Representations of civil panic in the film "Dawn of the Dead": cinematic and historiographic

Abstract

The analysis of contemporary mass culture through a theoretical and critical lens focused on the imaginary constructs of the liberal State inspired in Slavoj Žižek and Walter Benjamin. This text explores apocalyptic representations in North American cinema as indicators and reflections of a utilitarian and individualist mindset. The aim is to interpret the modern theme of zombie films as a commentary on the malevolent nature of humans, suggesting that state intervention is necessary to protect life and property. The methodology employed was the analysis of the plot, the interpretation of the scenes based on reflections on the concept of representation. The argument associates this genre of disaster cinema with the collective traumas sparked by the 1999 Seattle protests and the 9/11 terrorist attacks. To this end, we propose an analysis of the film Dawn of the Dead (2004), directed by Zack Snyder, alongside other forms of media culture. The methods used aim to understand the socially constructed sensitivity towards the fear of crowds, encompassing both terrorism and popular uprisings. The culture of fear compels us to view the monster as an entity emerging from within our own borders, manifesting itself in familiar spaces. While a monster in distant lands is seen as fascinating, interesting, and exotic, it becomes problematic when it appears close to home. An example of this is the attack on the Twin Towers, where New York City, once a symbol of capitalism, turned into a site of threat, forcing its residents to fight for survival.