White ZombieEvil in men drives them to commit terrible acts. Be they driven by lust or greed--or just plain cruelty--mysteries to circumvent the forces of death itself have taken on a mythic quality of religious proportion--"voodoo". Stories abound in the untamed regions of the world about the dead rising from the grave, the living dead that defy nature. The word "zombie" comes from the folklore of Haiti, which is where White Zombie is set. The zombies shamble and never blink, serving their zombie master, 'Murder' Legendre (Béla Lugosi) in his castle, as he goes about his dark business.
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The zombies that work under Legendre toil endlessly in his mill, where they process sugar cane to finance his living. When a local plantation owner named Charles Beaumont (Robert Frazer) comes to Legendre to solicit his services, to win the heart of a beautiful woman about to be married named Madeleine (Madge Bellamy), Beaumont is appalled by the utilization of the living dead in his factory. But Legendre counters that it is far cheaper to employ zombies to do his work, as he doesn't need to pay them; after all, why invest in new technology or pay wages when necromancy will do? White Zombie is often regarded as the first "zombie movie", and even from the start, it seems to be making a social commentary. Although long since outlawed, the zombies of the film are an allegory for slavery. Those in positions of wealth and status are all white, while most of the zombies engaged in strenuous labor are black. Even the title itself--White Zombie--calls attention to the apparent rarity of a zombie who is fair-skinned, in the eventual form of Madeleine, whose pallor is almost spectral. After Madeleine falls under the poisonous trance--courtesy of a combination of a chemical Legendre provided Beaumont, and his own ritual--her husband, now widower, Neil (John Harron), falls into a raving fit, eventually visiting Madeleine's tomb, only to find that her corpse has been snatched. He turns to an eccentric missionary, Dr. Bruner (Joseph Cawthorn), who tells him about the legend of the zombie. He explains that the ancient voodoo which deals with reanimating corpses--or, more accurately, makes them appear dead, and thus risen by their voodoo master--comes from the dark continent of Africa, and even places before that. The mysteries of the old world are inscrutable to the likes of Neil, who struggles to believe Bruner's outlandish claims that Madeleine may not be dead, contrary to the evidence. But as Bruner observes, that which may be unfamiliar to first-world men like them is so fully entrenched in the world of Haiti that there are even references to reanimation and the "not wholly dead" in their penal code, and the people of Haiti have even come to expect the theft of their dead, so that they have to bury them in the road to deter grave robbers.
Beaumont's lust for Madeleine blinds him to the horror which he inflicts upon her by allowing Legendre to work his black magic over her. For Beaumont, who enjoys a life of privilege on his plantation, he sees Madeleine as a perfect ornament, his idea of love blinding him to such a prospect, until he witnesses the spiritual devastation it wreaks upon her, when he implores Legendre to reverse the spell to no avail. But at no point does Legendre ever give the impression that he is anything but a vile and sinister man, and exploits all around him to a profit. In a way, Legendre represents the worst kind of competitor, infused with an unchecked capitalist drive, a "businessman" who has no moral quandary with exploiting his workers. He even swallows up his competition, turning his enemies into his elite zombie bodyguards. And Béla Lugosi looks the part of the quintessential diabolist, with his claw-like grip and theatricality...his devil's beard and eyes which pierce like daggers. His castle at the peak of the "land of the living dead"--a place where no living men go, according to the witch doctor, Pierre (Dan Crimmins)--further establishes Legendre as the dark lord of Haiti. It is an imposing structure, a true evil palace where clouds of vultures circle overhead. Speaking of vultures, I've always thought it an interesting trick of the light when Legendre carves the effigy of Madeleine from a candle, and the perched vulture screeching above looks as though it possesses a skeletal face at first. Made in 1932, White Zombie would have been one of the earlier entries into the realm of talking motion pictures, but it shares much of the dramatic style and expressionism of the silent movie era. Long shadows paint the walls black, and haunting images--like the eyes of Legendre peering out at Madeleine from her wine glass--are some of the strongest stylistic hallmarks of the film. The final confrontation on the balcony of the stony castle overlooking the ocean is a marvelous set piece which is full of tension. And, of course, the unnerving concept of the undead--familiar terrain for Béla Lugosi--makes for a chilling concept and the film a classic early entry into the annals of horror cinema.
Recommended for: Fans of as diverse of a cinematic palette as those who like zombie movies, classic expressionist films from the golden age of cinema, and even for fans of the heavy metal band who took their name from this film. And, frankly, if there is a movie that cries out for a restoration, it is White Zombie.
Beaumont's lust for Madeleine blinds him to the horror which he inflicts upon her by allowing Legendre to work his black magic over her. For Beaumont, who enjoys a life of privilege on his plantation, he sees Madeleine as a perfect ornament, his idea of love blinding him to such a prospect, until he witnesses the spiritual devastation it wreaks upon her, when he implores Legendre to reverse the spell to no avail. But at no point does Legendre ever give the impression that he is anything but a vile and sinister man, and exploits all around him to a profit. In a way, Legendre represents the worst kind of competitor, infused with an unchecked capitalist drive, a "businessman" who has no moral quandary with exploiting his workers. He even swallows up his competition, turning his enemies into his elite zombie bodyguards. And Béla Lugosi looks the part of the quintessential diabolist, with his claw-like grip and theatricality...his devil's beard and eyes which pierce like daggers. His castle at the peak of the "land of the living dead"--a place where no living men go, according to the witch doctor, Pierre (Dan Crimmins)--further establishes Legendre as the dark lord of Haiti. It is an imposing structure, a true evil palace where clouds of vultures circle overhead. Speaking of vultures, I've always thought it an interesting trick of the light when Legendre carves the effigy of Madeleine from a candle, and the perched vulture screeching above looks as though it possesses a skeletal face at first. Made in 1932, White Zombie would have been one of the earlier entries into the realm of talking motion pictures, but it shares much of the dramatic style and expressionism of the silent movie era. Long shadows paint the walls black, and haunting images--like the eyes of Legendre peering out at Madeleine from her wine glass--are some of the strongest stylistic hallmarks of the film. The final confrontation on the balcony of the stony castle overlooking the ocean is a marvelous set piece which is full of tension. And, of course, the unnerving concept of the undead--familiar terrain for Béla Lugosi--makes for a chilling concept and the film a classic early entry into the annals of horror cinema.
Recommended for: Fans of as diverse of a cinematic palette as those who like zombie movies, classic expressionist films from the golden age of cinema, and even for fans of the heavy metal band who took their name from this film. And, frankly, if there is a movie that cries out for a restoration, it is White Zombie.