Analysis of the Motion Picture I Am Legend

On summary, the sci-fi film is set in 2012, just five years on, and no one will be alive due to some deadly virus caused by what was supposed to cure cancer. However, there is a spark of hope when one man and his dog survived the epidemic. Not all humans were completely infected by this virus, but those infected became "vampires" and preyed on the survivors. So, being the only human being, as far as he knows, Robert Neville picked up a daily routine. Every day, he would go look for food and necessary supplies, rent movies, interact with mannequins and his dog, and listen to old news he recorded. Oh, of course he made bigger use of his time by researching and developing a cure for the madness that came upon his life. He also broadcasts himself on the radio to see if anyone else is alive, and if so, meet him at a certain place. But there was no sign of life out there.

Neville runs into some vampires and resolves to seize them in order to test his cure, but he falls short in his efforts. In another attempt, he was careless and his dog was bitten and soon killed by his own hands, only after, Neville was rescued by a couple people who heard his broadcast. Later on, they were attacked by more vampires and in the process of hiding; they realize that Neville's new cure was working on one of the infected. So, with his final accomplishment to bring hope for the future, Neville sacrificed himself while killing off all the attackers. Then, the two previous survivors left for a town filled with other immune survivors of the epidemic and handed over the cure, thus Neville became a true legend.

The scene I chose shows the vampires banging on the glass panes and Neville shouting telling them that he can save them all. The vampires are my artifact. Neville starts to carry out experiments on the vampires and these tests give him comfort and reassurance that he can live his life worthily. He is looking for a cure to try save the vampires to turn back to normal humans.

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Neville's course has made him become restless and impatient because he wants to know all about the vampires all at once. Neville strains to stay calm, and slowly gather more info about his opponents. Then in the end, his restlessness wins and he pours himself whiskey in a glass and enjoys it. Sadly, Neville's depression and alcoholism is too much to be overpowered by his interest in vampirism. Perhaps, Neville is trying to find a cure not for the survival of the vampires but for his own. Neville sees vampires as violent, spiteful, and blood hungry creatures that are out to get him.

Vampires signify great power. And their fear is enormous. The society hates them limitlessly. However, they have needs that transcend human needs; they do outrageous things like drinking blood from humans and from one another. A deeper thought to this artifact is that vampires come from humans, which means vampires were first humans. When they become vampires, they get destructive, breaking mirrors and all, just to get a taste of human blood.

Science literature researchers have credibly contended that vampires represent the African American civil rights movement, which was achieving traction in Los Angeles in the 1950s (and it was extensively criticized during that time). Yet, several others scholars contend that vampires suggest the progressively open sexuality of America, still in the 1950s. Still some relate vampires with the California gay society of the same time (Matheson, p.23-104). For that reason, it is hard to find one single factor that vampires truly signify. Perhaps, the vampires denote uniqueness itself, and how people normally impulsively become violent, fearful, and irrational when reacting to unique people or beings.

Vampires' multiple lives may signify resilience. No matter how many times they die, they come back to life. For them to die completely, they have to be burned to ashes. They suffer so much under the hands of the humans, who think of them as enemies rather than one of them. We can also see the intolerance of people towards creatures that are foreign in behavior. Vampires are cunning and clever too. Cortman tricks Neville into thinking his garage is empty. This just shows how brainy these vampires are and should be treated as such. When revolutionary societies form, they are normally primitive and aim to repossess the society using violence. The vampires in this movie could be doing just that. Just the way humans kill to survive is the way vampires bite to survive. It is a similarity matter.

In conclusion, the artifact leaves us with questions as to whether humans are justified in killing the vampires. Neville's assumption that he, a human is right and the vampires are wrong makes him feel that he is right in killing the vampires without knowing how the vampires feel. Also, could vampires have emotions and want life as much as humans do?

Works Cited

1. Matheson, Richard. "I am Legend. 1954." New York, Tom Doherty Associates (1995). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YykCz0f3Vk.

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