I Am Legend
Dec. 27th, 2007 10:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
annundrielMom, Dad, and I saw I Am Legend tonight. It was excellent. Having read the book over the summer in anticipation of the movie, I wasn't sure what to expect from this adaptation. But, wow, was I impressed.
When I finished reading the book, the first thing I did was turn to Mom and say, "There's no way they're going to let that happen to Will Smith in the end." And I was kind of right. In the book, Robert Neville really is the last human on Earth. Here it turns out he's not and humanity has a chance to flourish again because of him. Originally, I thought that the title would lose its meaning and power if the ending was changed. That's were I was wrong. The movie ending totally worked for me. The whole movie totally worked for me. Intense from beginning to end, completely involving. I loved it.
Three specific things:
- Sound and silence. One of the first things I noticed when the movie started was the lack of music (by which I mean the movie's score) and generally background noise. I thought they used this absence really effectively to convey the otherworldly loneliness Neville would be feeling. Kind of like the Buffy episode "The Body" where there is no score, just the characters. We become so used to the usual background music in movies and television that we notice it when it's missing, or at least I do, and that can set us a little off-center.
Which reminds me of the point Dad made at dinner about the camera work. He said he would have liked some wider shots thrown in with all of the close-ups. I pointed out that the less we can see around the characters, the more suspense we're in.
- Butterflies. I was kind of tickled in the end when the butterflies ended up playing a part. I like to look at backgrounds and sets during movies (and I just long to go through characters apartments on TV shows). So while Neville was chasing the deer at the beginning, I was reading what signs I could. At one point he passed a bunch of fliers that read on the top, "God still loves you" and on the bottom, "Do you love God?" Most of the fliers had what looked to be a picture of a globe or something in the middle, but the one on the top had been torn or painted or something so that it looked like a butterfly. I remember thinking that was kind of odd. And then the butterfly while he's picking corn. And his daughter's insistence that he watch her and her butterfly. I kept noticing them and when they ended up playing a part, especially tying back to "God still loves you," I was very pleased.
- Will Smith. Holy crap. I knew he was good, always liked him, but I had no idea he could be that good. I mean, sure, he did the strong yet vulnerable thing in The Pursuit of Happyness and was great. But there was something about Neville's slow, emotional falling apart that really just broke my heart. The scene in the video store after Sam's death? Whoa. I just completely believed him throughout the movie.
When I finished reading the book, the first thing I did was turn to Mom and say, "There's no way they're going to let that happen to Will Smith in the end." And I was kind of right. In the book, Robert Neville really is the last human on Earth. Here it turns out he's not and humanity has a chance to flourish again because of him. Originally, I thought that the title would lose its meaning and power if the ending was changed. That's were I was wrong. The movie ending totally worked for me. The whole movie totally worked for me. Intense from beginning to end, completely involving. I loved it.
Three specific things:
- Sound and silence. One of the first things I noticed when the movie started was the lack of music (by which I mean the movie's score) and generally background noise. I thought they used this absence really effectively to convey the otherworldly loneliness Neville would be feeling. Kind of like the Buffy episode "The Body" where there is no score, just the characters. We become so used to the usual background music in movies and television that we notice it when it's missing, or at least I do, and that can set us a little off-center.
Which reminds me of the point Dad made at dinner about the camera work. He said he would have liked some wider shots thrown in with all of the close-ups. I pointed out that the less we can see around the characters, the more suspense we're in.
- Butterflies. I was kind of tickled in the end when the butterflies ended up playing a part. I like to look at backgrounds and sets during movies (and I just long to go through characters apartments on TV shows). So while Neville was chasing the deer at the beginning, I was reading what signs I could. At one point he passed a bunch of fliers that read on the top, "God still loves you" and on the bottom, "Do you love God?" Most of the fliers had what looked to be a picture of a globe or something in the middle, but the one on the top had been torn or painted or something so that it looked like a butterfly. I remember thinking that was kind of odd. And then the butterfly while he's picking corn. And his daughter's insistence that he watch her and her butterfly. I kept noticing them and when they ended up playing a part, especially tying back to "God still loves you," I was very pleased.
- Will Smith. Holy crap. I knew he was good, always liked him, but I had no idea he could be that good. I mean, sure, he did the strong yet vulnerable thing in The Pursuit of Happyness and was great. But there was something about Neville's slow, emotional falling apart that really just broke my heart. The scene in the video store after Sam's death? Whoa. I just completely believed him throughout the movie.
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(no subject)
Date: 2007-12-28 08:59 am (UTC)I'm only as far as the fourth chapter in the book and it's hard for me to not visualize Will Smith in the role. I dunno... I can't think of anyone else that could have done this role more justice than he did despite the major changes in story, thus far.
Two things: The butterfly tattoo... was it behind Anna's ear or the creature's? I thought it was behind Anna's and if so, I couldn't quite figure out how he realized the specimen had the cure/antidote. Or am I completely missing something [as I'm wont to do]?
Second thing - Six Degrees of Separation... did we watch that, or parts of it, in some class? I keep thinking we had to watch it for Ethics with Sven, but then I keep thinking it was for Taylor. Hm.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-12-30 12:47 am (UTC)Oh, people. We had a really good audience. And I thought Will Smith handled the slow lose of sanity really well. I mean, who wouldn't break down after all of that? That scene in the video store was painful to watch because it was so vulnerable and open and there was just absolutely nothing that could fix it. At least that he and we knew at the time.
I found myself thinking of Tom Hanks and the volleyball in Castaway in conjuction with Will Smith and the dog/mannequins. It really was just a lot of watch WS by himself basically.
I think when I read the book I pictured JF. Just because that's kind of my default lately. But after seeing the movie, yeah, it's hard to picture anyone else in the role. I should tell you about the book I read where the main character was like the love child or Sheppard and McKay.
The tattoo was behind Anna's ear. And I thought he figured out the speciman had the cure before noticing it? I can't remember anymore. I think it wasn't so much a specific link to that butterfly that made him realize. I think her tattoo made him realize that he was supposed to give the cure to her and she was the one meant to get it out of there.
I don't remember watching Six Degrees of Separation in Ethics or Taylor's class...
(no subject)
Date: 2007-12-28 06:00 pm (UTC)seriously, the movie was pure genius. in reference to the camera work, you're totally right! less is more sometimes. too many wide shots would have totally detracted from the emotional end of the movie and focused too much on the decay of NYC.
my dad thought the plot was really fake-y. "that wouldn't happen in real life." I'm not sure, but our gov't effed up enough that it probably would saw off its own leg.
oh man, but the scene where you found out how his family died... i was bawling. meh, i cried through most of it. when he had to put SAM out of her misery. oh my lord. i was crrryyyinnnnnngggg.
How did you feel about the whole BOB MARLEY references and all that jazz? Rasta ideologies. my dad ALSO thought it was too "preachy," but eh.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-12-30 12:39 am (UTC)Oh, I was teary through quite a lot of the movie. When he said goodbye to his family, every time I remember how very alone he was. A lot of it was really upsetting to me.
I hadn't really thought about the rasta ideologies much. Which basically means they didn't bother me. I will admit that when Anna first brought up God got ready to roll my eyes because I was ready for them to be too preachy. But I thought they handled faith nicely. In more of a, "We see what we need to see" kind of way. If that makes sense. So I didn't mind.