Zombie Apocalypse

     Alfred Joseph Hitchcock was an English filmmaker widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in cinema history. The genre he is most often organized into is absurdism. He believed in absurd fiction, which was captured in his films. Alfred Hitchcock would agree that a zombie apocalypse is a social epidemic because it is an example of nature turning against mankind, as exemplified in his movie The Birds, truly showing the fear and true power of nature.

     Hitchcock once said, “Fear isn’t so difficult to understand. After all, weren’t we all frightened as children? Nothing has changed since Little Red Riding Hood faced the big bad wolf. What frightens us today is exactly the same sort of thing that frightened us yesterday. It’s just a different wolf” (Allman). According to this quote, Hitchcock believes mankind is capable of creating its own monsters, such as a zombie. If we could create monsters with our imagination, what is holding us back from making monsters in the lab or picking some random fungus or spore growth out in a densely forested jungle? If the human imagination is allowed to manifest itself to its highest capabilities, what holds us back if the human desire is to create something that we would fear, such as a zombie? There’s nothing in this world that would stop it. As Hitchcock mentioned, the desire and capability of human nature to create and understand fear support the idea of a zombie apocalypse becoming a social epidemic.

     Hitchcock would also agree that the zombie apocalypse is an epidemic because he understands the balance and power behind nature. Hitchcock does warn that if you mess with the balance of nature in just a blink of an eye, nature can come back and swing to knock a man down tenfold. In his film The Birds, Hitchcock says, “The natural order is being turned upside down. Peaceful birds turn into dive-bombers; birds of a different feather are flocking together” (01:26:43). This quote shows that peaceful and harmless parts of nature, such as birds, can be used as weapons against mankind. The idea that birds can turn into carnivorous, psycho, murdering butchers of the human race is unimaginable. Comparatively, if mankind wanted to cure the disease of death by applying the idea of resurrection from the grave and turning people into real-life zombies, it could take even the most harmless and innocent people and turn them into barbaric beasts. Hitchcock would agree that messing with the balance of nature may turn even the most innocent creature into one of disaster, such as a zombie. 

     Furthermore, at another point in The Birds, Hitchcock states, “Because there are 8,650 species of birds in the world today, Mr. Carter. It is estimated that 5,750,000,000 birds live in the United States alone. The five continents of the world… probably contain more than 100,000,000,000 birds”(00:59:23). This quote proves how horrifying and powerful mother nature can be. Hitchcock’s The Birds clearly describes that the number of birds outweighs the human population by nearly 14 times. Imagine one man trying to defend himself against 14 or more birds attacking them. Similarly, when you think of a zombie apocalypse, the number of infected humans must heavily outweigh the number of non-infected humans. Hitchcock’s imagery of nature turning against the human race and taking control by pure numbers is a frightening idea that would become a reality in the case of a zombie apocalypse. It is mind-boggling that mother nature if she wanted to, could snap a finger and turn the tables of nature against society. Power and dominance come in great numbers; this idea agrees with Hitchcock's statement about the truth of the power of nature and how, even as adults, numbers can put fear into the audience's hearts. Hitchcock also reveals how numbers of populations can turn anything into an epidemic. 

For Hitchcock, solutions and hope aren’t usually found in his works. In comparison, in the case of a zombie apocalypse, people will often long for the solution. However, in most cases, there is no clear solution, only survival of the fittest. Alfred Hitchcock once said, “Give them pleasure. The same pleasure they have when they wake up from a nightmare” (“Give Them Pleasure. The Same Pleasu… - Alfred Hitchcock”). Alfred Hitchcock would consider a zombie apocalypse a situation where you can find no pleasure because it is a nightmare. The only thing that would give them any sense of joy is that maybe it will end. Hitchcock would agree that there is pleasure in waking up from the nightmare, but in the case of a zombie outbreak, there may be no escape and, therefore, no pleasure. Hitchcock expresses this feeling of longing for an end in several of his works. The desire for an end supports the idea that Hitchcock would agree the zombie apocalypse is an epidemic. 

     Hitchcock’s movies all have the same theme of absurdism, and they typically never end with a straightforward solution. The Birds ends without a conventional or typical ending. They drive away, but the bird problem is still present. There are still birds surrounding them from every angle. The same style of the film is used in the movie Dawn of the Dead, directed by Jack Snyder in 2004. The film is based on the survival of a group of strangers as they make their way through the zombie-filled world of a bay area in Los Angles. At the movie's end, they make it by boat to their destination, an island far from the mainland. The survivors are filled with excitement, but their mood changes when they notice a swarm of zombies approaching over the horizon. Hitchcock’s belief that not all things end in a straightforward manner agrees with the thoughts of zombie apocalypse film creators like Snyder. Hitchcock would concur that a zombie apocalypse's beginning, middle, and end would not make sense; therefore, he would agree a zombie apocalypse would be a social epidemic.

     In conclusion, Alfred Hitchcock would agree that a zombie apocalypse is an epidemic. The power and might of nature displayed by Hitchcock’s works solidify the possibility of nature turning against the human race. If nature wanted to, it could pull the ground right from under our feet in a flash. Hitchcock’s outlook on problems with no solutions can be compared to that of a person in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. Hitchcock would argue that the absurd idea of a zombie apocalypse is a real epidemic that is quite possible.