The early 1970s saw acclaimed director George A. Romero in a slump. Despite his legendary debut Night of the Living Dead being considered the origin of the modern zombie, the film was heavily censored and disregarded after it premiered in 1968. As a result, his output (which included Season of the Witch and The Crazies) during this time went relatively unnoticed, receiving the same post-release cult status as its black and white predecessor.
Although his commercial success was minimal, he was still approached by the Lutheran Society to make a television special about the normalization of elder abuse and ageism within modern society. However, what he presented was reviled by the organization, leading the special he produced never to be released.
It is a story that has now become infamous. The Amusement Park, the lost 1973 television special directed by Romero, is finally available to the general public. It is not hard to see why the Lutheran Society decided to pass on the film, as the frantic editing and bizarre imagery create an unmistakable feeling of dread.
The audience first sees an unnamed man (Lincoln Maazel), beaten and bruised, muttering incoherently as a more well-kept version of himself makes plans to spend the day in the titular park. As the film progresses, he is humiliated, taunted, and abused by everyone around him. If he is not chased out of a freak show presentation for looking like the elderly “freaks” on display, he is being shepherded into an attraction made to make elderly people like him “comfortable.” It should be no surprise that Maazel was primarily known for his theatre credits, as his acting often borders on melodrama that comes off as rather silly on the screen. However, that should not detract from his otherwise harrowing performance.
The Amusement Park represents a cycle that, according to an out-of-character Maazel in an introduction, the elderly go through every day in an unaccommodating society. This society is shown in quick camera cuts that purposefully leave the viewer disoriented. In an era where shortcuts often make viewers more annoyed than scared, what these cuts represent makes the experience more bearable. The type of camera lens also changes throughout the film, especially during scenes of particularly intense distress. From a technical standpoint, it is one of Romero’s most dynamic, especially thanks to The Crazies cinematographer S. William Hinzman.
Few people have accused Romero of being subtle throughout his work, and The Amusement Park is no exception. The film is not only about ageism but classism as well in a scene comically indicated with absurdly large props. In the scene, a wealthy man is treated to a gourmet feast while our protagonist is given slop. However, the man being treated to such an extravagant feast is just as old as Maazel’s unnamed subject. The message of this scene is straightforward; you can avoid the cycle of pain and misery many older people are subjected to if you are rich. Given Romero’s further explorations of classism and capitalism in films such as Dawn of the Dead, it is no surprise that he incorporated this double standard into the film.
In a way, the film is not about Maazel’s character. It is not even about the elderly. It is about society in general, as the film proclaims that the same abuse inflicted upon older people will eventually be imposed on them. In a scene where a young couple visits a fortune teller to see their future, they are forced to reconcile with the fact that they will eventually die old, sick, and impoverished. Beyond the goofy theatre acting and heavy-handed symbolism, a palpable dread is felt throughout the film that demands to be fixed before it is too late.
At its core, The Amusement Park is about spreading kindness and understanding. Although it is goofy by today’s standards, perhaps we can all learn a lesson from it, even if Romero has to take you through hell and back in the process.
