I still remember the exact moment i started and finished this book nearly 10 years ago. He stood there for a moment looking around the silent room, shaking his head slowly. I am legend themes from litcharts the creators of sparknotes. The author manages to explain that humans are not the center of the world, and that our earth might be taken over by other creatures, just like we took.
Maybe the grimmest ending of any book if the only version of i am legend you have heard of is the will fresh prince smith film version you are in for a treat. Directed by francis lawrence, the film stars will smith as us army virologist robert neville. I am legend is about a zombielike horde wiping out much of humanity, but its confusing ending becomes clear. I think its just a collection of short stories with the headliner being the most famous. In the original i am legend ending, robert neville discovers that he had captured the significant other of one of the vampires leaders. Whats the difference between i am legend the book and i am legend the movie. Jun 25, 20 i am meant to be writing a blog about how i am legend, by the late, immensely great, richard matheson, is the king of vampire novels. In legend, the first of a trilogy, both of the main characters are definitely famousthough for very different reasons. Right, i just saw i am legend, and dont get the end. In the end, they break into his home, capture him, jail him, and prep him for public execution, to help still the populations terror of the monster. Except for the last man on earth, the movies do not follow the plot of the book at all. I was sitting shotgun while my father drove us home from a vacation in michigan.
Need help on characters in richard mathesons i am legend. Thats where the title i am legend came from, nevilles realization at the end that the vampires were the good guys and that he was the monster of their legends, since he had been mindlessly driving stakes through their heart at every. But i went into reading i am legend knowing the ending, knowing the twist. The story is very much darker and deeper than the will smith film of the same name. Adapted from acclaimed author richard mathesons influential novelette of the same name, constantine director francis lawrences i am legend follows the last man on earth as he struggles to. I am legend is a 1954 postapocalyptic horror novel by american writer richard matheson that.
He checks the planks and boards that hes hammered in front of all the windows, and. I am legend originally had an ending closer to the books, but that was changed after negative reactions from test audiences. Yesterday, some intrepid soul posted an alternate i am legend ending to youtube. I am legend is a 2007 american postapocalyptic film based on the 1954 novel of the same name by richard matheson, directed by francis lawrence and starring will smith, who plays us army virologist robert neville. The novel is one of my favorite of all time, the inspiration for many a story be it book or movie. I am legend novel by richard matheson movie directed by francis lawrence.
Influencing great modern horror writers like stephen king, its one that will stick with you. I am legend 2007 the basics hopefully all of you know the basic story behind i am legend. I am legend is brilliant commentary and society and human relationships and, really, the very definition of humanity. Francis lawrences i am legend debuted over a decade ago, and while. The conclusion is a repeat and an explanation of the title of the book i am legend. I am legend is a classic and written by a master of the horror genre. So i just finished i am legend by richard matheson. I am legend author richard matheson was himself a real legend.
Which is about as close as i am legend gets to the book. Theres lessons to be learned about mob behavior and respect for minorities. We could have literally made the book, which i would have been much. I am legend is a post apocalyptic vision by richard matheson, created in 1954 it tells the story of robert neville, the last surviving human in the world, surrounded by bloodthirsty vampires both living and undead.
I watched i am legend and was somewhat disappointed with the whole thing, however having watched this ending gives the movie a much greater impact and i know i would have enjoyed it a whole lot more if i had watched it this way. Find summaries for every chapter, including a i am legend chapter summary chart to help you understand the book. I am legend is a 2007 american postapocalyptic thriller film based on the 1954 novel of the same name by richard matheson. Smith does a great job as robert neville, the protagonist, and despite some completely unnecessary cgi characters that looked old after a couple of years, its quite a pretty and w. Or perhaps the film simply doesnt have the same nuances as the richard matheson book on which its based. Richard matheson 192620 was the new york times bestselling author of i am legend, hell house, somewhere in time, the incredible shrinking man, now you see it, and what dreams may come, among others.
However, she realizes that he must be executed for the betterment of her people. Apr 03, 2012 i am legend is named vampire novel of the century. January 1976 chapter one on those cloudy days, robert neville was never sure when sunset came, and sometimes they were in the streets before he could get back. Welcome to i am legend wiki, a wiki covering the novel and movie, i am legend, the last man on earth, and the omega man. But if you have only seen that will smith movie that went 180 degrees on the book s message, the soulcrushing impact of these words will be lost on you. The movie took all the intelligence out and just made it about the action. Still, you cant fault i am legend for trying to be different from the typical action thriller. Jul 04, 20 i assume you are referring to the 2007 film starring will smith and the controversial original ending special feature on the dvd release. Film column i did on the source material and the four films. In many ways, the ending to night of the living dead is thematically more of matheson had in mind that the films which credit his novel. Furthermore, the final line suggests that human societyof which neville was the last representativeis now fading into the past. The book is full of good ideas, every other one of which is immediately. The i am legend novel community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you.
