Warning for violence / gore / abuse mentions because 28 Weeks Later is a zombie movie and also my main problem with it is basically the connection to domestic abuse
Ok so the movie had a running theme of just being shitty about women. I mean, let's name a few of the key players, shall we? The wife who risks everything because she can't calm down her maternal instincts, the wife who watches helplessly as her husband gets killed and as a result doesn't think to run instead of cry, the girlfriend who sobs about her boyfriend and is delusional and thinks he's going to return (she's obviously the first to die), the only female troop who is the YOU GUESSED IT medical officer, and the older sister whose bad decisions lead to the deaths of a bunch of people. Sexist and gross, but standard.
HOWEVER
THERE IS ONE SCENE THAT I CANNOT SHAKE
IT IS SO. BAD.
Some of this might be considered me reaching. It's an interpretation, of course, but that's what analyzing film is.
Helpful link Violence and gore warning
Now, let's look at this scene. The pinnacle of disgusting grossness and violence against women imo. To explain, this woman is carrier for the zombie virus, dubbed the "rage" virus, because it makes everybody rage. Keep this in mind. But basically, she carries the virus in her saliva and blood.
It isn't shown in the video, but the woman says she loves him first (she's forgiving him for leaving her to be fucking murdered). This is important, because essentially she evokes his reaction. She can't move, and thus he has to make the move to kiss her and she effectively "tempts" him into this. She tempts him into kissing her and thus brings about his ruin.
Now, the husband turns. The rage virus takes over and he becomes a "zombie". But, pay attention. Notice how he recognizes his wife AFTER he becomes a zombie. He has a flashback of his wife's face AFTER he is turned. He STILL HAS HUMANITY IN HIM because he recognizes his wife.
This seems like a good thing. Except, he doesn't recognize her as his wife, but essentially the woman who brought him to ruin. Her being alive had thrown a wrench in his life (because he lied to his kids about seeing her die and she threatens to make them realize how scummy he is) even before he was zombie-fied. The flashback is of the moment he left her to die. And he recognizes her enough to use his humanity to kill her in a vicious way.
Now, you may think that he's a zombie. Obviously he kills her and it's violent and gross.
YES, but at the same time, this is a RAGE virus. It spreads quickly because the aim is to kill. Those infected take the most direct path of attacking and murder and spread the disease and kill at an alarming speed. This woman is strapped down to a bed. She cannot move. She could be killed in 3 seconds. SHE ISN'T
This man, who had shown humanity in recognizing her, does something that's out of character for a supposedly rage-driven zombie. He prolongs her suffering. He doesn't just kill, he punishes. He makes her suffer, and he changes his tactics in an almost calculating way.
He punches her. Then he bites her. Then he goes for the eyes. And then he returns to punching her until she dies. None of this is necessary. Usually, the aim is to kill or spread infection. Why not go for the neck and bite until she's dead? Why not punch hard enough to kill quickly? Why not follow through on the eye gouging until she dies that way? Because this isn't just a simple killing zombie. He retains humanity and this humanity is used to fucking punish his wife and viciously beat her to death.
The wife unleashes hell on her husband, tempting him into ruin and he responds by beating her to death in a way that seems like it can't be explained by the rage virus.
It's gross.
Maybe you disagree on the interpretation but all the stuff is there and if you look at it from that lens it's pretty easy to piece together, I think.
