is rather flat. Despite the critical despair of the situation, he merely comes off as agitated rather than frantic. The dialogue is light, which may have helped or hurt the performance, depending on his acting chops - which we never really see. Murphy's bond with Dembele could have been stronger as well.
The script also missed a few good moments. Most notably, Murphy is given a baby by a local, freshly bitten woman. This, essentially handing him a ticking time bomb, could have lead to some interesting situations, but instead he just passes it off to some refugees in the following scene.
Despite a few missteps, it's still quite impressive that The Dead is the debut feature from Howard J. Ford and Jonathan Ford, who co-wrote and co-directed. The brothers have reportedly been conceiving this film for some 20 years now while spending most of their careers doing commercials. Giving it that time to marinate seemed to help.
If you're a traditional zombie movie fan who has had enough of the overbearing, modern fare, be sure to seek out The Dead. As if having the cast and crew risk their lives to complete the production wasn't reason enough to give it a shot, the end result manages to feel both conventional and fresh.
In addition to the majority of the crew becoming violently ill at various points and being robbed at gunpoint and taken advantage of by locals under the perception that they were rich, lead actor Rob Freeman contracted malaria and nearly died as a result. And while coming away from all of that with a completed film makes for one hell of a triumphant story, the true selling point is the movie itself.
The viewer is immediately immersed in rich desert landscape, but the scenery is quickly tarnished by a zombie lumbering on a broken leg. We meet flight engineer Lieutenant Brian Murphy (Rob Freeman), the sole survivor of a military plane crash. While Africa is plagued by war, there is an even greater threat to man: the walking dead. Murphy, invigorated by the thought of returning home to his family in America, must defend himself from the hordes of zombies that inhabit the continent - and, perhaps, beyond.
Along the way, Murphy runs into Daniel Dembele (Prince David Oseia). The local sergeant is on a similar quest: he is searching for his son, who fled their village when it was attacked by zombies. Despite cultural differences, the two band together in a desperate attempt at survival.
A stand-in location could never replace the poetically desolate backdrops of West Africa. It feels real - because it is - adding an immeasurable amount to the production value. It doesn't hurt that it was shot on 35mm either. Not only does the film utilize the beautiful, remote landscapes of the continent, but also their locals. Many natives, most of whom had never even seen a camera before, stepped in front of one to portray the living dead. Out of context, it's quite sad, but their emaciated frames, some missing extremities, work perfectly for zombies.
While the vast yet sparse locations bring to mind imagery from Lucio Fulci's Zombie, The Dead is a driven more by its character's journey rather than just zombie kills. That's not to say that the gore isn't there; the kills, both human and undead, are well done with excellent make-up effects and CGI that's anything but overbearing. The Dead is the movie you wish George A. Romero made after Day of the Dead. It even has a semblance of Romero's signature social commentary.
As good as it is, The Dead is not perfect. The middle act drags a bit, weighed down by the increasingly formulaic scenes: the excursion is threatened by zombies who are killed off just in the nick of time. The relentless, nomadic ghouls are everywhere; I don't think the film ever goes five minutes without at least showing one in passing. The constant surveillance serves as fine reminder of the imposing threat, but it also leads to repetitive sequences that border on tedious.
For a film that lies largely on a single character, Freeman's acting is rather flat. Despite the critical despair of the situation, he merely comes off as agitated rather than frantic. The dialogue is light, which may have helped or hurt the performance, depending on his acting chops - which we never really see. Murphy's bond with Dembele could have been stronger as well.
The script also missed a few good moments. Most notably, Murphy is given a baby by a local, freshly bitten woman. This, essentially handing him a ticking time bomb, could have lead to some interesting situations, but instead he just passes it off to some refugees in the following scene.
Despite a few missteps, it's still quite impressive that The Dead is the debut feature from Howard J. Ford and Jonathan Ford, who co-wrote and co-directed. The brothers have reportedly been conceiving this film for some 20 years now while spending most of their careers doing commercials. Giving it that time to marinate seemed to help.
If you're a traditional zombie movie fan who has had enough of the overbearing, modern fare, be sure to seek out The Dead. As if having the cast and crew risk their lives to complete the production wasn't reason enough to give it a shot, the end result manages to feel both conventional and fresh.