We’re introduced to Stephen at the start of the film when the ‘zombie
attack’ was first being established. He goes to Fran whilst she's at work and
tells her to be ready by 10 as they’re leaving the city by helicopter. This
gives us the impression, along with his considered to be good looks during the
time this film was set, that Stephen is going to be a ‘male hero’ archetype.
However,
his character is far from a heroic, he challenges conventional views because he
is inept with a gun – this photograph illustrates Roger stepping in front of
Stephen to shoot zombies because Stephen’s aim was so poor. This is one of
George A. Romero’s trademarks; he liked to challenge horror conventions; taking
characters stereotypes and flipping them around. In comparison to one of
Romero’s other successful films that plays well with character roles, Night
of the Living Dead showcases a black male hero, that being
the brilliant actor Duane Jones,
which was very shocking in the 1970s due to the high level of racism. In
terms of Dawn of the Dead, Stephen, a supposed male hero turns out to be
weaker than less likely characters. |
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