Reading In To...Shaun of the Dead (2004)

Shaun Of The Dead (2004)

Written by: Edgar Wright & Simon Pegg

Directed by: Edgar Wright

Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield, Dylan Moran, Bill Nighy, Lucy Davis

By Suzanne Fitzpatrick

Shaun of the Dead, a comedy-horror written by Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg, is undoubtedly one of the best examples of a basic yet highly effective and enjoyable piece of screenwriting. Here, the writers take basic concepts of character, plot and theme to create an addictive story that is perfectly adapted visually as well as in terms of writing style.

Both the characters and plot are essentially incredibly straightforward and identifiable. Lead character, Shaun, is circling a dead end in life, working a mediocre job amongst mouthy teenagers. He spends his spare time lounging around his shared flat with his videogame-loving best friend, Ed and is in a bumpy on-off relationship with Liz because he evidently can’t get his life together. He also childishly dislikes his stepfather. His character isn’t unique to this story by any means; Shaun is someone the audience can relate to. It is easy to empathize with someone who goes about tedious daily life with such ‘zombie’ quality, almost unbeknownst to him.

This is where the intricate and skilful link between themes lies; the common portrayal of a character stuck in a rut with relationship problems and the more obvious horror and zombie theme. This film could have so easily turned out clichéd and uninspired but the construction of the plot (the tangent on which the zombie attack and the personal journeys run alongside) and the character structure make it special. The accessible characters and their problems are primarily what gives the dialogue its clever and quick comedic flair. This is also created by the protagonist’s initial ignorance to the impending doom around him.

The setting of the story similarly makes it original and relatable for the audience. Although it is set in London, the events don't take place somewhere internationally linked to London (for example, Leicester Square or Oxford Street). Instead, the story takes place in a less likely, residential area of Highgate in North London. This everyday, neighbourhood setting gives a 'homely' and small-scale feel, making the events more likely and realistic.

The exposition is clearly structured to give a sense of foreboding. There is strong use of foreshadowing coming events and also a sense of dramatic irony. Shaun is far too taken up with his problems with Liz and the hassle his flatmate, Pete, is giving him about his always-lingering best mate, Ed. Through panning, cut-away shots and unusual framing the audience see glimpses of zombie-folk that go unnoticed by Shaun as he goes about his day; going to the shop, heading to work and taking the bus to and from his Dixons-esque workplace. Although Shaun is zombie-like himself in the monotonous rat-race he has become a part of, he gradually notices brief, abnormal sightings such as a woman collapsing at a bus stop and then, more significantly, a glimpse of a stumbling, disshelved figure biting the head of a pigeon in a park (though he is quickly distracted by his job and a passing bus that blocks his view).

There are a number of slyly placed comments in the dialogue between characters throughout the exposition before they realize the zombie presence such as Shaun saying telling Ed “you’re dead” jokingly as he heads out the front door. Also, Ed threatens that disliked fellow flatmate Pete that he's dead the next he sees him. Both Ed and Pete later become zombies.

Pete also remarks upon Ed’s untidiness and slob-like behaviour saying if he wants to live like an animal he should go and live in the shed. At the end of the film, zombie Ed is in fact contained in chains in the shed as Shaun’s Playstation buddy.

The dialogue in the film, particularly in the exposition, is undeniably one of the finest and clear of examples of foreshadowing seen in modern screenwriting.

As he returns home to his flat for the weekend, the audience are left in suspense of when he’s going to realize what’s going on. Through the day, Shaun vaguely tunes in to the news or catches a newspaper headline that eerily and ominously hints at a strange epidemic of some sort. Symbolic objects or subtle background activity also give a nod to the growing panic around Shaun that he has yet to recognize. For example, the army trucks going by the window of the TV shop where he works.

There are a large number of ‘jumpy’ moments such as characters repeatedly startling Shaun by appearing behind him or standing menacingly with their backs turned to him (a la Phillip in the Shaun's workplace before he reminds him it's his mothers birthday). Music builds as characters appear around Shaun or jump quickly into shot, encouraging the audience to share the tension and menace even though we soon find out that the entered character is benign.

Another good example of foreshadowing in the exposition is the recurrence of Shaun being told “you’ve got red on you” as his red pen leaks in his chest pocket throughout the day, looking like blood (which of course it is later replaced by).

