French Vigilance to Beijing’s October 1 Preparations

Robert Neville reports in the French newsweekly L’Express about heightened security measures in Beijing in the leadup to the October 1 commemoration of the 60th birthday party of the PRC.  Entitled with a type of pun, the article “Beijing Tightens the Net [Pékin serre la Toile]” is, of course, accompanied by the obligatory photo of soldiers marching in lockstep [en défilé].  It describes slogans in Beijing about the government’s transcendent desire for stability, and reflects back upon Deng Xiaoping’s fateful decision in 1989 to send troops to crack down on the student demonstrators.  (On June 3, 2009, Neville published an interview with dissident Ma Jian, whose statement served as the article title: “In China, every day is June 4, 1989.”  As I have argued in these [1] other [2] essays [3] on the durability of the Tiananmen incident in the German press, Ma’s statement might indeed be said to sum up many European views of China.)

Neville then delves into Beijing’s crackdown on certain NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations / organisation non gouvernementale). On 29 July, Xu Zhiyong, the lawyer and founder of Gongmeng, an NGO which helps “victims of injustice” (e.g., petitioners), was arrested at his home.  His “fault,” Neville writes ironically, was to take on a case about melanin-contaminated milk in 2008.

Gongmeng has also defended Tibetans detained by the government and conducted inquiries into the “black prisons” in the capital.  A few days later, the authorities shut them down on the pretext of tax evasion, and revoked the law licenses of 53 of the Gongmeng lawyers.  After Xu’s arrest, his blog was shut down and his name was erased from the internet in China, including on Google.  “It is as if,” Neville concludes, “that Gongmeng itself never existed.”

Moreover, Beijing has shut down micro-blogging sites like Twitter and censored the blog of Ai Weiwei.  (Although Neville does not mention it, Gongmeng is up on Twitter but, perhaps a bit ominously, has no “tweets,” a reminder that the Beijing government doesn’t kill birds, just the ones that sing.)  At present, a propaganda department circular (tongxun) recommends that media outlets “do not approach regrettable subjects” during the celebrations (ne pas aborder les suject fâcheux pendant les fêtes).  Neville concludes his destructively compact paragraphs by asking: “Is this tightening merely conjectural?  Or does it represent a logical evolution for the CCP which seeks to reinforce its ascendency [empris]?”  A harmonious society indeed!

Neville’s article is only available on newsstands and on this friendly blog, but the L’Express website has a few other articles which are worth checking out.  On internet censorship in China, “Green Dam Youth Escort” has lots of good French links, including to the French tech site ZDNet.fr, which carries an article on Western and Japanese corporate complicity with the censorship and an eye-catching title “Porno: Google Blocks Certain Google Services.”

French Press Retrospectives on Tibet, Xinjiang, the Olympics, and Internet Censorship in China

Naturally Le Figaro and Liberation have some fantastic new articles this week as well, and I’m hoping to stew on these for a bit before posting again on the French analysis of the PRC commemoration in particular.   I’m surprised at how little press the October 1 preparations are getting in the United States, but then again, we’ve got health care legislation to crucify, cars to repair, and school loans to sign in September, so perhaps it shouldn’t be too shocking.

A June 29 L’Express article, “Uighur Dissidents Accuse Peking,” is a nice takedown of the Ribiya Khadeer issue which reminded me that the phrase “turkophone” should always be employed when discussing the still-majority ethnicity in Xinjiang. And the several hundred Danwei readers who enjoyed my earlier translation of an article from Liberation about the Chinese destruction of Kashgar might also enjoy, or prompt a translation of, Neville’s dispatches (here and here) from Kashgar in late June, 2009.

Cache-cache à Kashgar, via L'Express/Reuters

And although it’s a bit of a blast from the past, this French blog post regarding the CCP blocking YouTube from the mainland (where it is still blocked) during the March 2008 Tibetan uprising is fascinating, mainly for the extended comments section.  Some typical back and forth involved statements like this: “Boycotter les JO est la chose la plus humaine et digne a faire ! [Boycotting the Olympic Games is the most humane and dignified thing to do!]“

Which was followed by statements like this:

Ah oui ? Donnez-moi un seul exemple d’un boycott ayant radicalement changé la polique d’un régime totalitaire. Vous n’en trouverez aucun. Je ne vois aucune humanité et encore moins de dignité dans le fait de boycotter un évènement sportif sous prétexte que l’on est pas d’accord avec la politique du pays organisateur. C’est avant qu’il fallait manifesté pour que les jeux aient lieu ailleurs. Heureusement que la très grande majorité des gens sauront faire la différence et ne pénaliseront pas des sportifs qui sont par définition apolitiques, car une telle attitude est incompatible avec l’esprit des jeux tel que l’a voulu Pierre de Coubertin. La Chine s’ouvre à une économie de marché planétaire et elle besoin de ces marchés, sa politique s’adaptera petit a petit car sa survie va dépendre en grande partie. C’est l’économie de marché qui viendra à bout du régime totalitaire chinoi et non des boycotts dérisoires et improvisés. Mais Paris ne s’est pas fait en un jour et changer les mentalités chinoise est une chinoiserie qui prendra du temps et beaucoup de patience.

