Introduction
Shaun of the Dead is a 2004 British film directed by Edgar Wright and written by Wright and Simon Pegg. The protagonist, Shaun, is having a troubled period in his life. He split with his girlfriend and wants to make up with her, but this day dead people raise and everything goes out of sync. This film is considered to be a mixture of two genres – comedy and horror, so it includes the conventions of both.
Main text
In the majority of comedies, some deficiencies, foibles, or frustrations of life lie at the root, which can be seen in the Shaun of the Dead. The main character faces a lot of problems. He gets temporary work in an appliance store, but the staff does not want to treat him seriously, so his girlfriend Liz suggests he change this job for a better paying one. Liz and he cannot find a common language in the latter days. She believes that Shaun neglects her and does not want to find more time for their relationship. The cause of this turns out to be his lightheartedness and irresponsibility, as the man forgets to book a table for them to make peace. Moreover, trying to keep the relations with mother Shaun arranges a dinner and forgets to buy her some flowers. However, the protagonist does not seem to be agitated by this. His attitude and actions are not that of an ordinary man, which attracts the viewers’ attention and makes them try to predict possible solutions. These unpleasant events also form the starting point for the film and contrast serious and funny things vivid.
The invasion of the living dead is described in the film. Zombies, horrible creatures, who used to be people’s relatives, friends, and colleagues returned to life in order not just to kill, but to eat them or communicate a virus to them. Such events can be the beginning of the apocalypse, which entails no human being left on the Earth. The theme and the development of the action are common for horror films. It is claimed that zombies occurred due to beliefs of the Voodoo cults and then spread into literature and movies. Today this subject attracts youth, so the director and the writers did not go wrong by choosing and modifying it.
So the film is focused on the macabre events, which is to horror fans’ liking. All stages of zombie onset are described. At first, this situation is claimed to be an ordinary disease, but soon nothing can hide the truth. So the streets are full of monsters, the characters try to beat them until they lose, the military saves the situation, and peace returns to the city. If all these were not interlaced with comic episodes, the film could be considered a real horror.
The ending of the Shaun of the Dead is unexpected. The fact that the main hero is playing with his zombie friend, just as if he was a normal human being, is that of fun and surprise. It combines some elements of horror, as Edgar is dead and will never become the person he used to be, and comedy, as the situation, seems to be very delightful and joyful. It shows that nothing changed their free-and-easy lifestyle.
Conclusion
Thus, conventions of comedy and horror can be found in the Shaun of the Dead. They underline the peculiarities of the film and help the director to bring the idea to life by enhancing the overall execution of the screen story.