After the first week of my new venture I managed to fail spectacularly by forgetting the all important second week. In my defence, a hell of a lot has been happening recently! So I'm casting my mind back to the events of two weeks ago and remembering the chaos of the London riots... or at least my own experience of them.
Fortunately, though unfortunately for the excitement factor of this blog, I live in Harrow and currently work in Kensington. Not surprisingly, Kensington was completely untouched which meant that the rich could continue to purchase their overpriced goods in peace. Back in Harrow my local Currys was smashed up, but the only other visible sign that anything was going on were the seven million police vans which zoomed past me on their way into London.
People were tending to stay in their houses after dark, causing usually busy parts of London to become barren wastelands which often exhibited traces of destruction from the night before. Having seen footage on the telly and heard a few horrible things from friends, I couldn't help but think of 28 Days Later (Danny Boyle, 2002).
A deadly virus has cut through Britain, leaving the majority of people dead or infected. Once infected, humans become devoid of personality and full of rage. Too animalistic to have any kind of logical goal, they instinctually attack the uninfected and spew blood from their mouths as if their lives depended on it.
London is a vast stretch of emptiness which is deserted by day and teaming with infected by night. It is here that we are introduced to our key protagonist, an ex-bicycle courier named Jim (Cillian Murphy) who wakes up in a deserted hospital 28 days after the infection surfaced. We soon learn that he has been unconcious for this time and therefore has no idea of the current state of the city.
After a 5 minute opening sequence which shows how the infection began, we wake up 28 days later with Jim. However, it's 9 more minutes before we meet an infected and 10 minutes before we are confronted with any immediate danger. During this time we are alone with Jim, who explores the city desperately trying to understand what can have happened. These scenes are delicately shot and paced, with little camera movement and reasonably long cuts. After a period of silence, a single guitar plays a few quiet notes and eventually builds in volume, pitch and speed to reflect Jim's growing confusion and ultimate realisation that something truly horrific must have occurred. This introduction allows time for the effects of the infection to resonate with the audience and is indicative of the filmmaker's approach throughout the film.
When Jim arrives back at the family home he makes a harrowing discovery which is extremely delicately handled and performed. This is followed by a fast paced and unexpected attack which is made all the more effective when juxtaposed with the previous scene. The point here is that the action sequences are well shot and deliver plenty of scares, but what elevates 28 Days Later beyond the realm of solid horror is the empathy we feel with the characters. This is undoubtedly due not only to the amount of time which is dedicated to the characters, but also to how well this time is spent.
When thinking about 28 Days Later in reference to the London riots it is worth mentioning that the film begins in a laboratory where various unrelated and decontextualised scenes of violence are being shown to a monkey. The media coverage of the rioting was of a similar ilk, as it presented viewers with little social context other than the desire of mindless thugs to obtain the latest trainers without having to pay for them.
In this first sequence, protestors have broken into the lab to liberate the animals and stumble upon a scientist. After being pressed for a reason as to why the animals are being treated in this way, the scientist stresses that 'in order to cure, you must first understand'. This vague statement is the most information the audience is ever given as to why the animals were being experimented on, but hints at so much more.
There are many more points of ambiguity throughout the film which are all executed in a way that satisfies the audience without forcing any singular interpretation down their throats. Later in the film, Jim appears to be close to giving up hope. Then he sees a plane in the sky which propels him back into action. The audience is offered no concrete explanation for the presence of the plane and are free to create their own meaning, although a few possible options were loosely discussed earlier in the film. The level of ambiguity present in 28 Days Later heightens audience enjoyment by allowing for endless interpretations and discussions, deepening the meaning which can be extracted from it.
28 Days Later is more than just an extremely well-executed horror film. A disarming exploration into a fascinating 'what if' scenario, the film is as touching as it is terrifying.
My Rating: 8.5 Sonias out of 10
Art Imitating Life Rating: 8.5 out of 10