Oh really? Give me a single example of a boycott having radically changed the politics of a totalitarian regime.  Not one can you find!…Fortunately, a great majority of people will know how to differentiate [between the games themselves and the host state] and will not penalize sportsmen who are by definition apolitical, because such an attitude is incompatible with the spirit of the games such as desired by [Olympic founder, Frenchman, and star of many a patriotic-internationalist CCTV documentary] Pierre de Coubertin.  As China is open to a global market economy [une économie de marché planétaire!], it is in need of these markets, and its politcs will adapt little by little due largely to its need for economic survival. It is the market economy which will bring about the end of the totalitarian Chinese regime, not derisory and improvised boycotts. But Paris [e.g., Rome] was not built in a day and changing the Chinese mentality will take time and plenty of patience.

This brings back such wonderful memories of that heady spring!  So many great debates were springing up, sort of like a hundred flowers taking bloom…It’s hard to imagine a May 4th-era intellectual taking the statement seriously, but when China blocked YouTube, the world seemed to shift somehow.

John Bolton’s French Lament

And finally, at least for this afternoon, and because I know there are Koreanists out there who may be wondering when I am going to return from the Chinese “dark side” and back into the happy and shining fold of DPRK analysis, there is this precious article from L’Express about the Clinton visit to North Korea.  Apart from some gossipy French-style suspicions of factionalism (e.g. Hillary Clinton was in Africa!  Did she even approve of the mission?), there isn’t much new information.

The greatest thing about this article is, instead, its extended quotations from Mr. Rollback himself, John Bolton.  Bolton is the Fox News go-to guy on North Korea, because he was and remains so reliably opposed to any form of engagement with North Korea.  And Bolton has got great neoconservative credentials, too — Bush 43 appointed him as Ambassador to the United Nations in spite of the fact that Bolton opposes the very existence of the UN.  And I will admit that I rapidly tire of seeing his face and hearing his voice in outlets like the New York Times, especially when more informed people (like the reliably skeptical Bruce Cumings and even the reliably moderate but always-in-the-know Sig Harrison) would have more intelligent things to say.

But now, thanks to L’Express and Clinton’s visit to North Korea, I have had a personal conversion, a John Bolton renaissance!  When his Anglophone splutterings are rendered into French (that is, when they translate “I think that the North Koreans completely won”), he somehow becomes a Left Bank imperialist, a reactionary pied noir, a Legion veteran who votes de Gaulle every time!    Can’t you just see him getting really animated in a little café, an espresso on a dirty table in front of him, waving smoke wreathing around his face as he gesticulates, raises his eyebrows and his mustache in mock woe and says “Je pense que la Corée du Nord est totalement gagnante” in a deep Calais accent?

In my perfect world, Bolton shows up from Paris on Fox next week to tear down the UN and bilateral talks with the North Koreans.  Let’s hope Bill O’Reilly switches into Francophone territory (and drags us all back to the best debates of the 1950s) by serving up a fat softball where Bolton can denounce Sartre’s turnabout on the Algerian War.

French "musketeers" at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, Oct. 10, 2004. (via Xinhua) -- click photo for more cross-cultural fechten

Por Emilio Sánchez

Columna publicada en la edición de septiembre de la revista Music Life Magazine

Martes 11 de septiembre de 2001. Siete y media a. m. Instintivamente, busco iniciar la mañana con música. Aún somnoliento, trato de sintonizar la estación de costumbre. En donde se supone que tendría que estar sonando una canción de esas que ahora llaman Indie Rock encuentro en cambio noticias. No comprendo del todo. Bostezo. Creo que me he equivocado de botón. Me froto los ojos; me estiro. Pienso que además de la música necesito un café expreso para por fin despertar. Pruebo con un par de emisoras más. Los resultados son los mismos: una reverberación confusa, conductores de noticias que alarmados dan cuenta de un suceso que merece calificativos como terrible, apocalíptico, inimaginable. Capto palabras sueltas: avión, torres gemelas, Nueva York. Un pequeño golpe de adrenalina me recorre el cuerpo y elimina la somnolencia. Con asombro, como todo el continente americano, amanezco con la noticia de que un Boeing 767 de American Airlines se ha empotrado en la Torre número uno del World Trade Center, a las 8:46 (tiempo del Este de los Estados Unidos). Generalmente uno despierta para dejar atrás los malos sueños, pero aquella mañana la ecuación se produce a la inversa. Ceso en mi intento de escuchar alguna canción. Antes de salir de casa, aún tengo tiempo para darme un baño, desayunar y ver como un segundo avión se impacta en la Torre número dos. La música sigue ausente.

