I think the ending of the movie completely changes the
meaning of the last line of the book. In the book, it is clear that Robert’s
death makes him the legend. Yet in the movie, Anna states that Robert’s legend
is the cure, and the survivor colony is his legacy, taking a lot of focus off
of Robert. The movie leaves us asking questions whereas the novel promises a
brighter future (at least in my opinion). I think the book’s transition after
Robert’s death to a hybrid community that is very well organized is more
hopeful than the survivor colony depicted by the movie. The story does not end
with the protagonist’s death but instead continues, completely shifting
Matheson’s focus. I wrote in my last post how I really appreciated the role of
Ruth and the dynamic she added to the novel so I was very disappointed when
Ethan and Anna replaced Ruth. Not only did they take a lot of focus away from
Robert but I also think Ruth added a lot more depth to the novel than Anna and
Ethan did. Ruth’s character had complexities to her, both in her physical make-up
as well as her feelings towards Robert. Anna, on the other hand, appears out of
nowhere and leads the vampires straight to Robert’s door, essentially
disrupting his routine and leading to his death.
Carly, agreed. The addition of Anna and Ethan did nothing for me in the film. They present Neville with the opportunity for human companionship, but that is it. If the film had more closely mimicked the book by introducing viewers to a Ruth-type character, a hybrid vampire, the film would appear more like a science fiction film and less like a horror film. The film left me with the message that human companionship should be sought after, whereas the book got me thinking about a whole slew of things related to human evolution and progress that might have a greater cognitive impact on me than the film.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Megan that the film and the movie both left me with different thematic impressions. I gathered from the book more of a focus on humanity and it's role in the bigger picture, while being left with feelings of futility, but in a good way. I think the movie took a totally different approach. I felt the message was more of a tribute to mankind's resilience. Neville may have sacrificed himself to ensure that the cure find its way to the proper hands, but the focus shifts entirely from him and he doesn't seem like nearly as much of a legend as he does in the movie. Anna and Ethan I think do play a major role in this and aren't nearly as complex as Ruth was. Ruth was able to conjure feelings from Neville's past and connected with him in a much deeper manner than I think Ethan and Anna ever did.
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