One of the most cleverly written scenes in which the audience clearly and quickly understand the level of oddity happening unbeknownst to Shaun is the sequence of news updates that Shaun flicks between, again ‘zombie-like’, when he gets home from work (he also momentarily see it in work on the televisions he’s selling). The words spoken in between the flicks determine;

“No official comment but religious groups are calling it Judgement Day. There's... panic on the streets of London... number of reports of... serious attacks on... people who are being... eaten alive… Witness reports are sketchy. One unifying detail seems to be that the attackers appear to be... the sensational chart-topping... or ideological connection between those committing the atrocities.”

There is also a scene where Ed is trying to cheer Shaun up after he’s been dumped by Liz. When suggesting to Shaun what he should do to cheer up, Ed plans;

“A Bloody Mary first thing, a bite at the King's Head, couple at The Little Princess, stagger back here and BANG...back at the bar for shots.”

Here, Ed subliminally and inadvertently lays out all of what’s to come for them when they’re handling the zombies. All of these events follow through the course of the film but in a far more literal sense than Ed meant them. For example, Mary is the first zombie they encounter and proceed to gorge her on a pole leaving her with a bloody, gaping hole in her mid-section; stepfather Philip gets a chunk bitten out of his neck and Shaun picks up couple Di and David (a ‘couple’) when rescuing Liz (‘The Little Princess’) .The bar is where Shaun and his friends end up, find a working rifle and shoot the heads off zombies towards the end (‘back at the bar for shots’). Later, in the penultimate scene, Ed’s prophetic description is cleverly mirrored by Liz suggesting a plan to Shaun for what they do for the afternoon.

Also in the pub scene where Ed is planning a day of drinking, he consoles Shaun by saying; “I’m not gonna bombard you with clichés but what I will say is this; it’s not the end of the world”, which is followed by the silhouette of a zombie approaching the glass door of the pub beside them.

As well as the suggestive dialogue, frequent and speedily changing crash shots between seemingly insignificant objects (and later a more dramatic use of contra-zoom) create tension and suspense but in the subtle and comedic way that the film is meant to incorporate.

“This is a visceral and scary zombie movie – with comedy coming from the characters and the dialogue” – Simon Pegg

The first time Shaun and Ed actually acknowledge and engage with a zombie they just think the person is really drunk. Aside from being funny, this kind of recognition shrewdly depicts the parallels between modern culture/ behaviour and zombies.

Concerning theme, the tension in the horror aspect of the story is twinned flawlessly with the fellow theme of relationships. Although they’re fighting off masses of zombies in a gory yet comedic manner, Shaun’s relationship with his best friend, his girlfriend and his mother all progress in different ways and become more clear to him thus bringing him on that all important personal journey. One of these realizations is his sudden awareness, upon the last words of his stepfather, that he did actually have a father figure and it was as much his behaviour that tainted their bond as much as Philip’s.

Shaun also realizes that although Ed is great fun to be around, he can’t behave like a lazy teenager his whole life and becomes conscious he must grow up to regain his girlfriend and kick-start his life.

“The film says that while the world may be collapsing, you still have to continue and address your relationships.” - Nick Frost

Conflict in the plot is predominantly between zombies and Shaun’s group of surviving friends on their way to sanctuary at The Winchester pub but more craftily between the people he’s with. Along their trek and in turn personal journeys, the characters find out momentous information about each other which often forces them to reassess their judgements, a key element of good character writing.

Shaun’s character becomes the archetypal hero with the objective to save his mum, his girlfriend and his best friend (and two of Liz’s friends who he’s not even keen on; “a failed actress” and “a twat”). Of course, he has flaws necessary for him to fit the typical hero model; he’s lazy and unmotivated. This perfect diagram of an ‘everyman’ makes it all the more empathetic and enjoyable for the audience. At the end of the first day in the film, Shaun writes on the fridge the three most important tasks he must complete in his life;

“Go round mum’s – Get Liz back – Sort life out!”

This acts as the instigation for action and consequence for the character in the plot.

The actual climax of the film (where Shaun and Liz emerge from the pub with no option left but to face the undead) is quite short. As they are just about to take a deep breath and take aim at the throng of zombies, the army appear with one of Shaun’s friends to rescue them and open fire on the zombie crowd.