Siempre he creído que no existe peor augurio para el mundo que el hecho de que el silencio se apodere de él. Recuerdo mis novelas apocalípticas favoritas. En la gran mayoría de ellas la música es un placer que ya no está disponible para el género humano. Quizá la excepción es Soy Leyenda de Richard Matheson en la que Robert Neville, el personaje principal, conserva un generador eléctrico, una equipo de sonido y una colección de acetatos para sobrevivir en un mundo habitado exclusivamente por vampiros. Neville montado en una balsa de sonido en un mar de suburbios desolados. En aquellas historias, más que ingresar a las penumbras el planeta entra en silencio, un silencio que se vuelve sinónimo de la desintegración de la civilización.

Ocho años después, instalado en la recta final de la primera década de este siglo, recuerdo aquella frase de Émile Cioran que dice “Todo parece miserable e inútil cuando la música enmudece” y pienso que es muy acertada para describir aquella mañana de septiembre en que las canciones y sinfonías quedaron silenciadas. Las estaciones de radio interrumpieron sus programaciones para relatar el acontecimiento que marcó nuestra verdadera entrada al siglo XXI.

Por varias horas la gente presencia atrapada en un loop que parece infinito las tomas presentadas por la televisión. El imperio sólo se ha tambaleado; sus piernas han flaqueado y por instantes, que parecen eternos, el vértigo se ha apoderado de él, pero sigue en pie a pesar de la conmoción, de la pérdida de uno de sus símbolos. Al paso de las horas, la música poco a poco vuelve a sonar. La BBC transmite el Adagio para cuerdas de Samuel Barber que se convierte así en la primera obra en rendir tributo a los fallecidos por los atentados del 11 de septiembre de 2001. Originalmente, la pieza formaba parte del Cuarteto para cuerdas No. 1, Op. 11 del compositor estadounidense. Sin embargo, muy pronto Barber percibió el profundo carácter dramático del Adagio y decidió arreglarlo como una obra independiente para diversas dotaciones, de las cuales la más conocida es su versión para orquesta de cuerdas. Arturo Toscanini estrenó dicha versión en enero de 1938 al frente de la NBC Symphony Orchestra. El tono solemne que posee la pieza explica el porque es muy probablemente la obra que más se ha utilizado para ser interpretada en funerales de diversas personalidades como el príncipe Rainier de Mónaco y Albert Einstein. En México, en 1994, después de que se anunciara el asesinato de Luis Donaldo Colosio, la composición de Barber fue interpretada ininterrumpidamente a lo largo de 24 horas por la emisora de servicio público Opus 94 (XHIMER). Así pues, resulta comprensible que el Adagio para cuerdas haya sido interpretado por la BBC como un tributo a los caídos en el atentado y, semanas después, nuevamente durante la primera ceremonia realizada en la llamada Zona Cero. Pero resulta una decisión más acertada si recordamos que el Adagio para cuerdas fue estrenado en Nueva York.

Los días transcurren lenta y dolorosamente para los habitantes de aquella ciudad que ahora tiene un hueco en las entrañas. Las estaciones de radio continúan con sus programaciones normales, pero algunos aún piensan que el silencio debe imponerse nuevamente (¿por respeto a los caídos?). Se rumora que el gobierno de los Estados Unidos elabora un listado de canciones que, por ningún motivo, deben sonar la televisión y en la radio pública de aquel país en aras de no exacerbar el recuerdo de aquella dolorosa mañana. Temas como Seek and Destroy de Metallica, Learn to Fly de los Foo Fighters, It’s the End of the World As We Know it de REM, Ruby Tuesday de los Rolling Stones y New York, New York de Fred Ebb y John Kander, pero inmortalizada por Frank Sinatra, desaparecen de las transmisiones. No hay duda, el gobierno de Bush, el mismo que fue incapaz de desactivar los atentados y alertar a la población del peligro que corría, ahora busca a toda costa proteger a sus lastimados nacionales evitando que tenga contacto con el dolor que produce una filosa estrofa de una canción pop.

