by Michael Allen

Created on: September 26, 2008

28 Days Later is more than an update on the zombie horror flick. Several contemporary ideas are explored including the role of Christianity, hedonism of Western civilization, and the increase of violence in our daily media. The brilliance of Danny Boyle is the duality of the picture. On one hand it is an entertaining thriller while on a deeper level psychological concepts like Carl Jung's Shadow are used, to highlight the inhumanity of man. Many questions can be asked like; what does the Rage virus represent in today's society? And why is Selena's (Naomie Harris) character so focused on survival? These and several other questions along with a basic plot synopsis will be explored in this analysis.

Early on in "28 Days Later" with the early introduction of violence through the use of news clips, it becomes clear that this will not be a smooth ride nor a regular commercial movie and that violence or aggression will be a theme, during this movie. In fact, violence with aggression are symbolized in the "Rage" (28 Days Later) virus and in fact Danny Boyle specifically wanted to point out that the Rage virus was a representation of today's increasing incidences of road rage, air rage etc. But why is our society experiencing more incidences of rage? The change of our culture from a spiritual society to a more consuming society is leaving many feeling trapped in certain societal roles, this leads to frustration. There are several scenes in the movie where symbols or situations are used to express these feelings of frustration. For instance it's more than a coincidence that during a tower block scene several fish in a tank gasp for oxygen, as the water in their tank decreases. Also, in the first few minutes of the film a monkey is strapped to a chair and forced to watch multiply scenes of violence or aggression. This scene leads into another where Jim (Cillian Murphy) is tied in with intravenous tubes and has a scar, exactly where the previous monkey had his electrodes tied in. Danny Boyle is alluding to the fact that both man and monkey in this movie are being exposed to vast amounts of violence through everyday media and it is harmful.

Another recurring theme in "28 Days Later" is the role of Christianity in western society and how spirituality plays a part in our present day lives. Danny Boyle uses religious symbolism throughout "28 Days Later" in the form of crosses, religious text and with a priest to relay his spiritual message. In fact Jim's first encounter is with

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