The Crazies: A Promising Start, But a Waning Finish

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#9 in my ranking of George A. Romero’s filmography.

I’m drawn to the way George Romero constructs suspense through montage, and the first half of “The Crazies” is an intense build-up of tension achieved through clever editing that gives a strong feeling of urgency. Unfortunately, the second half falls short in comparison, feeling aimless as it searches for the story it seems to have lost. While Romero was undeniably skilled as a director, his abilities as a writer, particularly in adapting another screenplay by Paul McCollough, are being questioned. At some point, the motivations of the characters become illogical and confusing.

In the unexpected takeover of Evans City, Pennsylvania by military forces, the events unfold following an illness outbreak linked to a downed airplane in nearby hills. This aircraft carried classified government biological substances, presumed to be a potential vaccine. Suddenly, Major Ryder (Harry Spillman) is given authority by Colonel Peckem (Lloyd Hollar) to move the town’s 3000 residents into the high school for quarantine management. Amidst this chaos, David (Will McMillan) and Judy (Lane Carroll), an unmarried couple expecting a baby, find themselves in the thick of it. David is summoned as a firefighter to extinguish the flames at the first reported victim’s house, while Judy assists the town’s doctor, Dr. Brookmyre (Will Disney), who communicates with Major Ryder until Colonel Peckem arrives. Additionally, Dr. Watts (Richard France), a scientist involved in creating the disease found on the plane (not a vaccine), enters the scene, bringing the knowledge that there is no known cure for this illness.

Currently, Romero is immersed deeply into the chaotic process of editing, creating a powerful, driving impact. He’s sparing with information about what exactly is happening, which adds to the suspense. We witness the early stages of this small society’s collapse, enforced by the military in two distinct manners. Though they might find a way to recuperate, we sense that things will take a turn for the worse.

For roughly half the movie’s duration, things proceed as expected. However, the second half fails to deliver for two primary reasons. Firstly, the virus is not well-defined. It seems to induce a state of silliness and drowsiness leading to death, but it’s not entirely clear. In contrast, in “Kingsman: The Golden Circle,” victims’ eyes exploded. Given the film’s theme of a reckless military-industrial complex on the brink of chaos, one would expect a more intense portrayal of the virus. George Romero, tackling similar themes later with “Dawn of the Dead,” achieved a far more impactful representation through the depiction of zombies consuming human brains compared to this film’s rather benign virus.

Another issue lies in the subplot involving David and Judy. They’re accompanied by Clank (Harold Wayne), a Vietnam veteran along with David, Artie (Richard Liberty), and his daughter Kathy (Lynn Lowry). They manage to evade the military and hide at a nearby country club (although this location isn’t significant later in the story). Their plan is unclear – not to flee, but rather they decide to return to town for some unknown reason. They suggest that the military might be trying to assist them, but as soon as they encounter military personnel, they are met with gunfire. To add to this confusion, the pace of the editing becomes extremely slow, draining the initial energy of the film until its conclusion.

Among all these events, I find myself particularly fond of Dr. Watts’ character, especially in his role within France. His debut is quite intriguing as he rides in a jeep with military personnel who are reluctant to let him go to Pennsylvania due to his supposed non-essentiality; however, he eventually takes charge of the school’s chemistry classroom instead. Despite the military’s stubbornness and their set orders, France refuses to comply, expressing his frustration in a way that beautifully contrasts the surrounding tension. Overall, Dr. Watts is an enjoyable character.

I strongly prefer if the movie maintained or even increased the suspense as it approached its ending, instead of gradually lessening it. It must be extremely challenging to sustain such high levels of tension for so long, but Romero seems to make some peculiar decisions regarding the pacing and progression of the action in the second half that nearly eliminates all the film’s momentum.

Still, that first half really is something.

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2025-02-27 00:30