This is a film review from the Melbourne International Film Festival 2008. To see all my reviews from the festival, go here.
It’s tough really to review a film that isn’t finished. You’re never quite sure that if any of the criticisms you have about it are justified or or just a rough or unfinished part of the film. The feeling is then, why bother reviewing it at all, if the whole thing could just be invalid? So I really will be focusing on the lements of this documentary that were working best, trusting in good faith that those parts that didn’t work were simply not yet finished.
Dead On chronicles the body of work of director George Romero, most famous for his series of zombie films such as ‘Night of the Living Dead’ and ‘Dawn of the Dead’. The film mostly comprises of interviews with Romero himself, friends and family, and actors or other film-makers. Supporting this are various clips from his movies as well as video and stills from behind the scenes.
What works well in this documentary are two of the stories that are weaved throughout the film. What makes Romero a compelling director is the social commentary he embeds in his films. Romero deliberately reflects the social values of the time, making the body of his work a kind of modern Delorean with a flux capacitor. The film gives Romero plenty of chances to explain how each film sits within the history of that time.
‘Dead On’ also chronicles the journey that Romero took from his independent film making roots, through to him working with the big Hollywood studios, and then back to making independent films. Romero makes clear his frustrations in working with the Hollywood system and it’s interesting to see what kind of hoops he had to jump through to keep them happy.
See it for: The strong independent film making spirit of the film will inspire you to get out there and make your own.
The Dark Side: As an unfinished product, the film was rough, sometimes jarring, sometimes boring, and far too long.
The Final Word: If anything, the documentary serves as a warning on copyright law. Because of a legal loophole to do with changing the name, Romero makes no money from ‘Night of the Living Dead’ as it is in the public domain and anybody can publish the work.
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