Watch it. Seriously.I just got back from the cinemas, where I caught
Warm Bodies with my bestie from LASALLE. I know what you're thinking, that the movie didn't look that great. Yet another zombie movie amongst the throngs of supernatural the media flings at us, yet another teenage romance to appeal to every young adult with a pulse. And I will be the first to admit that when I first heard the outline of the story - a cute young man who just happens to be undead falls in love with a young girl at first sight - I was skeptical. I assumed it would become a rehash of
Twilight, and I just got over the nausea of seeing those posters cluttering all the billboards.
However, after trawling through the trailers and finding them appealing and funny, I decided that the movie was worth a shot. It advertises itself as a quirky, humorous take on zombies, throwing in a mix of teenage romance and sub-par CGI. You can't blame them; it's no blockbuster, but it now makes me a little sad that it isn't, because I think the moral of the movie deserves to be shared with so many more people. I went in expecting a silly comedy. I came out with the impression that this movie is not a humorous romance at all.
In fact, it's a social commentary.
The movie doesn't take itself seriously the entire way through, even in its conscious decision to advertise itself the way it did. Hiding behind sarcastic, quippy voice-overs and clever cutting to deliver an enjoyable film, it successfully delivers a much more serious message in its undertones. Despite being set in a post-apocalyptic dystopia, it's a reflection of society
today, especially in regards to how people treat each other.
Everyone judges everybody else. It's human nature, it's what we
do. We build walls around ourselves - literally, or figuratively - and put people in a box. If they don't fit, we make them fit, because it disturbs our little lives otherwise. We create labels for everything - music, clothes, even other people - and judge ourselves according to what we listen to, wear, or do. We get assigned nicknames, social positions, or refer to certain groups using racial slang.
And then there are those of us who go along with what others think we are, or what we think we should be, usually as a result of social propaganda. You say I'm a mindless brain-eating corpse? Then I'll quietly adhere to these expectations, and that's what I will be. Neither side is "right" or "wrong", nobody in life really is. Opinions are subject to scrutiny from person to person. But it's when you can overcome these differences and learn to live harmoniously together that you'll discover a much richer, much more satisfying life. It's no coincidence that the zombies haunt the airport; they represent the repressed, the misunderstood, and people from all walks of life, all ages, and all races.
The focus isn't the love story, the zombies, or the young girl.
The focus is that in our hectic society, we rapidly risk getting lost in the tide of what's expected of us. We're so busy with fitting in, with having the latest gadgetry, with having ourselves and our opinions heard the loudest, that we're willing to forget about others. Or worse, we're happy to step on top of others in order to get our way. Everyone is becoming more selfish, materialistic, and opinionated.
And I thought
Warm Bodies was a brilliant wake-up call.
--Sak
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