Otros más piensan que lejos de callar lo que hay que hacer es cantar, recordar ese martes una y otra vez. Tory Amos, Leonard Cohen, Ministry y Paul McCartney, entre muchos otros, harán referencia en sus canciones a lo ocurrido. Bruce Springsteen dedicará buena parte de su nuevo disco <The Rising a recordar a los desaparecidos. Craig Armstrong y John Powel escriben bandas sonoras para que el silencio no se apodere otra vez de Nueva York (World Trade Center y United 93). La música de las palabras también da cuenta de lo sucedido. Escritores como Don DeLillo, Frédérich Beigbeder, Martin Amis y Paul Auster abordaran en mayor o menor medida el tema. Días después de ocurridos los atentados, una acaudalada familia neoyorkina que decide mantenerse en el anonimato comisiona la primera obra escrita expresamente para rendir tributo a los fallecidos el 11 de septiembre. John Adams es el encargado de escribir la música. El compositor estadounidense trabaja en ella durante el invierno y concluye la obra que la Filarmónica de Nueva York estrena el 19 de septiembre de 2002 en el Avery Fisher Hall de aquella ciudad. La pieza, escrita para orquesta, coro mixto y cinta es llamada On the Transmigration of Souls (Sobre la transmigración de las almas). Adams decide no utilizar palabras como memorial o réquiem para evitar caer en lugares comunes. La transmigración significa movimiento de un lugar a otro o de un estado a otro. Con su obra el compositor no ha pretendido hablar del paso de la vida a la muerte, sino reconfortar a los deudos refiriéndose al tránsito del alma del dolor por la pérdida a un estado de resignación que trascienda aquella dura experiencia. Adams ha querido construir un espacio para recordar, un espacio donde el escucha pueda estar a solas con sus pensamientos y emociones.

8 años después, a pesar de todo, la gente retiene en su memoria algo de la consternación producida ante la sinrazón que trasciende fronteras, sistemas y creencias; conserva ocultos entre recuerdos más recientes las dudas, las llamas, el acero retorcido, los cristales rotos y la imagen de gente lanzándose por las ventanas del World Trade Center. Un viernes 8 años después, elijo otra frase, de T. S. Elliot, aquella que dice “Tú eres la música mientras la música dura” (…you are the music while the music lasts). Quiero creer que el mundo continuará girando instalado en una enorme e invisible tornamesa mientras la música siga sonando. Amen.

What Is It?

Will Smith stars in this book adaption that seems to be, from the credits, more of a remake of the 1971 film adaptation, Omega Man, with Charlton Heston. This is a big budget thriller about a man who is the last living, healthy survivor of a world wide plague. He hunts deer and plays golf through the abandoned streets of New York that are starting to turn green with weeds and grass. Beyond the loss of all human companionship, the down side to this, is that the virus has turned the world’s population into zombie vampires who can only come out at night and feed on any blood they can get. While living in this frightening situation, with his dog, Robert Neville (Smith) is continuing his research to find a cure for this disease. When not studying his infected rats or protecting himself from zombie vampires, he goes to the video store to return one movie and rent another while having small talk with the mannequin patrons he has apparently set around the stores, as shoppers. Sort of a more thought out “Wilson” (Castaway).

How Was It?

This is what I call the “Thinking Man’s Shallow Movie”. Somewhere between the amusement park ride films like “Cellular” and “Collateral” and the spiritually deep “Exorcism of Emily Rose” lies “I Am Legend.” Right up front the movie lets you know that very often, something is going to jump out at you. By stealthily waiting for the moment after you though it would happen, even after you have figured out this formula, it continues to keep you tense and make you jump, however, this is not just a cheap walk through a scare house on film. Though the story is straight forward, the presentation of the information keeps you engaged and thinking… while waiting for the next thing to jump out at you. (Aerial shots become a welcome “breather”) There are also great touches like having the movie “Shrek” showing on Nevil’s TV, and the scene between Donkey and Shrek actually explains the scene you are watching.

 I am not a Will Smith fan, but after “I Robot” and the excellent performance in this film I may be coming around. We see his family and quarantining of NY in flash backs, but Smith is able to be just as touching when saying good-bye to his wife (Salli Richardson) and daughter (Willow Smith) , as he is discussing his birthday with his dog.

My heart rate was still noticeably “up” after we had left the theater.

Is It Good For Kids?

Outside of one little freak out with the word “hell” used as an exclamatory and not a noun, there is no cussing, no sex, no inappropriately dressed people, and no messages you would need to shield your children from. There is a character who uses “God” as a cuss word, but the response to the line is an explanation about God, Himself.

What is concerning for children are the “hives” of sub human zombie vampires coming to kill the main character. Where this may not cause your children to have incorrect world views, it could keep them up with nightmares. (In the theater, I did see a boy, probably around 8-10 years old, and his mom leave after the first couple of scenes, seemingly at the boys request.) It does not contain overt amounts of gore, but the Zombie Vampires are gross to look at and there are a couple of disturbing scenes with the dog, including a Zombie attack, that would be upsetting for children to see.

For a complete break down of what is on the screen, check out Screenit.com.

