The Night of the Living Dead

The Night of the Living Dead came out during a time when there was an almost religious belief in patriotism in America. It was a time when the burning of an American flag would cause an extremely hostile reaction from people, more so than even straight up murder would. This patriotism appears to be criticized in The Night of the Living Dead when we first see an American flag during the opening. It represents the uselessness of patriotism during a time when America is quickly dying from a zombie attack. The movie also makes one think about how America would respond to a massive nuclear attack. The movie gives us a glimpse of one possibility in the very last scene when the militia leader talks with a very calm tone and when Ben is indiscriminately shot in the face before he is able to identify himself.