Movie of the Month: I AM LEGEND
I have to admit that when I saw I Am Legend back in December, I wasn’t expecting anything more than to be entertained by Will Smith one-liners and zombies getting their heads blown off. But I was surprised at the amount of depth the film had to offer.
The following is not a review, but an analysis of two qualities we like about this film (qualities that we appreciate and try to incorporate into our own work). There are some spoilers ahead, so if you haven’t seen the film, I would recommend not reading this yet.
As renowned screenwriting teacher Robert McKee points out, stories are a metaphor for life. Beyond I Am Legend’s obvious entertainment value, one of the reasons we love this film so much is because of the profound metaphors it offers on the condition of mankind.Consider the following:
The despair of isolation: The character of Robert Neville is alone. Every day he searches for others. He even offers that he can provide food, safety, and shelter. But no one comes. Eventually, when someone does come, he does not know how to relate the person. He has forgotten how to be with people.
The promise of hope in a seemingly hopeless world. Neville doesn’t lose hope. In the midst of a tragic, post-apocalyptic setting, he does more than just survive. He structures his life, cooks meals, goes hunting, rents movies, sings songs to his dog Samantha, and all the while working hard to find a cure to the disease that caused the near extinction of mankind.
The contrast of darkness and light. Evil resides in the darkness and hates the light. The protagonist finds his strength in the light.
The cure for the disease is in the blood. The idea of a redemptive sacrifice is found and displayed throughout history, both in literature, and in real life, though the most obvious image conjured from this metaphor is of Jesus death on the cross.
The other reason we admire this film is for its intentional visual storytelling style, a methodology that is far less common than it used to be. When a movie uses meaningful images to show the story (instead of just telling, such as through dialogue), it makes for a more interactive and thought-provoking experience. While I Am Legend isn’t perfect in this regard, it does do a fine job.
For example, the contents of Will Smith’s apartment, the magazine on his refrigerator, his relationship with his dog, all spoke volumes about Smith’s character, his history, what he’d been through. The state of Manhattan as we saw it, such as the abandoned vehicles, the foliage in the streets, and the price of gas, all spoke volumes about what the world had been through.
This is detailed filmmaking that makes you think, where you’re processing images and piecing them together in your mind to understand the story. It was refreshing to see this in a Will Smith blockbuster.
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