-Under “Profanity” Screenit.com has more words than I caught. I’m guessing they occur during the flash backs of people trying to escape New York before the military quarantines the city. Thus, it would be in the background amongst confusion and noise and not said by a character we would find influential. They also say that it only had 3 “jump scenes”. I think they lost count.

What About Spiritual Issues?

In the beginning of the film you see Neville drive by a bunch of posters with the hands from the Cistene chapel and the words “God Still Cares.” Then on his refrigerator is a magazine cover with his picture and the word “Savior?” It seems he added the question mark himself. In the flash back scene Neville’s wife prays for him (specifically to God) with his daughter before they part. In one scene Neville points out that “God didn’t do this, we did.” A wonderful attitude about God versus our evil decisions. All of this sets you up too look for this “unseen character” to intervene throughout the film.

Neville does talk about “Bob Marlie” in one scene. The things he says about him fit into the film and help explain the main character. They play “Three Little Birds” through the movie and “Redemption Song” in the credits. The slight problem here is that the things they say about Marlie are true but they leave out that he was also an evangelist for a cult that believed in the Old Testament and that the then King of Ethiopia was the promised Messiah and not Jesus. The movie itself leaves no room for that interpretation of Messiah but I though it worth noting. Neville does hold up a Bob Marlie CD and proclaims it “The best album ever.” The CD is “Legend”.

(SPOILER!)

He meets another survivor (Alice Braga) who is going to a refuge that God told her is out there. She believes that God had orchestrated her meeting with Neville.

(Even MORE of a SPOILER)

The movie ends (seriously, don’t read this part if you are going to see it anyway.) Robert declares that he can now hear God, sends out a vile of blood that will “save” man kind and offers help to sick people who instead try to kill him. If all of this is not Christ like enough, Robert ends up giving up his own life to ensure that the blood will save humanity. (Making him a “Type of Christ” and “The Freedom Bringer” When the refuge is found, the doors of the compound are open to reveal a beautiful country town (in contrast to the urban jungle of NY) with the main street leading to a church. Ultimately this film offers many clear pictures of the Gospel.

What Is Your Recommendation?

If you can handle some tense action and enjoy a good thrill ride, this movie offers it all, without the immoral baggage.

Even more than that, if you bring a friend with you, this film brings up many opportunities to discuss the One who gave His blood for us to save us from only half living, in pain and evil

I Am Legend

Living with a saint is more grueling than being one. 

I had never seen this quote before, but it rang true.  Being around someone who is always right can be profoundly frustrating, especially when they keep reminding you of that fact.

It’s that kind of self-regarding sainthood that’s the target of Neville’s jibe.  “You don’t deserve someone like me…”  “Who would take care of this if I weren’t around?…. “Where would this project be if I left?…”  

Not that I’ve ever done or felt such things  – but reminding others of our superiority and indispensibility is a tiresome trait.  And it often makes us miserable as well.  That’s where the wisdom of another old saw comes in: “Would you rather be right or happy?”

“For he was a man and he was alone and these things had no importance to him.” — From Richard Matheson’s I am Legend.

I’ve had the book I am Legend on my bookshelf for quite some time now, but I never took in any consideration of reading it until this morning.

The reason I’m reading the book is because that’s my mood — pretty despondent at the moment. Y’know how you fall in love with her, and you can’t go a day without hearing her beautiful voice emanate divine and celestial words, you begin to get a little crazy — a crazy that you live for each and every single day of your life.

Hearing that voice from her (if you don’t know who her is, then you’re nuts) isn’t going to be happening as avidly as before for the next couple of weeks, but we’re sticking it out.

In the meantime, I’ve taken comfort in reading I am Legend by Richard Matheson because of the protagonist Robert Neville’s solitary existence on earth, trying to track a disease and fend off zombies.

It doesn’t truly apply to the situation I’m actually facing myself, but for some reason I’m taking comfort in reading the book.

Just another reason why books are a more-than-GREAT outlet for that ‘getting away’ type of feeling.

Will Smith in “I Am Legend” = Dead ….how to have a sequel ?

Unfortunately a prequel is already in the works! Wtf, i can’t imagine myself sitting through this upcoming prequel (b.p.o.s) when i already knew how Robert Neville died + adequate flashback sequences - are they trying to do a star wars?! Please give me “Y : the last man” movie asap so that i can forget the fact that “I Am Legend” ever existed.

Click to enlarge image

Btw Shia LaBeouf has been rumored to be playing the lead role and the movie will start filming during the fall of 2008.

<<Come out, Neville!>>

Chiunque abbia letto “I Am Legend” (“Io sono leggenda”, Fanucci Editore), difficilmente dimenticherà il grido tetro di Ben Cortman, che ogni notte striscia via dal suo nascondiglio per tormentare colui che un tempo era suo amico, Robert Neville, l’ultimo uomo della terra.

