Investigate How Genre Conventions Are Used In Zombie Films Essay

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Investigate how genre conventions are used in zombie films

In this investigation, I will analyse how genre conventions are used zombie apocalyptic films. I will be contrasting and comparing Shaun of the dead, an apocalyptic comedy with World War Z, an apocalyptic action thriller. I will be evaluating its narrative structure, settings, characters, themes, sounds, mise-en-scene, hybridity and intertextuality through the dissection of the media text.
The film Shaun of the dead follows Todorov’s narrative structure scrupulously. The equilibrium lasts a considerable length in contrast to World War Z, in which the equilibriums duration was not nearly as long. During as to what seems Shaun’s daily ritual, he migrates to the corner shop. On his way here he endures as to what Shaun and the audience regards as ordinary. He passes a jogger, a beggar as well as greeting the shopkeeper. All that is exhibited here insinuates the expected occurrence of events on an everyday basis for Shaun. The themes of humour and morning rituals signify the normality.
In comparison, the film World War Z exhibits a shorter period of normality in the stage of equilibrium. In this stage, the family are content with life, with very little worry.
At the stage of disruption in Shaun of the dead, there appears to be two disruptions. The demolition of his relationship, and the conception of the zombie apocalypse. The stage of disruption only appears to have one disruption in World War Z, which is the theme of global destruction.
Shaun appears to arrive at the stage of the recognition of disruption after a long period of time as oppose to World War Z. This is typical of its comedy genre, signifying the obliviousness and stupidity of the characters as the audience have already acknowledged abnormality. The audience instantly recognise this due to iconography of the blood on the fridge door, the jogger is now sprinting past Shaun and the beggar is approaching Shaun at a threatening and uncomfortable pace, typical of its apocalyptic genre.
When attempting to repair the disruption, Shaun finds himself in multiple predicaments and his actions are not conveniently handy, making the situation worse than it is, which is typical of its comedy genre. On the contrary, in World War Z, the stage of attempting to repair the disruption constitutes productive and functional work of the protagonist in which pays off.
The restoration of equilibrium in Shaun of the dead still contain elements of the zombies, in which is similar to World War Z. The zombies have not been completely eradicated in Shaun of the dead due to Ed being kept captive as a zombie, introducing further elements of humour. In World War Z, the zombies, elements of action and drama are still present, but the repair of the disruption constitutes a tone down on what it previously was.
The film Shaun of the dead and World War Z have vivid distinctions between production values. World War Z is a high budget film, thus high production values. This can be seen from the migration to many countries such as New York, South Korea and Philadelphia. The effects used for the overall film ensures that the viewers would already suspect that this is a high budget film, solely shown by the C.G.I effect. In contrast, Shaun of the dead has a very limited setting, thus, limited budget. This can be justified by the fact that Shaun and Ed are very homebound, the search for a temporary dwelling until the apocalypse `blows over’. They refer to the Winchester Pub as a secondary dwelling, which contributes to the themes of this film, the pub. These elements all constitute to the fact that the element of humour as if justifies the low budget, thus, the restriction of settings to the audience by introducing humour. This allows the viewer’s not to label the film as a typical serious apocalyptic film, but as a parody, to the film dawn of the dead. This contrasts with World War Z greatly as World War Z relies on a strict set sequence of
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