World War Z

World War Z
by Marc Forster (2013)

A global zombie apocalypse forces the survivors to find an effective remedy to survive.

Quote.

“Mother Nature is a serial killer. The best ever. And the most creative. But like every serial killer, she can’t help but want to get caught. Why commit perfect crimes if you can’t take credit? So she leaves crumbs. But the hard part, and the reason I studied, is recognizing the crumbs for the clues they are. And sometimes the thing you thought was the most brutal aspect of the virus turns out to be its Achilles’ heel. And she loves hiding her weaknesses behind her strengths.”
(Fassbach)

The sprinter zombie.

Once upon a time, there was Romero’s living dead. A slow, clumsy, and disorganized figure. Its nature as a decomposing corpse prevented proper motor coordination and deprived it of intelligence. It had no memory of its past life and was solely driven by an insatiable desire for human flesh. It moved in packs, never stopping until it reached its target.
Many years have passed since then, and several movies, TV series, video games, and literary works have been created. Today, the zombie has drastically changed some of its original characteristics.
The first difference that stands out is the incredible speed of movement. The new living dead run as fast as Usain Bolt. And not only that. They show a certain strategic intelligence when it comes to satisfying their primary needs. For example, they can create an organized “zombie pyramid” to overcome a man-made wall.
Moreover, they can recognize and avoid people affected by severe diseases.

Considerations.

Marc Forster draws inspiration from Max Brooks’ 2006 novel of the same name but creates a product that differs greatly from the book in terms of plot and structure. The novel presented a collection of interviews with survivors of a global war against a zombie pandemic. In this way, it chronicled a war that almost wiped out humanity. There was also strong social criticism highlighting the inefficiency, corruption, and bureaucracy that hindered rapid and effective crisis responses.
The film, on the other hand, has a more classical setup and focuses almost exclusively on the story from the protagonist’s and his family’s perspective.
There is no fragmented, multilayered narrative as in the novel, nor is the social aspect given much consideration.
The *World War Z* film is clearly designed as pure entertainment. Its frantic and fast-paced rhythm makes it more akin to an action movie than a true horror. And over time, it becomes tiring.
The dialogues are stripped to the bone and rather banal. Some situations verge on the ridiculous, and even the conclusion feels too simplistic. In many scenes, it feels like you’re being transported into one of those “shooter” video games, albeit not in first person. That said, if you’re not looking for an auteur film, this movie can still entertain the audience for a couple of hours.
It’s worth noting, however, the good performance by Brad Pitt and the effectiveness of the special effects, especially in the scenes featuring the zombie horde.
The production of World War Z was notoriously troubled, with numerous problems behind the scenes. The film underwent rewrites and reshoots, particularly regarding the ending, which was completely redone after the original version failed to satisfy the producers.
Despite these issues, the film was a commercial success, grossing over 540 million dollars worldwide, making it one of the most successful zombie films of all time.
After the film’s success, discussions about a possible sequel followed.

Conclusions.

In summary, World War Z is a high-budget zombie film that, while differing substantially from the book it’s based on, had a significant impact on the genre, thanks to its global scale and the charismatic performance of Brad Pitt.

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