Il romanzo di Richard Matheson (per la prima volta in Italia nel 1957 – ovvero a tre anni di distanza dall’edizione originale – su Longanesi, nel 1989 all’interno della collana Urania Classici col titolo “I vampiri” e successivamente ristampato come “Io sono leggenda”, dulcis in fundo riproposto da Fanucci) è una pietra miliare della letteratura fantastica e della narrativa americana degli anni ‘50, costante fonte di ispirazione per il cinema (di genere) e per tanti altri scrittori (King, furbescamente citato in copertina, è solito indicare l’autore tra i suoi maestri più importanti).

“I Am Legend” nasce tra le ombre di una sala buia al cui interno viene proiettato un vecchio film del 1931, “Dracula” (Tod Browning), l’idea è però quella di rovesciare in maniera speculare il mito del Vampiro, o meglio del diverso: il protagonista non è infatti l’altro, l’affezione che contagia gli esseri umani, al contrario Robert Neville è l’unico essere umano ancora in vita, l’anomalia in un mondo abitato da una nuova forma vivente. La storia prende il via da un’epidemia di origine sconosciuta che annienta sempre più velocemente il genere umano, alla morte segue però un ritorno, i contagiati si risvegliano dal loro sonno e si comportano proprio come i vampiri descritti da Bram Stoker. Robert vede così morire amici, colleghi, moglie e figlia, ritrovandosi definitivamente solo. A questo punto si attiva un circuito inesorabile: al crepuscolo il protagonista è vittima di un costante assedio, all’alba invece deve bruciare i cadaveri rimasti sul prato, rimettere a posto gli specchi e l’aglio, controllare la macchina e stanare altri vampiri. Un po’ alla volta la sua umanità sbiadisce, perfino la voce (oramai inutile) diventa un elemento estraneo alla sua nuova condizione, angoscia, orrore, disperazione e solitudine prendono spesso il sopravvento su Robert, che alterna il whisky e le visioni della moglie Virginia allo studio della malattia che ha colpito l’intero genere umano. Egli è convinto infatti che scavando nella superstizione del vampiro sia possibile arrivare ad una soluzione, dunque a una cura. Quando incrocerà in pieno giorno un cane (prima) e una donna (poi) la storia volgerà ad uno splendido ed inaspettato finale…

L’intreccio prende corpo sul grande schermo prima in “L’ultimo uomo della terra” (Sidney Salkow/Ubaldo Ragona, 1964), girato in uno spettrale Eur, accreditato alla coppia di registi ma probabilmente diretto solo dal primo ed interpretato da un magistrale Vincent Price, poi nel minore “The Omega Man” (“1975: occhi bianchi sul pianeta Terra”, Boris Sagal, 1971), infine nel disastroso “I Am Legend”, con Will Smith (“Io sono leggenda”, Francis Lawrence, 2007). In realtà la pellicola che più di tutte ha raccolto le ispirazioni di Richard Matheson è, per stessa ammissione dello scrittore, “The Night Of The Living Dead” di George A. Romero (“La notte dei morti viventi”, 1968). Da segnalare l’episodio numero 77 di Dylan Dog intitolato “L’ultimo uomo sulla terra” (Sclavi e Roi, febbraio 1993) e la graphic novel omonima adattata da Steve Niles ed Elman Brown.

<<Ora sono io l’anormale. La normalità è un concetto di maggioranza, la norma di molti, e non la norma di uno solo>>

Antonio Bra Smiraglia

Robert Neville es el único superviviente de una guerra bacteriológica que ha asolado el planeta y convertido al resto de la humanidad en vampiros. Su vida se ha reducido a asesinar al máximo número posible de estos seres sanguinarios durante el día, y soportar su asedio cada noche. Para ellos, el auténtico monstruo es este hombre que lucha por subsistir en un nuevo orden establecido.

“Nothin’ happened the way it was supposed to happen.” – Robert Neville

Synopsis

Each afternoon when the sun is highest in the sky, Robert Neville waits. He sits on a pier under the shadows of a destroyed Brooklyn Bridge with the anticipation of encountering other human life. Months slowly turn into years as he waits in vain. He’s the lone survivor of a deadly virus that has apparently killed off all of the human race. All but a few, who hide in the shadows and wait for dusk. When the sun goes down, they come out and Robert Neville goes into hiding. He waits bunkered down in his steel enforced apartment and prays that another nights goes by where he is undetected.

Each afternoon when the sun is highest in the sky, Robert Neville waits. He sits on a pier under the shadows of a destroyed Brooklyn Bridge with the anticipation of encountering other human life. Months slowly turn into years as he waits in vain. He’s the lone survivor of a deadly virus that has apparently killed off all of the human race. All but a few, who hide in the shadows and wait for dusk. When the sun goes down, they come out and Robert Neville goes into hiding. He waits bunkered down in his steel enforced apartment and prays that another nights goes by where he is undetected.

