The Crazies (Eisner, 2010), narrative

The Crazies

Responses to the questions 

1. Give two examples of events that caused later events in the film, but which occur before the film 'starts'.

Infected waterways is one event which happens just before the film begins. We know and see evidence of the plane which was carrying the contained virus which was supposed to go to Texas to be incinerated but actually crashed in the towns marshes. 

Later in the film we then find that it is the disease in the water which got into the systems which people then drank.

Also another example of this is Judy being pregnant before the film begins. If she hadn't of been pregnant then she wouldn't have been segregated and captured in the make shift hospital for having a high temperature. 

Also the fact that she was taken away meant that her and David survived as he was taken to be deported and 'saved'. However, we later find out that even those with the wristbands get incinerated in the large trucks. If he hadn't of gone to save his wife he would have been killed eventually.

2. List two events from the 92 minute film that happen in a different time and space to the one we are shown.

One example of this is when we hear Russel talking about how he tried to escape the town in his truck but when he got to a certain point the tyres were spiked by the army and he was taken back and put to the quarantine area. We also presume as viewers that he was quarantined because he knew what happened when the red truck came in and sent gun shots. The only way he could have seen this is if he was in the quarantined zone. 

Another example is that everyone with the green wristbands meaning they are safe from the disease got murdered by the army. We find this out towards the ending of the film when we see a shot of Judy on the floor picking up the shells of bullets which there are hundreds of scattered across the street. We then see a pan back into a large truck which is full of dead bodies which is where we see one wearing what was the safety wristband. 

3. Identify key plot points in the film that you would associate with the three-act structure 

Act 1 = setup / normality

Act 2 = confrontation / disruption 

Act 3 = resolution / restoration of normality

Act 1 = 

The film opens with the town being all friendly and going about their daily life. People are doing their jobs and farming. Becca even gets let off from work early so she can go and watch her boyfriend playing in the big game of baseball.

 It soon comes to an end when Rory is shot though and this is the main turning point in the film to it becoming act 2.

Act 2 =

Act two begins when we see Rory being shot at the baseball game. Suddenly the calm normal town becomes something of the opposite. We slowly see more people with strange behaviors and then finally killings take place and all hell breaks loose with the army coming in in force and trying to control the epidemic by containing everyone in one area. Bill also sets fire to his family home whilst the wife and son are inside. 

Act 3 =

This is towards the very ending of the film when they manage to get away in a truck stolen from a garage. They begin to drive away which is when they see that the town is being blown up. The truck crashes but they both come out of the vehicle unharmed. They continue the rest of the walk to the new city through the fields.