Which Film Is The Most Legendary “I Am Legend” Of Them All?
I first read Richard Matheson’s 1954 classic dystopian novel, “I Am Legend” when I was a teenager and I loved it. Three cinematic versions have been made from the book and I’ve seen them all multiple times. Each takes a different approach exploring the themes of loneliness, isolation, and despair in a ‘present day’ dystopian USA. In 1964’s “The Last Man on Earth” Vincent Price starred as the distraught lead; Charlton Heston played the more heroic role in 1971’s “The Omega Man”; whilst Will Smith portrayed an anguished yet brilliant protagonist in the 2007 namesake rendition.
Let’s take a look at these three films and see which Legend is the most legendary of Legends. Let the badassery begin!
- The Last Man On Earth
The 1964 adaptation, “The Last Man on Earth”, directed by Ubaldo Ragona and starring Vincent Price, is my sentimental favourite. Price brilliantly captures the loneliness and despair of Robert Neville, the last remaining man in a vampire-infested world. His performance is subtle yet powerful, and delivered with his trademark thespian finesse. I mean, it’s Vincent Freaking Price for Nosferatu’s sake!
The black-and-white aesthetic adds to the feeling of desolation, making it a total bummer of a movie that I can’t help but love. The idea of a sad sack vampire hunter still living in his decaying middle-class neighbourhood during an apocalypse is especially depressing — and driving a station wagon no less! Vinnie — Dude — trade up, my man! Financing has never been easier!
I love this movie and the way Vincent Price handles the role. Middle America should be so lucky to have such a classy madman as Price to drive a stake through its rotting apple pie and Chevrolet heart.
2. The Omega Man
“The Omega Man”, directed by Boris Sagal and starring Charlton Heston, is the second adaptation of Matheson’s novel. It follows the basic premise of the book, but with some notable changes. Instead of vampires, the antagonists are mutated humans known as “The Family”, yes, with allusions to THAT family. The baddies are part Charlie Manson’s demented cult and part George Romero’s face-painted zombies with a druid fetish. Heston’s character is muy macho and cool — just ask him — or better yet, ‘Eat lead, you freaks!’. Machine Gun Moses is a top-ranking uber doctor struggling to save the last few remaining humans from turning all luddite and socialist. He’s down with the interracial sexy thing too should a red hot mama cross his path, which, of course, she does.
Gone is Vincent Price’s self-loathing and angst, Chuck is here to drive fast cars, drink top-shelf liquor, watch “Woodstock” for the upteenth time, and kick some mutant zombie ass. Whereas Price’s character was driven by a need to find redemption, Heston’s character lives in a fortified penthouse and is too much of a badass to sweat the small stuff. He is armed to the teeth — and loving it — with groovy weapons and even groovier sunglasses. He’s not only the last man on earth but the last real man on Earth.
With its 70s, exploitation themes and B-movie style, “The Omega Man” takes a much more optimistic approach to the subject matter. While “The Last Man on Earth” dwelled on the loneliness and despair of Robert Neville, “The Omega Man” follows more of an action-hero template. Heston’s character is determined to restore the world to its former glory because that’s what badasses do. Take that, you damn dirty mutants!
3. I Am Legend
The third adaptation of Matheson’s novel, “I Am Legend”, was directed by Francis Lawrence and stars Will Smith. Changes to the novel include replacing vampires with mutated humans called “Darkseekers” — bald and hyperventilating vampires — and introducing Smith’s character as a military scientist who is the lone survivor of a catastrophic pandemic.
“I Am Legend” adopts a science-fiction approach to its source material with big-money special effects and high production values. Smith is a heartbroken family man and brilliant scientist who is working diligently to develop a cure for the vampire plague/rage infection/whatever it is. This makes for a more cerebral and scientific film compared to its predecessors; plus, there’s a dog because Big Willy still needs somebody to quip with between failed experiments, he is Will Smith after all.
“I Am Legend” takes a much bleaker approach to its themes, and by bleak, I mean dull and morose. While “The Omega Man” was more action-packed, “I Am Legend” centres around the despair of its protagonist as he pushes himself almost to madness to discover the cure. It plays a bit against Smith’s usual persona but not too far from what we expect of a Will Smith movie. Will Smith has two bankable acting modes, the tragic underdog who deserves a big win, and the smartass ‘I make this look easy’ quipster. This movie has Smith firmly locked into Sad Willy mode as a heartbroken widower just trying to save a world without love. Ultimately, it’s too drawn-out for me, and perhaps the weakest of the three film versions.
And so, my pick for the most Legendary “I Am Legend” of all is…
“The Last Man On Earth”!
I’ve got to give it to my man, horror icon, Vincent ‘I’m Just A Poe Boy’ Price. Watching Heston live out his playboy fantasies in a zombie-filled wasteland sure is fun, and Will has the Hollywood cash and flash for a big budget treatment, but Vincent expresses the sense of fear and dread that is so rooted in Matheson’s classic novel.
I like that Robert Neville, as portrayed by Vincent Price, is not a supreme badass nor a brilliant scientist — he’s just an average guy trying to survive in Vampireville, USA. The odds are against him and he knows he may not be up to the task, but between his self-loathing and brutal hangovers, he’ll keep staking vampires and trying to survive another day. The apocalypse sucks as hard as the vampires do in “The Last Man on Earth” proving that being a Legend ain’t easy but someone’s gotta do it. Someone like the LEGENDARY Vincent Price.
** All images are publicly released production stills from the films, “The Last Man on Earth”, “The Omega Man”, and “I Am Legend”.
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