This scene from Dawn of the Dead (2004) is the
closing moment of the film where the remaining survivors escape on Steve’s
boat. The soft focus and streaming light makes the scene look serene. In actual
fact the scene is very bittersweet. Anna has just had to leave Michael with the
Zombies and go without him. Her expression is calm but she has a dazed look on
her face, staring off into the distance. The setting of the gentle boat on calm
water is oxymoronic to the on-going drama. This is made even more ironic by the
wedding ring on her left hand and the fact that she is grieving for a man who
isn’t her husband.
The addition of the American flag is also symbolic. It
connotes ‘the land of the free and the home of the brave’. This patriotism
resonates throughout the entire film and is a social comment on the acts of
terrorism taking place during the time of this film. In addition to the
condemnation of the Muslim believers at the start of the film, there is a
consistent sense of America always winning against the bad guy and good
triumphing over evil.
Anna, along with Kenneth, Nichole and Terry, has survived
the attack. After this shot, the film cuts to the credits, leaving the film
with an ‘open ending’. This allows the audience to wonder what happened to the
others when they escaped and if any of them survived. However, after a few
seconds of credits, the film cuts back to video footage from a handheld camera.
The footage shows the group’s time on the boat. After a few trivial shots
things start to become tense when the film shows the island they have sailed
to. On the island are even more zombies coming to attack them. The camera
stills and goes grainy before cutting out completely. With this alternate
ending in mind the audience is now introduced to the idea of an unhappy ending
in which all the characters die and the zombies eventually win.
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