Zombieland

Rating: Null/10 (5 February 2011)

What do you get when you combine an over-analyzing college student named Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), a deranged father named Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), a strong willed woman named Wichita (Emma Stone) and a mouthy pre-teen named Little Rock (Abigail Breslin)? The answer is simple, the four surviving individuals who have crossed paths but unite as one to fight against the domination of zombies. Together they battle against the undead to reach their destination of an abandoned Amusement Park, or what they hope is.
Jesse has rules that he abides by in this action packed horror movie directed by Ruben Fleischer. These rules have ensured his survival up to a point; however, they become slightly differed when coming across the other three survivors. The bottom line, follow the rules to live or make your own rules to survive. If the sound of rules in a horror movie seems to ring a bell to you, they were also present in the horror movie Scream, directed by Wes Craven. During the movie Scream, rules are discussed by the main characters on how to survive through a horror film. These rules however did not necessarily ensure their survivor, therefore, Jesse's rules may not ensure his either.
Zombieland illustrates use of high-key lighting and uses spatial situations to illustrate the path of destruction that the zombies have taken. The naturalness of the light used allows the viewer to see the ever-changing facial features made by each character. By allowing the viewer to witness the features of each character, you can see the determination, yet fear over the thought of whether their survival will continue or if they too will succumb to becoming a zombie. When the view is opened up to survey the destruction of the zombies, especially on the highway scene, we are subjectively viewing it. This movie provides good examples of subjective point of view in the fact that the viewer actually feels as if they are standing right beside Jesse surveying the damage. The viewer also feels that they are part of the action when the zombie is charging at the characters and they either shoot or hit them with one of their weapons. The way the blood sprays and the contortion of the zombie's bodies allows the viewer to feel as if they are standing there, or as if they are partaking in the action.
Will they make it to the Amusement Park unscathed, or will their differing personalities be their demise? Will Jesse's rules rub off on the rest of the group, or will they live for the day, possibly doing in their own fate of survival. Each character has their own rules that they have gone by to survive up to this point. The viewer in the end will see whose rules win out and whose rules will do them in.