‘Blood Quantum’ resembles a classic zombie-horror movie on the surface, but its true depths reveal a completely different facet of the story. In 1981, odd events occur at the Mi’gmaq Reserve of Red Crow, where gutted fish and dead dogs start coming back to life. A disease begins to spread, and a pandemic is unleashed on the world. Traylor, a town sheriff, tries to save the day after he gets several reports about people biting each other & other weird things start to happen around the town.
The Socio-Political Relevance Of ‘Blood Quantam’
Blood Quantum, unlike other zombie movies, comments on the socio-political hierarchy in our present day society. When the virus spreads, nearly everyone gets bitten. Every zombie seen in the film is a white person. It is revealed that indigenous people are immune to the disease that is turning people into zombies. Instead of providing some scientific narrative to the mystery, the movie dives into the history of the Natives and their struggles with the white people.
The reason this virus is tormenting life all over the Earth is because humans are trying to revert to their old ways. The Earth is trying to heal from the damage caused due to exploitative methods of humans in the name of development. Capitalism is portrayed as the villain here, and the idea of why indigenous bodies are untouched by the virus reflects through a simple dialogue that is a harsh reality. Gisigu asserts that it is not because nature is incredibly kind to them or something like that. It is merely because they have been overlooked, even by the virus.
Image Source: IMDB
Additionally, this is where the factor of Blood Quantum begins. The law of Blood Quantum is a way to ascertain the indigenous heritage of a person and to learn about the percentage of Native blood in them. We see the same idea being followed in the movie where the ratio of indigenous blood decides whether you are immune to the virus or not. For example, after a white baby is born, he/she might turn out to be infected, but one member of the indigenous family is safe.
Another thing that the film covers to make its premise all the more realistic is the scenario of refugees. With the virus destroying the rest of the nation, only the Red Crow Reservation is a secure place, which has been fortified to help the survivors. Traylor’s older son, Alan aka Lysol, disagrees with his father and brother about the race of the refugees they should allow to take shelter inside. He dislikes white people, and so does not want them to be brought in.
Giving them protection puts the lives of indigenous people at risk, even inside their walls. Through this prospect, the film talks to the audience about whether or not Lysol’s or other indigenous people’s anger, is justified. Is he right in returning the favor to the whites for destroying his ancestors? It also becomes a double-edged sword as his anger again pulls the whole thing apart.
The Ending Explained
Image Source: IMDB
Lilith remains secret about the fact that she has been bitten. When she transforms into a zombie, Lysol uses her to cause an outbreak inside the compound. Traylor dies protecting Joss and the others, who jump into the truck and escape. They discover that Lysol is now wreaking havoc at the town church. Gisigu and Joseph go there to protect people, but Lysol corners Joss and Charlie inside the car. He then kills Bumper and unleashes a zombie on Charlie. Joseph comes just in time to save her, but gets is bitten herself.
Gisigu and Joseph wound Lysol and leave him behind for the zombies to eat. Joss, Charlie, and Joseph escape on the boat, but Gisigu chooses to stay, saying that he won’t abandon his land again. In his final scene, we see him struggling amidst the approaching zombies. We do not see him die, so there is a fair chance that he got out of there alive, even though he gets repeatedly bitten.
Sometime later, we discover that Charlie has given birth on the boat. The two men who had brought them on the boat have parted ways, probably because they had their reservations regarding the nature of the baby. Joseph and Joss are relieved when the baby turns out to be immune. After looking at her baby one last time, Charlie asks Joseph to kill her before she turns into a zombie. Blood Quantum provides a clever social commentary on racism and succeeds in delivering thrilling sequences & gripping action scenes at the same time.