My Review

In 1954, author Richard Matheson penned I Am Legend and instantly breathed new life into the modern zombie and vampire genre. In his book, Robert Neville is the sole survivor of a world wide catastrophe. During the night scores of men and women roam the streets infected by a rapid bacteria based virus that has turned them into vampires. They wait outside of Neville’s house screaming his name. They want his blood, they want him to join them. At dawn, the vampires who were not able to get into hiding are killed because of the powerful light of the sun. It’s only as this time Robert Neville is safe to come out of his fortified home and begin his daily routine. He must fix the windows and make sure they are still secure. After violent attacks the planks would be split or pried off, and he’d after to replace them. He then goes about gathering up all of the dead bodies so he can dispose of them. After this he goes out looking for them, trying to find their hiding place so he can kill them before they have the chance to kill him.

This story has become so successful, that it inspired countless other novels and movies. Stephen King has said, “I am Legend was one of the most frightening and fascinating books I’ve ever read.” He later said, “Without Richard Matheson, I would not be around.” George A. Romero has said numerous times that I am Legend was a major influence for him in his magnum opus “Night of the Living Dead.”

The book has been adapted for film two times prior to Francis Lawrence 2007 version. The first was in 1964 and called “The Last Man on Earth.” And again in 1971 as “The Omega Man.” Both films strayed from Matheson’s work to various degrees. The end results often left fans of the book sad and unsatisfied. So imagine the surprise and anticipation when the trailer was released for the third film version of the book, starring none other then Will Smith! I count myself as one of those huge fans of the book, who could not wait to see how the film maker would treat the masterpiece that is Matheson’s book.

I am happy to report that most of what I have to say is positive. However, film could have been so much more amazing had they gone with an alterative ending they shot but failed to use. The film opens with a news anchor interviewing Dr. Alice Krippin who is there to announce she has successfully re-engineered the measles virus to be “helpful, rather then harmful.” She reports a one hundred percent cure rate in all of her clinical trials. Out of 10,009 patients with cancer, she has cured them all.

Three years later we are transplanted to an empty and abandoned New York City. We see no signs of human life at all. Until we see a red Ford Mustang GT flying down an empty street. Hello, Mr. Neville. Will Smith plays Robert Neville exactly how I pictured him in Matheson’s novel. He is a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army and also a microbiologist specialized in the field of virology.

We learn from a sequence of flashbacks, that the Krippin cure had mutated into a very contagious and deadly strain of the virus. Almost all humans and animals are infected and the entire population of the planet is pretty much wiped out. Those who didn’t die have developed a nasty and aggressive personality. Much more akin to zombies rather then vampires as in Matheson’s tale. Still the same we see hints that these zombie like creatures have intelligence and organizational skills.

Like the book, during the night Neville takes shelter in his home. While the zombies roam and terrorize outside. However, one significant difference is the zombies do not know where Neville lives. He has made sure for the past three years to always cover his tracks. This is important as it is the number one reason Neville believes he is safe.

One of Neville’s primary routines each day is the study and research of a cure for the disease that has ravaged the planet. He tries new potential antidotes on rats and other infected animals. When it shows possibility with them he then sets traps and tries to captures one of the zombies. After several dozen human tests, he has still not found a cure. He has done a meticulous and precise job to document everything and even keep his data on six different hard drives of his computer (a sleek, futuristic looking iMac).

Neville’s continuous failure to find a solution to the world wide epideictic might have been too much to handle for anyone one man, but luckily for his weaning sanity, he has his family dog Sam as a companion.

I am Legend is a scary a decent adaption of the Richard Matheson’s novel. It’s certainly the best version of the film made, and when you add the alterative ending to the film the director shot buy failed to use, you turn this movie from decent into perfect.

In the theatrical version of the movie, you see the zombies as mindless killing machines, the glimpses of humanity and intelligence are fleeting and don’t add up to anything in the end. The irony and twist to the original story is completely lost.

This was beyond exasperating. They had Will Smith, the perfect actor to play Robert Neville and just settled on making a scary, post-apocalyptic movie. And if that was all they were aiming for, then congratulations, you succeeded. I give this version of the film three out of four stars.

However, Francis Lawrence shot an alternative ending that if used would have made the movie one of the greatest horror films ever created. In this version, we see that the zombies are not just mindless killing machines after all. And they don’t necessarily care all that much about being “cured.” What they would like is to have Robert Neville stop killing them! They see all of his experiments as torture and murder. The entire film had been flipped on it’s head and you have to really analyze who was really the “bad guys” in the end. This is exactly the twist we have in the book, only to a slightly different degree. This version of the film receives four out of four stars.