The story stops annoyingly suddenly, as if the rest of it has been missed off. I am legend is named vampire novel of the century books. This alternate ending to i am legend is imho far superior to the abrupt version in the theatrical release, and fits in better with something that happens in the film about midway through at one point in the movie when will smiths character took the lead zombies mate away from them, the zombie reacted with extreme rage, indicating that there was some vestige of humanity left in. I am legend is the 2007 film adaptation of richard mathesons 1954 novel of the same name, starring will smith and a bunch of cg zombie things called dark seekers.
In the book nevellie is given pills so he doesnt feel pain when executed by the infected who are fighting the infection to understand more go to read the plot and it will explain the whole book. Is there an i am legend movie that actually preserves. Differences between i am legend book vs movie page 1. He was named a grand master of horror by the world horror convention, and received the bram stoker award for lifetime achievement. Also, book neville is marauded by vampires classical ones, too antigarlic, anticross, the works, not zombies. I am legend 1010 movie clip alternate ending 2007 hd. Aug 04, 2016 i am legend is a classic horror story. I am legend isnt particularly long either, hardly even novel length. After a virus kills most of the earths population and turn the rest into animalistic bloodthirsty creatures called darkseekers, robert himself is the only one he knows to be immune and have survived. Sep 06, 2012 last night i finished reading i am legend. Whats the difference between i am legend the book and i. The ending of the story is the ending robert nevilles life, and it is concluded as if it were an article.
I picked it up mostly because i read about the alternate ending of the will smith movie, which some criticized for not following the spirit of the book. I am legends biggest change from the book broke the movie. The 2007 film was partially based on the 1971 film as well. This summary of i am legend includes a complete plot overview spoilers included. Its a full, polished ending, with complete special effects intact, so im assuming it was ripped from the special features on the imminent dvd. I am legend 2007 alternate ending as discussed by first showing and film, the alternate ending for i am legend is a better representation of the source material. I am legend is a 2007 american postapocalyptic science fiction horror film directed by francis lawrence and starring will smith. He then realizes that his attempts to cure the monsters looked less like.
I am legend by richard matheson goodreads share book. The alternate ending to i am legend where they respect him and growl at him in an acknowledging way is odd and feels out of place. On a morning in january 1976, a man named robert neville walks around his house, carefully checking to see if its wellfortified. This man, our protagonist in both the book and film, is robert neville. The alternative cut however gives them a more human touch and shows humanity as a disturbing factor for them. I am legend originally had an ending closer to the books, but that. I am legend movie conclusion the movie as well as the novel are both extremely captivating, and although they are based off of the same thing they are extremely different from one another video what are the key elements that stand out and separate both. In the process, he empowers himself and gives himself a new purpose in life. Throughout the book, robert neville studies the science of vampirism. I am legend is a 1954 postapocalyptic horror novel by american writer richard matheson that was influential in the modern development of zombie and vampire literature and in popularizing the concept of a worldwide apocalypse due to disease. Years ago, you see, my husband had wanted to talk about the book, probably when the most recent adaptation to movie form had come out, and i am well known for not reading horror, so it wasnt an unreasonable assumption that i would never read this.
What did the healing zombie in the basement have to do with it. I though the book was effectively i am legend and other short stories by richard matheeson. If you take the controversial alternate ending which is similar to the book the monsters end up being intelligent and storm will smiths lab to rescue the. I am legend characters from litcharts the creators of. The novel was a success and was adapted into the films the last man on earth 1964, the omega man 1971, and i am legend. The novel was a success and was adapted into the films the last man on earth 1964, the omega man 1971, and i am legend 2007. The character has the same name in both the book and the movie. The two earlier films are the last man on earth 1964 and the omega man 1971. The i am legend dvd with this alternate ending included is now available to buy on.
The road is a great movie, and very faithful to the book, despite the incredibly depressing, bleak, and. Alternate i am legend ending is far superior screen rant. According to the theatrical cut, the darkseekers are displayed as monsters who deserve their annihilation. Thus, the novel concludes with nevilles final thoughts before his execution in the colonys prison.
