Dawn of the Dead (1979) Image Analysis 2

This scene is the final shot in a long montage of the group experiencing life in the mall. In this shot, it can be garnered that Fran and Stephen have just had sex, but from the expressions and poses of the two of them, it was not very satisfactory. This can be interpreted as a metaphor for their lives inside the mall which, while seeming fun and exciting initially, has had the initial excitement wear off and the harsh reality of their existence has set in, with the fake aesthetic joy of the mall serving only as a reminder of their lives before the outbreak. Stephen’s sexual incompetence could also symbolise that, while he had primarily been the image of the archetypal male hero, his ‘male power’ has failed and he has been relegated to a lower position in the hierarchy of power, with Peter taking the place of the male hero instead.