The movie takes place in Haiti with Neil and Madeline on their way to Mr. Beaumont's house, a man whom Madeline met on her way to Haiti. She told him that she and Neil were planning to get married and he offered to have the wedding at his home, and said he'd make Neil an agent at his company. They are in the carriage when they come upon a large group of people in the middle of the road, chanting and burying something. They ask the driver what’s going and he tells them that they are having a funeral in the middle of the road because people travel the road often and it will keep people from stealing the bodies. On the way to Mr. Beaumont’s, they stop briefly and a man reaches into the carriage and steals Madeline's scarf before the driver says that he sees zombies and they take off. The driver warns them of the undead corpses that roam at night and that are made to work at the sugar mill, but they don't believe him and dismiss his claims.
Upon at arriving at Beaumont’s home, they meet Dr. Bruner, the preacher who is set to marry them. He feels there is something going on at Mr. Beaumont’s and advises the young couple to leave quickly after they are married. Beaumont goes out to greet Neil and Madeline and after talking briefly, Madeline and Neil are shown to their rooms. Neil looks outside and sees Beaumont get into a carriage with someone and then leave. Beaumont arrives at the sugar mill where he sees zombies working and doing chores. He is taken into a back room to talk to Murder (no really, that’s his name in the movie!). Beaumont tells him that he is in love with Madeline and wants her for himself.
He goes to him for help because Murder happens to be a voodoo master who turns people into zombies with the power of his mind (BAD-ASS!). Beaumont said he is willing to pay anything to make Madeline his. Murder gives him a small vial of white powder and tells Beaumont to put it in wine or maybe on a flower. Beaumont acts shocked and says there must be some other way and leaves to get to the wedding. As he is walking Madeline down the stairs, he tells her that he loves her and wants her to be with him. She asks not to ruin anything and before she gets ready to marry Neil, Beaumont apologizes and offers her a flower, with the powder on it, she smells it and then puts it in her bouquet. After the ceremony they are having dinner when Neil gets up to do a toast. Madeline was joking around and saying she sees love and happiness in her wine glass, and then she sees eyes in the wine and claims she sees death. While this is happening, Murder is outside carving a candle into a statue of Madeline and then starts to melt it. As the statue is melting, Madeline collapses and dies.
They hold a funeral for her and Neil leaves. He starts to see her everywhere he looks and decides to go look for her. Beaumont and Murder go into the graveyard where Madeline is buried and Beaumont is introduced to Murder's zombie slaves. The zombies open the door of the place where Madeline's coffin is and they open it up. Just then they hear Neil screaming Madeleine’s name and they take the coffin and hurry away before Neil finds them. Neil stumbles into where Madeleine’s coffin was and discovers that its missing. He goes to the only other person he knows, Dr. Bruner. He thinks that maybe Madeleine’s body was stolen or maybe she wasn't really dead. He suggests that perhaps Madeleine’s body was stolen, or that she was drugged and buried alive on purpose.
Bruner also suggests that it was Beaumont who did it but Neil isn't so sure. Beaumont and Madeline are back at Murder's home when he admits to her that he regrets doing what he did because now she is soulless and has empty eyes that no longer shine. Beaumont tells Murder that he wants Madeline brought back to life again but Murder tells him that she'd hate him for what he did to her. Beaumont insists that he'd rather her hate him than have to see her the way she is. Murder offers Beaumont wine and then he realizes that he'd been poisoned with the same stuff that he used to poison Madeline. As the poison sets in, Murder reveals that he has plans for both Madeline and Beaumont, and that they could be of good use to him.
Bruner and Neil decide to go look for Madeline. They get a Witch doctor that Bruner knows to help them find the way to Madeline. The Witch doctor tells him that its not a good idea and wont go any further with them. They finally reach what Bruner calls The house of the dead, but Neil is too weak to go on, so Bruner goes alone. Meanwhile, Madeline is starting to act different, like she is starting to remember things or can sense that Neil is nearby. Neil wakes up and starts yelling for Madeline and then follows Bruner into the house. Neil goes into a room and finds Murder and Beaumont sitting at a table, with Beaumont unable to speak. Neil passes out and Murder finds him and makes Madeline come to where downstairs and grab a knife. He then makes her walk over to where Neil is passed out, and she raises her arm in the air, getting ready to stab him when someone behind her grabs her arm and she drops the knife and runs outside.
Neil comes to and finds Madeline sitting outside, just then, Murder appears and calls his zombie servants to kill Neil. He tries shooting them and just as he's about to fall over a cliff, Bruner comes and knocks Murder out. The zombies all fall over the cliff and for a brief second, Madeline smiles at Neil and then her face goes blank again. Murder wakes up and tries to escape, and just as he reaches the top of the steps, Beaumont comes up behind him and pushes him into the water below, and then he jumps also. Madeline looks at Neil and recognizes who he is and of course they all live happily ever after! (Ok, so I added the happily ever after...so what?)
Well for starters, I think this is actually the oldest movie I've ever watched. I really didn't know what to expect. It was good. What I liked about it was that the movie didn't overwhelm you with a lot of dialogue, instead it actually shows what’s happening rather than telling you, which is different. There was no blood, but I really wasn't expecting much, or any for that matter. The zombies in this movie didn't eat people, instead they were mind controlled. I love me some zombies, and I prefer that they tear people apart and fuck stuff up....but it was the 30's soo I guess the whole mind control thing makes sense because it was a lot more tame. Overall I'd give this movie a 2.75. It was a decent film for being 79 years old. It kept my attention and Murder was uber creepy looking..gave me the willies! So there you have it, my thoughts on White Zombie.
And while you're here, don't forget to check out Zombie Zane’s reviews of Invisible Ghost and the Corpse Vanishes, you'll be glad you did =) Thanks!
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