I saw this film, I Am Legend, a while back. It was okay. Thrills, chills--that sort of thing. It reminded me a lot of The Omega Man, with Charlton Heston. These "last person(s) on Earth" movies are mildly entertaining. The material might actually be better suited to the small screen, as in the old Twilight Zone series, because the story doesn't need to be drawn out and padded so much.
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The rest of the world must figuratively roll their eyes when they see cinematically that, yet again, the last person on Earth is an American guy living in a high-rise with lots of guns and groceries.
The Last People on Earth
If you and I were the last persons left
on Earth, someting in excess of terrible
shall have occurred. (Please note my
powers of deduction.) I assume we'd
be living like rats and have the cognitive
coherence of rabid skunks. That said,
I'd still be willing to celebrate your birthday
and nominate you for offices and awards of
your choosing. I might propose a moratorium
on strong opinions. As we tried to keep warm
(or cool), hide from predators, manage
hydration, sustenance, and hygeine, we might
eventually decide whether to revive the arts
in such forms as dancing, singing, and storytelling.
If you and I were the last persons left on Earth,
I'd be both the last and the first person to come to
for advice. Nothing personal, but I'd assume you'd
try to kill me eventually over something trivial.
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Copyright 2009 Hans Ostrom
