Comments | narfnitsirk: Robert Neville is Legend

narfnitsirk

Robert Neville is Legend

Aug 23, 2010 20:45

It’s hard for me to think about this book without thinking about the way Hollywood mucked up the ending to the recent film. The test audience didn’t like the real ending, so they made it much happier, and much more Hollywood. It reduced the IAL vampires to common monsters-they left in that they set complex traps and whatnot, but then made them into ( Read more... )

Comments 10

Boredom worse than vampires anonymous August 26 2010, 20:56:23 UTC

Yes, one of the amazing parts of this book is that Neville's battle with his inner demons, specifically alcoholism and boredom are at least as scary (I would argue more scary) to him than the vampires are. For Neville the vampires are as common as grass and sky, he is afraid of losing his mind to lonliness, and that is something anyone can relate to.

Villainous Monotony! anonymous August 27 2010, 02:22:33 UTC

You make a great point about monotony being the true "villain" here. It's funny. I spent a lot of time thinking about "monsters" in I AM LEGEND. Any number of story elements fit that label, from the vampires to monotony to hope to Neville himself. Villains and monsters aren't necessarily interchangeable, though, and your question ends up seeking a sharper, clearer answer than the blurrier monster question. And you're right, of course; the enduring villain is monotony.

In a related point, the book obviously has a lot to do with identity as well. You talk about monotony and how Neville fills his time. The whole way through, he seems to be searching for his new -- or true? -- identity. In the end, happily enough, he finds it. >:)

I haven't seen any of the movie versions yet. Sounds like I shouldn't hurry.

How was THE PASSAGE? Other than the boring parts, I mean.

Finally, nice web humor. It makes me want to visit the post-apocalypse.

John Dixon

Alternate endings? ext_242841 August 27 2010, 16:35:14 UTC

Great post!

Did you say that the new film originally used the proper ending for this? How interesting! Is there anywhere we can see the clips, or were they never released?

Monotony, boredom, inner demons anonymous August 27 2010, 20:43:53 UTC

I think perhaps that the movie creators understood what the real demons in the book were... the isolation, the horror of aloneness... and realized those things couldn't carry a movie for today's consumers. The HAD to make the vampires scary, or no one would watch it. I think that's sad, because the book itself was so much more poignant and telling on the human level. Two completely different goals in the book and the movie. I much prefer the book.

nikki hopeman

Robert Neville is Legend anonymous August 30 2010, 03:09:28 UTC

The alternate ending actually has him escaping from the creatures and living to fight another day, because they had sort of planned a sequel, which now may be a prequel so that Will Smith can continue to trouble the classics with his presence. Though I liked him in 'I Robot.'
I felt like the dog dying in the book was effective because it makes you see how truly alone he really is, and then when Ruth comes along you're pulling for her to be really a survivor and not a trap. It's just another in a long line of disappointments when it turns out not to be true.
Vermont may be safe from vampires/zombies, but you're not far enough away to escape the monster that is Hollywood!

Re: Robert Neville is Legend anonymous August 30 2010, 03:11:00 UTC

Comment above from Paul Popiel