The fact that the culmination of action for the horror theme is so brief symbolizes the importance and focus on the writing and plot of the relationships in the piece. It may be a zombie apocalypse film but essentially it is about much more; it’s about how the group of ordinary people deal and develop with each other through a more than difficult event and their personal journeys embarked. Shaun emerges as the hero whose lacklustre traits turn to strength and passion in order to save those who mean the most to him.

Girlfriend Liz starts out recognizing that Shaun is doing nothing in his life and she doesn’t want to join him in ending up down the pub like “those sad old fuckers" wondering what happened. Through the action, she begins to see Shaun’s valiant characteristics (particularly when Shaun immediately volunteers to distract a horde of zombies so as his group can get into the pub without being followed).

While Shaun is off distracting the zombies and trying to “give them the slip”, the only scene where Shaun is not the leader in dialogue takes place. The increase in stress and agitation becomes noticeable in his absence proving that he is very much the hero holding the group together.

Ed’s character has traits of a zombie; he’s unaware of the level of action and danger around him and doesn’t really notice opportunities and requirements of assistance from the rest of his group. From the exposition, we see the Ed and Shaun are that kind of best friends where they’re stuck in their own rather immature world consisting of pub-outings and video games. Flatmate Pete tells Shaun to get rid of Ed if he wants to sort his life out and points out the maybe he’s only friends with him so he can feel like less of a loser when in comparison to him. Through the action, Shaun gets more and more agitated with Ed’s naivety and carelessness and eventually a row erupts between them where Shaun points out that Ed is completely clueless. All the while, the audience feel sorry for Ed because he’s so unintentionally annoying but at the same time such a funny character. It’s a fine example of the classic pairing of a hero and his off-guard but lovable sidekick.

“Both Edgar and I write from a very truthful perspective. We always try and draw on reality, because that’s where a convincing story or character will come from.”

- Simon Pegg

Dianne similarly represents a passive character merely going along with everyone else although on a few occasions as the story progresses, she begins to stand up for herself, against David in particular. The story is testament that no matter what life throws at you, personal problems more than often remain present and the same.

David (Liz’s friend who got wrapped up unintentionally in the journey to the Winchester because of his girlfriend Dianne) represents the antithesis of Shaun. He is submissive and inactive when it comes to helping the group along their way and hides (badly) an underlying jealousy of Shaun because he’s with Liz. This jealously is mostly subtle and comes out as general grumpiness until, in a key scene towards the end, his character takes a disturbing and revealing turn when he tries to kill Shaun with a fortunately unloaded rifle.

From this scene on, the story evolves into much darker territory; Shaun’s mum, Barbara, dies from a zombie bite and he’s forced to shoot her when she returns as a zombie. In the brief few minutes when she’s simply dead, the emotion in the story changes significantly.

Shaun is beside himself that she has died. His emotions are only exacerbated by the group’s suggestion that he must shoot her to stop her returning to life and killing them all. There’s a dramatic stand-off with Shaun, David, Dianne and Ed as they each hold various weapons like broken bottles and a corkscrew (which make it quite light-hearted to balance out the sadness of what just happened to Barbara) to each other’s throats. Here we see the climax in drama and emotion and also revelations of character, such as David’s aforementioned attempt to shoot Shaun. The emotion continues to get more sinister as the three surviving members of the group contemplate suicide when they become trapped by the zombies.

The lead characters are all basic in traits and highly relatable which makes them so interesting to watch bounce off each other. Their dislikes about each other hold even though they’re trying to survive something as severe as a zombie attack. It makes the audience modestly apprehend people’s selfishness and grunge-holding which is so often applicable to more than most of us.

“Violent things happen, with people dying and the black comedy comes from the characters’ responses to the mayhem. The central joke is the much- vaunted English reserve and how little that changes, even in the face of a crisis.” - Edgar Wright

This screenplay shows great examples of foreshadowing in the dialogue, a twinning of two usually polar opposite themes (zombie- horror and relationships), relatable characters and their accessible personal problems and relationships and brilliant use of a subtly and subliminally dramatic exposition to create the intended and necessary drama and suspense.