I Am Legend: Compact, Subtle and Brilliant review
The biggest strength of I Am Legend is that it is very compact and subtle. Each shot is packed with content and you miss a thing if you bat an eye lid for a second too long, writes Pranshu Sikka
I am legend is more about the thought which has gone in to making the film rather than film itself. At the outset it defines why an Indian Director would find it difficult to match the cinematic brilliance of his non-Indian counterparts. I wonder if our minds can visually explore the territory which Viennese Director Francis Lawrence ventures into.
The film primarily revolves around Will Smith, a gritty and zealous scientist cum soldier who for better part of the film, is the lone survivor in New York city. The city has been a victim of a cancer cure gone wrong and those cured have now mutated into a deadly variant of original human form. They have degenerated into darkness seeking, blood thirsty and creepy looking creatures. And the virus had grown to engulf the entire city except a few survivors who are immune to the virus. But even the survivors have been wiped off by the mutants who are thirsty for human blood. Now, Will Smith, having sent his family off, is struggling to keep his life together even as he refuses to desert the city and strives to discover the cure for the malaise. His dog is his lone companion besides the mannequins left in the deserted town.
Coupled with a remarkable screenplay the film then captures the struggle of this man to uphold the spirit of resurgence and survival which so defines human existence. Production value of the entire film is truly remarkable and especially the sequence where Will Smith plays golf on the top of a deserted airplane is something to die for!
Anymore about the story and I will give away the charm of the film but some more banter about the screenplay and the thought which has gone in to the film.
The biggest strength of the film is that it is very compact and subtle. Each shot is packed with content and you miss a thing if you bat an eye lid for a second too long. Take for example a simple scene of Will Smith serving himself breakfast. You miss a corner of his kitchen and you missed a cue to Director's thought. A Time magazine on his refrigerator on cover page carries his photo and caption- A Soldier, A Survivor, A Scientist. You bat an eyelid when he is serving breakfast to the dog and you miss the paper cuttings pasted on wall behind him. And each time you miss one of these thoughts, you miss out on a message from the director, making the entire experience less satiating.
Nevertheless, there are some places where the director seems to be at sea while weaving an idea through the film. Take for example mutants' incapacitation when exposed to light. Towards the end they take on even that incapacitation to some extent, to forward the plot of the film. But one can give the benefit of doubt to the director considering that he might have made an effort to depict evolution of the mutants within their degenerated form. And the fact that some distraction from unity of thought is essential to realise the plot and screenplay of such a film.
Towards the end a couple of new characters enter the film, primarily to inject another thought. Will Smith, who after witnessing so much destruction had become a staunch opponent of the belief, that we are all guided by and towards an end outside our control, finally gives in to this omnipotent truth. But this giving in was enabled by his proactive skepticism of this belief and his resilience which was fueled by this scepticism. And thus one wonders whether his skepticism was also a part of the overall plan designed by that external enigmatic super power. Dubito, ergo cogito, ergo sum...Truly and How!
My rating: stars
[imdb]0480249[/imdb]
Comments( 3 )
Yes Pranshu, despite a slightly rushed
Yes Pranshu, despite a slightly rushed ending, I am Legend is a remarkable film, all the more so because its a big budget Hollywood production! The scenes in which our hero talks with the mannequins is sublime..almost cinematic. And in my opinion the first half of the film is stronger when the monsters are kept at bay in the shadows and New York is shown as a desolate landscape. His complete isolation is depicted brilliantly. He talks with his dog, plays golf by the harbor and spends his time in his basement/laboratory, trying to bring even one of the undead back to life, so that he can finally escape his terrifying isolation. The direction and atmosphere is eerie and chilling..Post interval the film does veer a bit into more familiar territory, but Will Smith's marvellous acting keeps the film riveting. What a talented actor! And some people thought this chap could only sing and crack jokes. He may not win an oscar for his performance ( since when did the hero of a sci fi film ever win an oscar in Hollywood)? But his acting here has made me a Will Smith fan.
I am Legend is a Hollywood film with brains and respect for the audience. It strongly reminds me of Manoj Night Shyamalan's best work -Signs. Indeed it even deals with similarly profound themes. I only wish that the themes of faith and denial could have been explored further! But then I am Legend would not have been Hollywood would it? :roll:
[...] LINKI am legend is more about the
[...] LINKI am legend is more about the thought which has gone in to making the film rather than film itself. At the outset it defines why an Indian Director would find it difficult to match the cinematic brilliance of his non-Indian counterparts. I wonder if our minds can visually explore the territory which Viennese Director Francis Lawrence ventures into.The film primarily revolves around Will Smith, a gritty and zealous scientist cum soldier who for better part of the film, is the lone survivor in New York city. The city has been a victim of a cancer cure gone wrong and those cured have now mutated into a deadly variant of original human form. They have degenerated into darkness seeking, blood thirsty and creepy looking creatures. And the virus had grown to engulf the entire city except a few survivors who are immune to the virus. But even the survivors have been wiped off by the mutants who are thirsty for human blood. Now, Will Smith, having sent his family off, is struggling to keep his life together even as he refuses to desert the city and strives to discover the cure for the malaise. His dog is his lone companion besides the mannequins left in the deserted town. [...]
Hello everybody, my name is Damion, and
Hello everybody, my name is Damion, and I'm glad to join your conmunity,
and wish to assit as far as possible.