Why Some Legends Should Be Left Alone
Alright so I don't get out much, I know. I see more movies at home than I could ever hope to see at the theatre. So it's no surprise that I just saw "I am Legend" last night on DVD. I doubt anyone remembers the book. I mean to be honest even though they took the title from the book it was really just Omega Man with the Fresh Prince of Bel air (spelling?) instead of that guy from the Planet of the Apes. I read the book well over a decade ago (sixth grade to be exact and from a decrepit Denver Public School library).
There are so many things wrong with the movie that I don't even know where to start. So why don't we just start at the ending. The only reason I remember this book is the ending, which is the title. The whole point of the story is that far from being the end of society it's only the beginning of a new society and that our hero is the new villain of said society who are far more advanced than our protagonist previously gave them credit for. This is not only highlighted by the fact that the vampires can stay in the sun for certain periods or that they could have captured/killed him at really any point, but that they have created new myths (yes this a recurring theme here). And he is at the very center of them as the new boogie man, hence, "I am legend".
Now I will give Will Smith credit that at least in this version our protagonist meets his end with his blowing up rather than the Omega Man's sorry ending of the crucifixion of the new savior. What really chafes my ass is that the movies are exactly the opposite of the what the book was trying to get at. Just before he blows himself up along with the lead dark seeker Smith sees God's plan and gives the cure to two other survivors who then go on to escape. The background at the ending is straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting with the gate opening onto village in Vermont complete with a white washed Church (we're assuming Protestant) and American flag in the scene (and they arrive driving a Ford). And the flag, that's another thing. It's not on a proper flag pole that would suggest a military installation, but rather on a normal flag holder that Joe Blow attaches to his front porch to show his patriotism. And that's the idea. That American values such as homespun patriotism and God's divine plan will prevail over all else.
Even the alluded to subtext fall within this paradigm. When Will Smith captures the female whom he eventually cures (until he blows her up). Her mate comes after her, providing the catalyst for the entire movie. So even though we see Smith shortly afterward lamenting the total de-evolution of mankind we know that the creatures can still love one another and as we find out, learn and imitate. But again all this is for nothing as it only serves to reinforce the ending which is that with the cure the "dark seekers" can be saved and civilization rebuilt between the twin pillars of faith and country.
Instead of the bold idea of a new society of which we as human beings are no longer a part of it is a reaffirmation of our society and God's plan.
But it is that bold stroke of daring that separates the mundane from the spectacular and it is why over a decade later I still remember holding onto that thin, worn out copy of the book stunned into contemplative silence by those three little words. And this movie will only be remembered as a footnote to that and then only as an example of why some things are best left alone.
4 comments:
Great review. I'm always struck by the point in the novel at the end where he suggests that they be a bit less 'cruel'. You're right, it's that idea that we're the passing phase and that they will continue on for good or ill in ways unknowable to us. Sad to see (although inevitable) that IAL in the cinema bottled out...
Interesting point that George Romero took this book as inspiration years and years ago. The same idea is toyed with in his last film (the one with Dennis Hopper). I felt that it was fairly weak but still interesting to at least see him still trying dig deeper with his pictures when most of the horror genre has simply glutted itself on special effects. Certainly his original Night of the Living Dead at least toys with some deeper meanings especialy with the ending and then the snap shot epilogue.
Very true. What's interesting is that in film treatments there's almost a fear of dealing with the deeper meanings. Odd that.
It makes perfect sense when you think about in the context of our disposable society. Most people don't want to walk out of the theatre silently pondering what they have just seen. They simply want to walk out and forget. Like everything else in our culture (or at least alot of it) it is meant to be disposable and neatly packaged to boot. This is the case even in "serious" theatrical pictures such as "Hotel Rwanda" which after everything copts out at the end with this "there's always enough room" bullshit. Now that is not to say that some things are not incredibly entertaining such as "Shaun of the Dead", "Hot Fuzz", "Fido" and what not. But I don't turn to film for anything more serious than that.
Although I should note that documentaries such Bowling for Columbine and An Inconvenient Truth have done rather well at the box office so, there you go.
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