Danny Boyle's "Madness of the Boomers"

28 Years Later reviewed

I knew I was in for a ride as soon as 28 Years Later opened with a massacre of a room full of white, blonde children.

This seemed to be portrayed gleefully. I thought there must be some mistake - I had misinterpreted it, or the emotional execution was a bit off.

But then one child escapes, and makes it to the local church, where we are treated to the usual ‘mad priest in a horror movie’ shtick, with the Father shrieking with joy about the end times as the infected stream through broken stained-glass windows.

Oh.

28 Years Later is an intense and demented film. Boyle crafts a rich human drama, centred around a brave child in a broken family. 12-year old Spike (Alfie Williams, who is excellent) struggles with love and duty to his violent father and dying mother, as the world collapses around them.

The world-building is magical, and quite bold. At first I was taken aback - the setting is an entirely White British community on an island. There are regional accents, folk rituals, initiation ceremonies, Christian burials, and a portrait of the Queen. The children sing Abide with Me.

Based?

Well - no. This is because this world is itself set within the imagination of Danny Boyle, and Danny Boyle has been infected with Boomer Mind Virus (‘BMV’). This explains his recent statement that he wouldn’t make Slumdog Millionaire today, but would give it to an Indian director so as to be ‘inclusive’.

It becomes obvious that Boyle has recreated the Britain of his own youth, with boys sent out to roam the wilderness with penknives, tin soldiers, and homemade bows and arrows.

It’s a liminal corner of England, which somehow contains landmarks from around the country (Lindisfarne, Fountains Abbey, Cheddar Gorge, the Angel of the North).

There is even WWII documentary footage intermittently cut into the film to hit you over the head with the ‘this is my childhood’ message.

Unfortunately, in true BMV spirit, it emerges that Boyle has resurrected Merrie Olde England just so he can destroy it all over again, since this is the only story about England he knows how to tell.

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An ominous background atmosphere is maintained. An English flag burns. More jabs at Christianity (graffiti announcing “Behold, He is coming with the clouds” with “Jimmy” crudely interspersed after “Behold”).

The story matures into the full Boomer Narrative: the righteous youth rebelling against the tyrannical father, who leaves his stifling home and sets off into the wider world unmoored by family or obligation, never to return.

Aware that the film lacks any kind of metaphysical grounding or archetypal structure, Boyle and writer Garland tack on some esoteric motifs: there’s a death and rebirth arc, and in place of the mad priest - now dead - we are introduced to Ralph Fiennes, who plays a kind of shamanic doctor.

[Spoilers ahead].

This is definitely the most deranged part of the film because it is intended sincerely.

Fiennes has built a monument to the dead out of skulls, and after Spike’s mother is euthanized (!) by Fiennes, Spike is supposed to experience catharsis by adding her skull (which he kisses) to the pile.

But she was put down via morphine, leaving us to imagine that Fiennes must have beheaded her corpse off camera after gently euthanizing her?

There’s an odd ‘retvrn to paganism’ vibe throughout the film. Spike’s mother is temporarily cured of her dementia by stealing another woman’s baby (a zombie acts as a surrogate, and is then executed).

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Lest we think too carefully about any of this, Boyle loses his confidence at the end, and concludes the film with a bizarre and out of place Jimmy Saville joke (yes, I’m serious) to lighten the mood. Perhaps to those with BMV, this is a topical bit of humour we might enjoy.

If I was being uncharitable, I’d also note the bizarre psycho-sexual dynamics on the part of the creators which led to them including an unspeaking character known as the Alpha, who is a seven-foot tall naked black zombie (the only non-white character in the film). We’re reassured that he’s “more intelligent” than the other zombies.

Just really odd stuff. The whole film is a technical masterpiece, by the way - many exciting action scenes and beautifully shot images. The zombies are great. The performances are masterful. But it’s BMV from start to finish.

I’d recommend going to see it, if you can stomach the gore and gratuitous male nudity. It’s quite unlike anything else I’ve seen in a long time.

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Sic transit imperium,

Johann