The Omega Man
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| The Omega Man | |
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 The Omega Man DVD cover |
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| Directed by | Boris Sagal |
| Produced by | Walter Seltzer |
| Written by | Richard Matheson (novel I Am Legend) John William Corrington Joyce H. Corrington |
| Starring | Charlton Heston Anthony Zerbe Rosalind Cash |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
| Release date(s) | August 1 1971 (U.S. release) |
| Running time | 98 min |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
The Omega Man is a 1971 science fiction thriller starring Charlton Heston. The movie is based on Richard Matheson's 1954 novel, I am Legend. The screen play was written by John William and Joyce Corrington, and the movie was directed by Boris Sagal. It was filmed in technicolor with mono sound and ran for 98 minutes. The movie received a MPAA rating of PG in the U.S..
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[edit] Plot
During the opening credits, the viewer is treated to the unsettling vision of Colonel Robert Neville (Heston) driving through the eerily deserted streets of downtown L.A. This powerful scene is complemented by Ron Grainer's eclectic theme music. Neville had been a researcher of biological weapons for the Army. As an apocalyptic biological war broke out between China and the USSR, Neville inoculated himself with an experimental vaccine, making himself the titular “Omega Man”, probably the last immune and uninfected person on Earth. The war-borne plague has killed virtually everyone in the world. In Los Angeles, several hundred somewhat resistant albinos calling themselves "The Family" have survived the plague (in Matheson's book, they are actually vampires). The disease has turned them into violent, light-sensitive albino mutants, the plague having affected their minds with such symptoms as psychosis and "delusions of grandeur". Although resistant to the plague, these wretched creatures are slowly dying off.
The Family is led by a zealot named Matthias (Anthony Zerbe), formerly a popular Los Angeles television newscaster, now reduced to a rhetoric-spewing, psychopathic madman. He believes, and has convinced his followers, that modern science and technology (instead of the ingrained flaws of humanity) are the cause of the war and their damnation. His followers have reverted to a medieval lifestyle complete with long black robes, torches, bows and arrows, and catapults. Because of their light sensitivity they are nocturnal, retiring to their “nest” during the day. As they see it, Neville, as the last symbol of science, the old world, and a "user of the wheel," must die.
Neville in turn considers himself to be at war with The Family and would like to wipe them out. As a former military officer, he is a hardened, realistic person who lives in a secure, fortified apartment, and has no compunction about using modern military weapons to defend himself. His arsenal of submachine guns, an infrared telescopic sight equipped Browning Automatic Rifle and satchel charges helps keep The Family at bay. By day, Neville forages for supplies and searches for The Family’s headquarters throughout the deserted buildings of his emptied city, and holes up in his fourth floor fortress at night while The Family rages outside, taunting him and burning books and other objects of science and culture. The use of powerful searchlights deter The Family's after-sunset raids.
In the second half of the film, Neville is captured by The Family, tried and found guilty of being a heretic, and is nearly burned at the stake. He is rescued at the last second by an enclave of still-human survivors who, like the albinos, are somewhat resistant to the plague; although all are infected, apparently their youth has given them an extra level of resistance, maintaining them at a pre-albino stage of the disease. Eventually though, given enough time, they one-by-one succumb to The Family’s stage. Neville realizes that it might take years or even be impossible to duplicate the original vaccine in post-apocalyptic Los Angeles, but a simpler serum derived from his blood may extend his immunity to them. Neville is amazed and gratified to find that some of the survivors include very young children, and has a brief relationship with an older member of the group, Lisa (Rosalind Cash). If the serum works, Neville and Lisa plan to pull out of the ravaged city and with the rest of the survivors start a new life out in the unspoiled wilderness.
Neville is successful in creating the serum and administers it to Lisa's teenaged brother Richie (Eric Laneuville) who is on the borderline of “going over” to the mutant stage of the plague. Once cured, the idealistic, naive Richie goes to The Family to try to convince them to take the serum as well. Matthias is controlled by his psychotic hatred of "normal" people and, of course, would rather keep things as they are. He also refuses to believe that Neville would try to save him or his followers, and accuses Richie of being sent by Neville. The albinos murder Richie. Neville finds a note Richie left giving the location of the “nest” and discovers Richie strung up where The Family left him. Thus begins Neville's final showdown battle with the fanatic zealot nocturnals. As the fight rages, Lisa suddenly and unexpectedly changes into a nocturnal. She betrays Neville and allows The Family access to Neville's bunker-apartment. Returning home, Neville is treated to an unexpected welcoming party. Attempting to escape, he is impaled by a spear thrown by Matthias. The final scene shows the remaining survivors departing in a Land Rover after being handed a flask of the blood serum by the dying Neville, lying in a pool of his blood in a dramatic posture of Christ crucified.
[edit] Popular culture appearances
The film has been parodied on numerous occasions, including the "Treehouse of Horror VIII" annual Halloween special of The Simpsons, titled "The HΩmega Man," and an episode of Recess.
"Omega Man" was also the title of songs by The Police, Fred Falke, and also the Bee Gees.
A sample from the movie was used in the Choking Victim song "Death Song", from the Squatta's Paradise 7".
The White Zombie song "Creature Of The Wheel" from the album Astro Creep: 2000 contains samples from the movie and takes its title from dialogue spoken by Anthony Zerbe. The audio samples are, "Creature of the Wheel, lord of the infernal engines," and, "And oh brothers and sisters. I ask you to look at him, does he have the marks? Do you see them?"
The White Zombie song "I Am Legend" from the album La Sexorcisto: Devil Music, Vol. 1 contains the line "Omega-man say, 'It's all gone away, I cannot believe it.'"
Two samples from the film are used in Revolting Cocks' "We Shall Cleanse the World" on their album Big Sexy Land.
The movie's theme was parodied in two CBC Radio comedies, Steve, The First and Steve, The Second. The first details the adventures of a slacker who sleeps through the apocalypse, then tries to save what is left of humanity; the second is about his son's adventures, twenty-five years later.
Series 3 Epiosde 3 of the BBC series Jonathan Creek is called "The Omega Man".
The movie's theme was parodied in the film The Adventures of Bob & Doug McKenzie: Strange Brew.
[edit] Trivia
- It features a little excerpt of Country Joe and the Fish as well as Arlo Guthrie performing at Woodstock.
- The filming of this movie was disrupted by the Sylmar earthquake of 1971.
- The shots overlooking the 'deserted' city, mostly at the beginning of the film, were filmed at very early morning to achieve the deserted look. However, for those sharp eyed enough, the odd sign of life can actually be seen here and there.
