Dawn of The Dead (2004) Image Analysis

This shot is used towards the end of the movie just as the survivors are getting onto the boat to start their life anew on a different island, away from the zombies and the chaos that's on the mainland. This takes place just after Michael has told Ana that he won't be coming with them due to his bite. High Key lighting is used in this scene to connote the brighter and happier future ahead of the survivors. As for the cinematography, this is a medium shot and this is used in order to show Ana's emotions about the current situation, she doesn't look overjoyed about having to leave michael behind, and it's through this shot that audience's can clearly see that. After this, there is a very slow montage between Michael and Ana exchanging looks and the boat sailing away, we are then shown Michael getting ready with a gun to shoot himself, and restricted narration is used to leave the action open to the audience's imagination. 

Ana is stood next to the American flag, which is subliminally placed a lot throughout the movie, and it is used to connote power, and the power America have over their adversaries. This use of the American flag is most prominent within The Hills have Eyes (2006) in which one of the mutants are killed through having the American flag penetrating their brain. This is symbolic of power an how American always comes out on top, which is why it is used here alongside the survivors of the movie. This could be linked to Propp and Todorov's Hollywood narrative theory, as the ending of the movie is open which led to Day of The Dead (2008) being produced. As opposed to the happier choice of ending where the survivors sail away to an island and escape the chaos, they are actually caught by more native zombies and then the movie ends.

As for the character stereotypes, Ana's character challenges the main CDI of horror movies and is the final girl character. Despite her having stereotypical blonde hair which is usually a trait of the girl to be killed of first, she somehow remains as a survivor. However it could be said that due to her sexual fling with Michael, his death is a result of those loose morals which leads to her emotional downfall.  This could be supported by Carol J. Clover in her 1992 book Men, Women, And Chain Saws: Gender In The Modern Horror Film,