Dawn of the Dead came out in 1978. After that, the film industry all but forgot about zombies for the next two decades. The 80’s and 90’s gave viewers virtually nothing in the way of the undead save The Evil Dead films and those weren’t really about zombies per se. Thankfully, the genre has taken off in the past ten years with films like 28 Days Later, Resident Evil, Shaun of the Dead, Tokyo Zombies and Zombieland. These have have not only given viewers a different perspective on the zombie as an entity but reignited the genre and inspired other zombie filmmakers to continue on in keeping the spirit alive… so to speak.
I’m not going call Rammbock: Berlin Undead a pioneer by any means. But putting a twist on the zombie genre did not seem to be their ultimate goal in making this film. Here is a synopsis according to Movie Trailers: “Just when Michael arrives in Berlin to visit his ex-girlfriend Gabi, a terrible virus starts spreading across the city at a rapid pace, turning people into mindless homicidal maniacs. Much to Michael’s concern, Gabi’s not home; instead, he meets Harper, a teenage plumber’s apprentice at work in her apartment block. Together, they manage to barricade themselves when raging hordes of infected people swarm the building. Surrounded by these thirsty zombies, Michael and Harper have their hands full to survive – and it will take all of their ingenuity to make their way out to try and find Gabi.”
Rammbock does have its own perspective and original approach to telling the zombie story. The zombies themselves are the types who run at full speed (already done, yet still creepy as hell), but they are not as driven and single-minded as the zombies from Resident Evil. They actually give up after a while and wander off. This makes the experience a bit more bearable as the viewer is given opportunities to calm down between zombie confrontations (and the characters are given opportunities to get away). For this plot, in particular, it is important as the entire story takes place in one apartment complex.
The zombies also manage to retain a bit of their old selves, as one old woman continues to hang around her apartment after turning, mumbling barely coherent passages from the Bible. This aspect of the Rammbock zombie ultimately plays an integral role in the film’s plot.
Rammbock is a German language film which streams on Netflix with English subtitles. The acting is under-stated and appropriately tuned to the mood of the film. The cinematography is speculative, like an independent film showing the beauty in the simple moments. Like most zombie films, and appropriately so, the action picks up fairly quickly so there is not a long, drawn out lead-in. The story sets itself up in a logical manner and there is an underlying purpose beneath all the insanity which provides its own ironic and only mildly predictable twist at the end. Rammbock: Berlin Undead is also short and sweet (only 64 minutes long); definitely worth a look even if you’re not into this kind of thing. Rating: B+
Rammbock: Berlin Undead (2011) Trailer HD
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