28 Days Later - the Movie
Katherine Alers
Professor Diviani Chaudhuri
Coli 280R
28 May 2011 “Infect: (verb) to contaminate with a disease-producing substance or agent (as bacteria)” (Merriam Webster Dictionary). Let’s face it, when the term “infect” is used it is never in a positive manner, especially in horror novels. Who brought the disease? What causes the infection to occur? Where are the “infected” living? When will it stop? These questions are the basis for what Bill Albertini calls the “Outbreak Narrative” (Albertini 443). The conclusive part of the outbreak narrative is what keeps film viewers at the edge of their seats; what draws faces into the depths of the horror novels. In the most successful of horror stories, such as Living Dead, Resident Evil, Fatal Contact, The Hot Zone, Outbreak, etc., fail to approach what Albertini refers to as “containment” (Albertini 444). “When containment does occur in such texts, it rarely suffices to close off the formidable anxieties unleashed by contagion” (Albertini 443). In the film 28 Days Later, there is never a point where the viewer is satisfied with the feeling the horror will no longer return; there is always a chance of it creeping behind again. In order to determine if the outbreak will come to a closure, it must first be examined how to infectious disease arrived in the first place. The premiere scene in the film starts with a zoomed in glimpse of global warfare, fighting, riots, chaos and turmoil. The view zooms out to find that the insanity is merely taking place on a TV screen, and the actual setting is inside a science laboratory or what Albertini would describe as the “safe zone” (Albertini 449). The laboratory serves the purpose to examine “the infected” and its goal is to cease the disease. In 28 Weeks Later the monkey’s contagious disease to be cured. Not all things work out as planned however, and as Albertini states: “…the laboratory-as-lifeboat, in recreating the technoculture from which it promises an
Professor Diviani Chaudhuri
Coli 280R
28 May 2011 “Infect: (verb) to contaminate with a disease-producing substance or agent (as bacteria)” (Merriam Webster Dictionary). Let’s face it, when the term “infect” is used it is never in a positive manner, especially in horror novels. Who brought the disease? What causes the infection to occur? Where are the “infected” living? When will it stop? These questions are the basis for what Bill Albertini calls the “Outbreak Narrative” (Albertini 443). The conclusive part of the outbreak narrative is what keeps film viewers at the edge of their seats; what draws faces into the depths of the horror novels. In the most successful of horror stories, such as Living Dead, Resident Evil, Fatal Contact, The Hot Zone, Outbreak, etc., fail to approach what Albertini refers to as “containment” (Albertini 444). “When containment does occur in such texts, it rarely suffices to close off the formidable anxieties unleashed by contagion” (Albertini 443). In the film 28 Days Later, there is never a point where the viewer is satisfied with the feeling the horror will no longer return; there is always a chance of it creeping behind again. In order to determine if the outbreak will come to a closure, it must first be examined how to infectious disease arrived in the first place. The premiere scene in the film starts with a zoomed in glimpse of global warfare, fighting, riots, chaos and turmoil. The view zooms out to find that the insanity is merely taking place on a TV screen, and the actual setting is inside a science laboratory or what Albertini would describe as the “safe zone” (Albertini 449). The laboratory serves the purpose to examine “the infected” and its goal is to cease the disease. In 28 Weeks Later the monkey’s contagious disease to be cured. Not all things work out as planned however, and as Albertini states: “…the laboratory-as-lifeboat, in recreating the technoculture from which it promises an
References: Albertini, Bill. "Contagion and the Necessary Accident." Discourse. 30.3 (2008): 443-467. Print. Bass, Brian. "Countdown for the Apocalypse: Philosophy in 28 Days Later." Scribd. N.p., 04 21 2004. Web. 30 May 2011. Evans, Laurence. "D. Human Evolution." (2009): n. pag. Web. 30 May 2011. <http://www.ecotao.com/holism/huevo/>. "Films that use the Colour Red?." Ghosts Q&A. Web. 30 May 2011. <http://ghosts.cc/horror-films-that-use-the-colour-red/>. Garland, Alex, Script. 28 Day Later. Dir. Danny Boyle." DNA Films: 2002, Film. <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0289043/>. "Merriam Webster Dictionary." Merriam Webster, n.d. Web. 30 May 2011. <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/infect>.