The novel i am legend 1954, written by american author richard matheson, was adapted for the movie by screenwriters akiva goldsman and mark protosevich. This is the book that, to my mind, created the modern vampirezombie genre of horror. In the book, humanity is all but wiped out when the population becomes. This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title i am legend. But when it comes down to it, is the book really better than the movie. Mar 25, 2008 the alternative ending shows, supported by 2 preparative scenes, the survival of all mankind, but with a bitter aftertaste. Smith plays virologist robert neville, who is immune to a manmade virus originally. The 2007 film was partially based on the 1971 film as well as the original source. I am legend is a novel by richard matheson in which robert neville struggles to survive as the sole remaining human in a world overrun by vampires robert neville is the only.
It is not made clear on the front of the book, or anywhere that this is a collection of short stories, not a novel. Thus, in the final line of the book which also serves as the books title, neville accepts that he is a monster. The infected people attack nevilles lab and he hands over the infected female hes been working on to the leader a. I am legends book ending is different to both versions of the movie, but. This version of i am legend is the third movie adaptation of mathesons novel. Due to this, the new colony of infected sent ruth to investigate neville and possibly convert him. I though the book was effectively i am legend and other short stories by. Usually the book is really good and people will warn each other about the movie not being as good, but this is the total opposite. Blogger adam katz sent me the link because of the book vs. Nevilles has been the neverending, all consuming fear and drive for survival against these creatures. This alternate ending to i am legend is imho far superior to the abrupt version in the theatrical release, and fits in better with something that happens in the film about midway through.
Another i am legend remake is coming, but will it be yet. Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in i am legend, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. It is the measure by which all other postapocalypse novels are compared. Its as if the screenwriters or director, or producer ran out of ways to wrap it up. Will smiths 2007 box office hit i am legend had an ending that divided audiences, but an alternate ending exists that does more justice to the book. Differences between i am legend book vs movie page 2. I am legend is very short, not novel length, only 159 pages long, out of the 312 pages in the book. What i am legends director would change in retrospect. Then it goes into a story about a man winning a carnival game, then a women getting attacked by haunted doll etc. The ending to the alternate theatrical version varies from the original ending. Film column i did on the source material and the four films loosely inspired by it. Ending spoiler for i am legend 2007, plus mistakes, quotes, trivia and more. Dec 20, 2007 the ending in the book is completly diffrent the movie because they are diffrent stories. It is the third featurefilm adaptation of richard mathesons 1954 novel of the same name, following 1964s the last man on earth and 1971s the omega man.
Were considering expanding this synopsis into a fulllength study guide to deepen your comprehension of the book and why its important. Is there an i am legend movie that actually preserves the. The adaptations range from good i am legend, to average the last man on earth to just plain terrible the omega man. I am legend film, the 2007 film based on the 1954 novel. The rest of the book is a collection of short horror stories and not very good ones either. Its a full, polished ending, with complete special effects intact, so i m assuming it was ripped from the special features on the imminent dvd. He relieves her of the cure and returns her to the hemocytes. But after finding my old copy on the shelf downstairs, i ve. Hes a legend, but for the wrong reasonsin line with richard mathesons book, he. Putting all of that in a movie might not be possible or might not make a good movie, but the alternate ending for this one goes just about as far as it could in one scene. Also sign me up for fanmail to get updates on all things movies. He then realizes that his attempts to cure the monsters looked less like medical.
She then states in a voice over that neville sacrificed himself for humanity and that because of his cure humanity was able to rebuild, establishing his legend. Such an ending probably is not digestible to mainstream america. It would not have been just another exterminate the evil monsters movie but something with substance. All these books, he thought, the residue of a planets intellect, the scrapings of futile minds, the leftovers, the potpourri of artifacts that had no power to save men from perishing. Spoilers its not a bad movie, and it does have a certain charm. The vampires of richard mathesons story i am legend are very similar to vampires of. They believe him to be a mass murderer, a serial killer of their people. Instead of blowing himself and the hemocytes up with a grenade, neville discovers that the hemocytes actually came for the female he captured earlier in the movie. The books characters realization of their perspective is the whole point of the book. The story is set in new york city after a virus, which was originally created to cure cancer, has wiped out most of mankind, leaving neville as the last human in. Both present the spectator with a differentalternative ending, far from what happen in the actual book. If he had been more analytical, he might have calculated the approximate time of their arrival. How i am legends ending is different in the book screen rant.