Directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo
Produced by Danny Boyle
Released on 11th May 2007
28 Weeks Later is the sequel to 28 Days Later and continues the storyline of the Rage virus infection. Over the course of the 28 weeks since the last film the infected have all died of starvation and the country is declared relatively safe again. This leads to an attempt of re-population as the reconstruction of the country begins. An American lead NATO unit brings old and new residents to the quarantined area. The rising population is re-infected and once again leads to humans trying to escape the virus with varying outcomes.
Main Characters:
Don Harris played by Robert Carlyle
The father of the children who abandons his wife at the beginning of the film and later on re-infects the quarantined population.
Tammy Harris played by Imogen Poots
Looks after Andy as his big sister but also encourages him to leave the quarantine zone which eventually leads to the infection regaining control of Britain.
Andy Harris played by Mackintosh Muggleton
The youngest person in Britain at the age of twelve doesn’t fully comprehend how important he is and is easily manipulated by others as his innocence leads him to trust everyone.
Doyle played by Jeremy Renner
The solider that tries his best and ultimately sacrifices himself for the children as he tries to help them escape the infection.
Major Scarlet Ross played by Rose Byrne
The chief medical officer who wants Alice Harris alive to try and find a cure from the virus carrier, she risks her life in aid to protect the children once she realizes they too are immune from the virus and the potential they hold within them.
The film starts by introducing Don and Alice Harris via close-ups which establishes their environment - closed off from the outside. The extreme close up of Alice’s eyes opening can be interpreted to symbolize the major role of eyes in the film as it foreshadows that she is immune to the virus and observant readers will notice that Andy has the same eye colour as his mother. The movement in the opening sequence is mainly on the left hand side of the screen which is significant as this is where viewers attention is naturally focused (we read left to right on and off screen). The camera is unsteady which proves to be unsettling combined with the flickering of the candles, this technique works effectively to give the atmosphere an eerie sense and makes it feel like the sequence is a P.O.V shot which really manages to make the viewer feel like they are there. Once someone starts knocking on the door the camera becomes a lot faster as it follows Don running to the door and taking down the barricade, this really helps to build up the pace of the sequence whilst showing the panic in everyone as they wait for the outsider to be revealed. As soon as one resident is bitten and the infection breaks in the camera is really frantic as it shakes from side to side which shows the struggle they are all in to try and escape, this puts the audience right into the action as you are thrust into their position with an unfocused perception. As the survivors rush around the house the cinematography leaves it very unclear as to what is really happening and switches from infected P.O.V shots to that of the actors which keeps the pace of the chase really fast and makes it hard to see whether they are getting away or not. As Don runs through the field the camera soars over him giving a birds eye view of the chase and keeps the speed up whilst using dynamic camera angles employing the use of a crane.
The film begins with mainly diegtic sounds from the characters but there is very soft non-diegetic sound in the background which helps create the atmosphere. During the opening sequence the background sounds steadily become louder and more intense signifying a build up to something. The non diegetic sounds become much louder as you can hear the door being knocked (we instantly recognize what the sound is so it doesn’t need to be shown on screen) and a low bass sound is introduced which increases the tempo. It subsides when the child is let inside, replaced with a new sound which is much calmer and perhaps showing hope for the survivors. However, this quickly returns to the eerie piano and wind sounds which get louder until the infected is introduced and the hissing breaking into the sound shocks the audience, this shows how the music has been used to bring the audience into a false sense of security. The music is still playing but now is overpowered by the sounds of screaming and destruction as the infected break into the house. Drums and a guitar is introduced as soon as one of the survivors is taken by the virus which shows a change for the survivors with drums increasing the pace that can also be interpreted as a heartbeat (a technique very popular in horror films) as they increase in tempo as the panic continues and the guitar symbolizing the destruction of their refuge.
The editing in the film starts slowly as it establishes the location and characters, this helps us to keep up with what is happening and follow the dialogue until the shots start to get shorter and shorter. Once the action begins the editing completely builds up the pace as it makes the chaos even faster and completely disorientates viewers. The quick cuts between Alice and the infected show Don’s indecision from his point of view and as it ends on the bloodstained infected we realize he is going to abandon Alice in favor of his own survival. The steady build of speed between shots manages to increase the speed which is common in a horror film as the viewer is plunged into the raid upon the house with fast cuts to make it unclear and symbolize the sheer chaos.
The Mise En Scene manages to show the audience straightaway that these characters are survivors trying to hide. The darkness is an element used in horror films to make the atmosphere uneasy with the flickering candles to make the area unclear. The characters are all wearing bland clothing so that viewers are not distracted by this and keep their focus on their faces. The tinned food leads us to believe that they have been there for some time and expect to be there for a while longer. Fans of the first film will realize that this group has tried to get as far away as possible from the infected which is proved by the remote country location, although this means they are also as far away from help as possible.
28 Weeks Later uses numerous techniques in order to establish itself as a horror film. The cinematography, editing and sound all gradually build up together as the pace of the film increases, this eventually climaxes as they work together to disorientate the viewer as the pure chaos and struggle begins. The film uses signifiers like Alice’s eyes and the knocking on the door to foreshadow later scenes and dynamic camera angles which work very well in order for the audience to keep up with what is happening. The film uses a collaboration of all the possible elements in order to help viewers empathize with the characters with P.O.V shots and match-on-action keeping them involved in all the scenes. The opening sequence manages to be relaxed and calm until the action suddenly erupts on the screen and the audience is dragged around with it as the horror begins to establish itself. The classic theme of zombies is used as the characters must all try and keep away from the infection which is transferred through blood and saliva.
