When you think of a zombie, what comes to mind? To most people a zombie is a cannibalistic creature that rises from the dead and is often linked with diseases. In the film Night of the Living Dead this is exactly what we get. The zombies are the main element of horror in this film and this is what holds our attention. Whereas in the film I Walked With a Zombie, the true terror is not being killed by zombies, but of becoming a zombie oneself. Even though the zombies in both these films are different, they both have something in common, both these films use zombies and their historical backgrounds in order to make these creature more realistic and to fill us with fear which in the end makes us wonder if zombies truly do exist.
In the film, I Walked With a Zombie, the use of creative cinematography is immediately revealed in the opening scene. A majestic long shot of two shadowy individuals pleasantly strolling on a windy beach is the first thing we see as the film begins. This beautiful first image is also supposed to be an inside joke since the two strollers are Frances Dee, the actress who plays Betsy, and Darby Jones, the actor who plays Carrefour, the mindless zombie slave of the voodoo priest. This scene completely diminishes the fear and horror suggested by the manipulative title. For instance, you would not expect a horror movie to start out this way, yet this film does exactly that. Moreover, the tone of
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In the film Night of the Living Dead zombies are portrayed as flesh eating creatures. Whereas in the film I Walked With a Zombie, zombies are not portrayed as monsters who are cannibals but as mindless slaves who are not dead but not alive as well. Even though the zombies in both these films are different, they both have something in common, both these films use zombies to drive fear into our minds and make us wonder if zombies could really