I’m a legend : Will Smith unique in the world
Third film adaptation of Richard Matheson’s novel, I’m a legend features Will Smith as Robert Neville. A soldier who saw the world around him collapse when a vaccine turned into a pandemic. Part of the population died, while the other became infected. Robert tries to survive with his dog, conducting his own experiments on a possible cure. While he thought he was alone in the world, he meets a woman, Anne (Alice Braga), and her son.
I’m a legend was a hit when it was released in 2007, with its total box office rating rising to just under $585.4 million. But don’t think that this is a modest production. The budget is within $150 million and the costs incurred for promotion must also be considered. We are closer to the blockbuster than the independent horror film. Furthermore, I’m a legend it doesn’t scare, it takes care of the blood and remains a show quite accessible to the greatest number of people. We understand this, given the commercial issues.
However, we will always be surprised by this ending, which has nothing to do with it happy ending. Recall that while Robert, Anne and her son are trapped by the infected, the situation is totally desperate. However, it turns out that the latest tests on an infected woman have paid off and could be the silver bullet. To ensure that these efforts are not in vain, Robert entrusts Anna with a blood sample from his subject. Then he will sacrifice himself blowing himself up in front of the infected and thus allowing them to escape together with his son.
A game-changing alternate ending
Big budget productions tend to favor a positive ending so as not to offend the audience too much. But I’m a legend he dared to kill his star, even if we move away from the spirit desired by Richard Matheson. Plus, another very different ending was filmed! In this, Robert does not die. The entire first part of the sequence is identical, with the infected people wanting to break the glass behind which the characters are standing. This time the chef makes a deal with Robert. Even though the latter informs them that he can cure them, they refuse his help and simply want to recover the woman held captive for the experiments.
We are therefore witnessing a definitive reversal of direction because the infected accept their condition and want to remain so. The hero has no choice but to cooperate to survive. The alternate ending isn’t necessarily a happy one, though, because Robert realizes that the infected will remain infected forever, and that the old world will never be possible again. Basically, the symbolism is very dark.
A real difference compared to the novel
It is also in accordance with what the author of the novel wanted to tell. By showing Will Smith committing suicide to allow the fight against the infected to continue, the feature goes against the intent of the initial text. In Matheson, bad guys aren’t just angry people who come out when night falls. They are vampires, the real ones. Robert realizes that they have founded an entirely new society that is flourishing on Earth and that they are afraid to cross him. It is therefore a frightening legendas the Loch Ness Monster or Bigfoot can be for us. Then, in the end, he ends up being killed by vampires.
With the alternative ending we get closer to the original idea because the infected are aware of what they do and have in order to preserve their clan to establish a new link in the food chain. In the film version, the ending changes the understanding of the title and makes Robert a legend thanks to his sacrifice. The only element that remains is the death of Will Smith…
Source: Cine Serie
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