Produced by Danny Boyle
Released on 11th May 2007
28 Weeks Later is the sequel to 28 Days Later and continues the storyline of the Rage virus infection. Over the course of the 28 weeks since the last film the infected have all died of starvation and the country is declared relatively safe again. This leads to an attempt of re-population as the reconstruction of the country begins. An American lead NATO unit brings old and new residents to the quarantined area. The rising population is re-infected and once again leads to humans trying to escape the virus with varying outcomes.
Main Characters:
Don Harris played by Robert Carlyle
The father of the children who abandons his wife at the beginning of the film and later on re-infects the quarantined population.
Tammy Harris played by Imogen Poots
Looks after Andy as his big sister but also encourages him to leave the quarantine zone which eventually leads to the infection regaining control of Britain.
Andy Harris played by Mackintosh Muggleton
The youngest person in Britain at the age of twelve doesn’t fully comprehend how important he is and is easily manipulated by others as his innocence leads him to trust everyone.
Doyle played by Jeremy Renner
The solider that tries his best and ultimately sacrifices himself for the children as he tries to help them escape the infection.
Major Scarlet Ross played by Rose Byrne
The chief medical officer who wants Alice Harris alive to try and find a cure from the virus carrier, she risks her life in aid to protect the children once she realizes they too are immune from the virus and the potential they hold within them.
The film starts by introducing Don and Alice Harris via close-ups which establishes their environment - closed off from the outside. The extreme close up of Alice’s eyes opening can be interpreted to symbolize the major role of eyes in the film as it foreshadows that she is immune to the virus and observant readers will notice that Andy has the same eye colour as his mother. The movement in the opening sequence is mainly on the left hand side of the screen which is significant as this is where viewers attention is naturally focused (we read left to right on and off screen). The camera is unsteady which proves to be unsettling combined with the flickering of the candles, this technique works effectively to give the atmosphere an eerie sense and makes it feel like the sequence is a P.O.V shot which really manages to make the viewer feel like they are there. Once someone starts knocking on the door the camera becomes a lot faster as it follows Don running to the door and taking down the barricade, this really helps to build up the pace of the sequence whilst showing the panic in everyone as they wait for the outsider to be revealed. As soon as one resident is bitten and the infection breaks in the camera is really frantic as it shakes from side to side which shows the struggle they are all in to try and escape, this puts the audience right into the action as you are thrust into their position with an unfocused perception. As the survivors rush around the house the cinematography leaves it very unclear as to what is really happening and switches from infected P.O.V shots to that of the actors which keeps the pace of the chase really fast and makes it hard to see whether they are getting away or not. As Don runs through the field the camera soars over him giving a birds eye view of the chase and keeps the speed up whilst using dynamic camera angles employing the use of a crane.
The film begins with mainly diegtic sounds from the characters but there is very soft non-diegetic sound in the background which helps create the atmosphere. During the opening sequence the background sounds steadily become louder and more intense signifying a build up to something. The non diegetic sounds become much louder as you can hear the door being knocked (we instantly recognize what the sound is so it doesn’t need to be shown on screen) and a low bass sound is introduced which increases the tempo. It subsides when the child is let inside, replaced with a new sound which is much calmer and perhaps showing hope for the survivors. However, this quickly returns to the eerie piano and wind sounds which get louder until the infected is introduced and the hissing breaking into the sound shocks the audience, this shows how the music has been used to bring the audience into a false sense of security. The music is still playing but now is overpowered by the sounds of screaming and destruction as the infected break into the house. Drums and a guitar is introduced as soon as one of the survivors is taken by the virus which shows a change for the survivors with drums increasing the pace that can also be interpreted as a heartbeat (a technique very popular in horror films) as they increase in tempo as the panic continues and the guitar symbolizing the destruction of their refuge.
The editing in the film starts slowly as it establishes the location and characters, this helps us to keep up with what is happening and follow the dialogue until the shots start to get shorter and shorter. Once the action begins the editing completely builds up the pace as it makes the chaos even faster and completely disorientates viewers. The quick cuts between Alice and the infected show Don’s indecision from his point of view and as it ends on the bloodstained infected we realize he is going to abandon Alice in favor of his own survival. The steady build of speed between shots manages to increase the speed which is common in a horror film as the viewer is plunged into the raid upon the house with fast cuts to make it unclear and symbolize the sheer chaos.
The Mise En Scene manages to show the audience straightaway that these characters are survivors trying to hide. The darkness is an element used in horror films to make the atmosphere uneasy with the flickering candles to make the area unclear. The characters are all wearing bland clothing so that viewers are not distracted by this and keep their focus on their faces. The tinned food leads us to believe that they have been there for some time and expect to be there for a while longer. Fans of the first film will realize that this group has tried to get as far away as possible from the infected which is proved by the remote country location, although this means they are also as far away from help as possible.
28 Weeks Later uses numerous techniques in order to establish itself as a horror film. The cinematography, editing and sound all gradually build up together as the pace of the film increases, this eventually climaxes as they work together to disorientate the viewer as the pure chaos and struggle begins. The film uses signifiers like Alice’s eyes and the knocking on the door to foreshadow later scenes and dynamic camera angles which work very well in order for the audience to keep up with what is happening. The film uses a collaboration of all the possible elements in order to help viewers empathize with the characters with P.O.V shots and match-on-action keeping them involved in all the scenes. The opening sequence manages to be relaxed and calm until the action suddenly erupts on the screen and the audience is dragged around with it as the horror begins to establish itself. The classic theme of zombies is used as the characters must all try and keep away from the infection which is transferred through blood and saliva.
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