The military attempts to contain a weaponized virus that causes permanent insanity and death in those infected as it overtakes a small town.
HORROR
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The Crazies (1973)Written and Directed by George A. Romero
Starring Lane Carroll, Will MacMillan, Harold Wayne Jones, Lloyd Hollar, Lynn Lowry, Richard Liberty, Richard France |
I think the measure of good art is its relevance as time goes on. If a painting, song, poem, or film resonates with you personally or still packs a punch with its content then it has succeeded. This isn't often the case as we are inundated with movies, TV shows, music, podcasts and most of it is forgotten by the time the credits roll if you even get that far. George Romero is one of those filmmakers that will never get the notoriety of Hitchcock or Truffaut because he wasn't always relying on technique to drive his films. He used the medium as a mirror to society and dared us to look and not blink.
The story centers on the small community of Evans City, Pennsylvania as it becomes the epicenter of a deadly viral outbreak. Romero wastes little time in ratcheting up the intensity as a father, already infected and driven mad, has murdered his wife and sets his house on fire, ultimately killing his two small children. No clever opening scene (although he does drops subtle hints about how the virus has spread before it's directly revealed) to give you all the information, he drops us right into it and that is extremely effective. The viewer, at least it seemed that way to me, is caught in the hysteria as the citizens and military are overwhelmed by the catastrophe and hard decisions have to be made. Eventually, Evans City is locked down and the Army soldiers sent in (in biohazard suits and gas masks no less which adds a faceless terror quality to them) have to round up and quarantine the town. It's not easy and some fight back as it is initially hard to tell who is or isn't infected. As the Army loses control, innocent and infected alike are killed. Our hero group comprised of Judy (Carroll), firefighter David (MacMillan), his friend Clank (Jones), Kathy (Lowry) and her father Artie (Liberty) are trying to get out and fight back every step of the way. There are some clunky moments with dialogue and the acting is a bit stiff at times but this is early work from Romero and all the hallmarks are there: intense conflict, characters up against a terrifying threat, paranoia, and commentary on how easy order and civility can be swept away. A very relevant film today during the coronavirus pandemic and, for me, didn't need to be touched for a remake. |