28 Days Later
This was another of those
films where I really didn’t know what I’d bought, except it had Chris in it.
Unlike some of his repertoire, though, I felt at home in this one. The whole sci-fi/post-apocalyptic thing
was familiar territory - shades of Tripods, Triffids and Survivors.
So I didn’t feel seriously icked
by this one (as I did by much of ‘Shallow Grave’). Viewers of a nervous
disposition might want to look away during one fight at the end, though. Mind,
I think I’d have liked a warning that Chris appears in uniform. Now all I need
is to find a film with him in a cassock!
The story is a simple one: a nasty
and highly contagious disease wipes out almost all the population. I confess it
took some suspension of disbelief that any disease transmitted by touch can
have an incubation period of seconds, yet become inert immediately upon death.
Aside from that, though, this story has considerable inner consistency.
Many people have struggled with
the aspect of the soldiers demanding women. While the plot doesn’t emphasise
this, it’s quite clear from Major West’s little speech that this is about
rebuilding the human population, not just that his men are ‘hungry’.
For all that he’s not the lead
male, the story actually hangs on the character of the Major, who is just
nicely insane. He perfectly represents the closed in military mind. He has
decided that they are the only ones left, and refuses to consider any other
possibility. Given that total close-down, his actions are completely
consistent, even if they seem sadistic, calculating and unpleasant. His
’xenophobia’ of all things ‘outside’, driven by a fear of infection, is gently
underplayed. And his adherence to protocol is so perfect - in the midst of the
carnage, his men still sit down for a formal candlelit meal in dress uniform.
Which of course gives us some truly gorgeous images of Chris to go with his
lovely Received Pronunciation (which is flawless in this film).
At the end we still see the
conventional Military man: furious at the threat to his men, staying with them
while they die. And accepting his own death stoically. He represents the best
and worst of an officer and a gentleman: closed minded, protocol driven, yet
ultimately driven by good motives and protective of the men under his command.
Typical of the sort of complex character Chris chooses.
Now the screencaps: Click on the
thumbnails for full size.
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Uniform… |
…And Ginger hair… |
… and a military pose! Grrrrr! |
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Deep in thought |
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Just a touch of sadism |
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Dinner by candlelight anyone? |
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Yeuch! |
Should have had the pasta instead! |
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Such a sweet little smile! |
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Get the idea I liked this scene? |
It's that uniform that does it |
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I can think of so many love songs… |
…involving Rain! |
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I can't help feeling Chris enjoyed this |
A boy's chance to play with guns! |
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Cursing cos the cables are cut |
Daft beggar! You can't DRIVE anyway! |
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Another ohhh! Moment |
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The perfect officer |
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Grieving for his men |
And with them to the end |
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