One of the
final shots in the film is the one shown in the image above; the final
survivors have made it to the docks and onto the boat and are sailing away. The
lighting is bright and connotes the new start that they are making for
themselves. Ana is shown in a medium shot because the audience are drawn to the
emotion on her face; she has to leave Michael behind knowing that he’s
infected, and the audience identify with her feeling of loss for the male hero
who has sacrificed his life to help save her.
Todorov’s
"classical Hollywood narrative structure" suggests that this is the
new equilibrium and leaves the film with an open ending. Throughout the final
scene, the American flag is visible which connotes that despite the many
adversities, America will always triumph. This subliminal message is also used
in other American horror films such as The Hills have Eyes (2006) which
suggests that this is a dominant idea in their culture which they show
through their films.
Ana is the final girl of the film which challenges horror conventions since she is blonde. Stereotypically, due to her blonde hair, she should have been one of the victims in the film to die. The slow montage of this scene emphasises the ending to make the audience think about all the characters who died in the film. Michael shoots himself before he can turn into a zombie, although we don’t see this as the restricted narrative technique is used to create emotional effect and force us to imagine his demise.
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