Being Film #17 for Hooptober 2023
It’s seemingly impossible to get a solid, close adaptation of Richard Matheson’s seminal novel I am Legend, but despite some of his problems with it he and I both seem to agree that The Last Man on Earth comes the closest, not least of all because he had a hand in the original screenplay (despite changing his name after being unsatisfied with the result). Bereft of the effects the later films would have, this still has an eeriness no one has come close to, with a great ending not even the age and miscasting of Vincent Price could ruin.
THE QUICK SUMMARY: Robert Morgan is the last man alive on Earth after a deadly plague goes airborne, decimating the planet. I stress “man” because he’s not alone – he’s surrounded by the living dead, vampiric zombies intent on killing him. For three years Morgan has been surviving, hunting and disposing of the creatures while the light holds and desperately using the radio to see if there is anyone left alive. When he stumbles across Ruth he’s overjoyed to find another person, but secrets abound and Ruth may pose a larger problem than Morgan anticipated as he fights to keep humanity alive as more than a simple legend…
The biggest boon to The Last Man on Earth is the setting. Originally meant to be a Hammer production, it moved to AIP and then for monetary reasons was shot in Italy with an Italian cast and crew. That move proves to be boon, as the architecture and streets feel truly alien with the dead scattered across the empty streets and grounds as Morgan goes on with his day. The set design is also strong: Morgan’s home/headquarters is a mess of cables and adaptations meant to keep him alive, and it looks it.
The largest problem unfortunately comes in with the casting of Price as Morgan. I love Vincent Price in general – this Corman pictures are fantastic, and his presence in noir classics like Laura and personal favorite His Kind of Woman show he has a great range for all kinds of roles, but here his frailty and style rub up wrong against the material. There’s a sequence where upon discovering Ruth he gives chase, and it’s almost comical to watch how they frame it so as to make his catching up to her is even slightly believable. The Vincent Price of 15 years earlier? Maybe. But the role feels like it needs someone more virile, and despite a strong opening when it comes to the more action oriented pieces it falls apart.
Still, The Last Man on Earth succeeds with a stellar opening and a kickass downbeat ending that hews closer to the book than almost anything else. I’ll take it over The Omega Man and even the Will Smith movie. Better yet, if I can offer anything go out and read the novel if you haven’t: now that’s a stone, cold classic.
Cinema Dual 
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