George Romero’s 1968 independent black-and-white horror film, which starred Duane Jones, is a classic of horror and zombie lore, and a film we’ve referenced a few times on this blog over the year.
Romero has said that the role of Ben (played by Duane Jones) wasn’t written for a black man, and that the racial commentary in the film wasn’t at all intended. However, one can’t ignore the significance of Jones’ casting (at the time, it was very obviously unusual for a black man to be the hero of a film in a cast that included white actors and actresses) and his commanding presence, as he gets to smack a few white people around… on screen… in 1968.
While…
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