28 Days Later
Image taken from about.com
28 Days Later is the epitome of all apocalyptic films to date. Borrowing themes from books such as I Am Legend, the film tells the story of a few survivors of a virus which has turned mankind into blood-thirsty “infected.” These infected carry a mutation in which a single bite can turn the victim into one of them. This creates a challenge for the characters who are trying to reach safety and understand why this mutation has occurred.
The virus was contained for a time in an animal lab where scientists were testing a new experiment on chimpanzees. The plan went haywire and the chimps turned into violent and blood-thirsty animals who carried this mutation in their saliva. Animal rights activists broke into the lab to free the chimps, thinking that they were being treated unfairly. This set off a chain reaction in which the occupants of the lab were all bitten and they now were carriers of the disease.
28 Days after the event starts, a young bicycle courier wakes up in a hospital. The entire building is abandoned as is all of London. With no memory of how he got here, he sets out to find someone to help him. After a brief encounter with the infected, he is saved by two survivors who are living in a shopping mall behind a metal barrier. They explain that the virus infected all of the isle of Britain. The city was attempting to be abandoned. But it was too late, the infected were everywhere and there was no salvation in sight.
The film follows a similar path of any other post-apocalyptic movie. But what sets this apart from other films of the genre is the realism of it. The movie was shot with hand-held digital cameras instead of the typical 35mm film production cameras. by using this technique, the film looks much more believable. Audiences can relate to the struggle of the characters because they are simply ordinary people caught up in dire circumstances.
