I Am Legend: The Struggles of Isolation

I Am Legend was released in 2007 starring Will Smith. It’s an adaptation of the book, I Am Legend, written by Richard Matheson. The book has been adapted three times into movies with I Am Legend being the most recent. Will Smith plays Dr. Robert Neville, a scientist living in New York City, trying to find a cure for a pandemic. It has killed most of the population and turned the rest into vampire like creatures.

For the first half of the movie Will Smith is the only person on screen. He has been alone for about three years trying to find a cure for the pandemic. He has a daily routine which includes looking for supplies and food. The opening scene is Smith driving a fast car through New York City. This is shot very well and has great cuts in action. Back in 2007 you’d think it would be crazy to be able to drive fast through an empty city. But now a days with the quarantine it’s not out of the realm of possibility. Since the movie takes place in 2012, there’s a fake poster for a Batman Superman movie with a similar logo to the 2016 movie.

Since Will Smith is alone he has mannequins setup in the city to simulate other people. While it seems silly at first glance, it’s a desperate attempt at the closest thing to human contact he has. He even attempts to talk to an attractive women at a video store. He has names for all the mannequins as well.

Near the end two other humans show up, a woman played by Alice Braga, and a little boy. This kinda throws off for Will Smith. Throughout the movie Bob Marley songs are played because the character likes Bob Marley. The mellow songs are often played in stressful or scary scenes which is a good contrast. I Am Legend does a great job showing isolation and loneliness but the fact that the creatures are CGI take away from the movie. Will Smith does an incredible job acting in this movie. 🍔🍔🍔