Script to Screen – 28 days later – Alex Garland

When Jim wakes up from his coma in the hospital we get near exactly what the script entails of Jim awaking in the hospital bed out of a coma.

The one difference in this section is that he is not clothed in the film, I believe this is done more for shock value over anything else as it is a startling visual to grab the viewers attention.

He then exits the room and wanders toward the lobby where he attempts to use a public payphone which does not work and drinks a Pepsi.

The script here is exactly what we get apart from one canted long shot we get of Jim walking down a set of stairs, this shot visually emphasises his isolation and the lack of life around him before we even leave the hospital which sets this precedent for a lack of people around so we have an idea of what to expect when he actually goes outside.

As Jim travels across London we get many more extreme long shots and medium long shots until he makes him way to the church.

Again the film sticks with the script apart from the fact that the soundtrack underscores this bit of the scene. Also another shot is added where Jim is scavenging and picking up as much money he can which tells the audience how he is oblivious to the situation he is in and still thinks that money will help him, and it better helps set up for when Mark and Selina have to explain what’s going on to him as we know how clueless he is.

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