Cast

• Will Smith as Robert Neville
• Abby (and sometimes Kona “the Stunt Dog”) as Sam
• Sali Richardson as Zoe
• Alice Braga as Anna
• Willow Smith and Marley
• Emma Thompson as Dr. Alice Krippin

What more can be said Will Smith, he perfectly captures Robert Neville. He is said to have spent a week alone in his apartment preparing for the film. I can’t even Imagine Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger or Tom Cruise who were the first two cast in the role. It is interesting to note that Marley was played by Smith’s daughter Willow. She said she was excited to be “playing” with her dad in the movie. Smith also used his son is another movie of his, “The Pursuit of Happiness.” He’s training them young to fill the big shoes their daddy wears.

Ratings and Suggestions

The movie is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of science fiction action and violence. The theatrical release is 100 minutes long and the alterative version is four minutes longer. This is definitely a DVD you want to own. The DVD comes with a many great features such as three deleted scenes, animated cartoons, and the alternative version I mentioned above.

The theater version gets three out of four stars and the alterative gets four out of four stars which comes out to: three and half out of four stars.

Entertainment Tomorrow

July 27, 2028 — James Caviezel has been cast to play the lead role in “I Am Conservative,” a film based on the 2008 blogella by Ryan Garns.  Caviezel, best known for playing Jesus in the 2004 film The Passion of the Christ, will play Robert Neville, who becomes the last conservative on Earth after a strange force transforms every man, woman and child into a savage liberal.  The thriller, inspired by the 2007 Will Smith vehicle I Am Legend, is set to premiere next summer.  The movie is being distributed by God Bless America Films, the distribution company formed by Eric Norris, son of the late action star Chuck Norris. 

I Am Legend Theatrical Poster

Three days ago, I passed by the video rental shop to return the animated movies I borrowed. I noticed that they changed their window posters with new ones, among them is “I Am Legend.”

I remember watching this film adaptation of Richard Matheson’s book of the same title last year. Starring Will Smith, it is set in the future where a cure for cancer (in the form of a mutated measles virus) was created. However, this virus has the potential to kill and/or turn living creatures into aggressive zombie- and vampire-like beings called the “dark-seekers.” Inevitably, the virus spreads, eradicating 90 % of the world’s population and turning 9% into the dark-seekers. Somehow, 1% remained immune and were ironically fortunate–fortunate because they were given a chance to live, and ironic because they stand as prey to the dark-seekers who prowl the streets at night. One of them is Dr. Robert Neville (Smith’s character), who purposely finds a cure in his laboratory home in New York ground zero, together with his German Shepherd, Sam (canines are immune to airborne transmission of the virus but can get infected through the bites of the infected).

It's 'gotta be a drag staying in the light always!

The first 45 minutes can be boring, but it is essential to understand the way of living employed by Dr. Neville. It is in this parts of the movie that the viewer would backtrack to the events before the epidemic, all in the view of Robert.

The second half covers adrenalin-pumping action as he and his dog encounter the infected–the thrill of being attacked by infected dogs, fighting the infected alone in the night, and having a house infested by the dark-seekers. One part of the second half’s story is the eventual death of Sam. I cried in the scene where Robert had to strangulate Sam because she was already transforming into one of the infected. He was all alone. It is also in this second half where Robert discovers two other human survivors. His encounter with the survivors opens an outlet as to understanding his motivation, sociability, and Faith.

At parts of the movie near the end, there was the mention of “GOD.” It then gave me the impression of the “end of days” where a portion of the world’s population would suddenly disappear. It got me thinking that what happened in the movie could also happen in the “rapture.”

The movie was satisfying and I would recommend it for the viewer who adores both thinking/problem-solving/tactics-discovery, and thrills. The cinematographer did a great job in presenting a ghost town of New York. The CGIs of the infected were amazing (which, by the way, resembled villains of “Resident Evil”)! As for the reason why it was titled “I Am Legend,” I leave that all up to you to find out.

Ich bin ein großer Fan von Will Smith -  habe von seinen 18 Filmen bereits 15 gesehen, und zwar nicht nur ein mal! “I am Legend” gehört noch nicht dazu – leider hatte ich ihn damals im Kino verpasst. Umso mehr freue ich mich auf den 23. Mai! An dem Tag zeigt Premiere TV, das ich abonniere (zum ersten Mal zeitgleich mit der DVD-Veröffentlichung!), den Thriller “I am Legend”. Ausgestrahlt wird er bei Premiere Direkt und Direkt+. Ein Abruf des Thrillers kostet 4 Euro (Premiere Direkt) bzw. 5 Euro (Premiere Direkt+), was ich im Vergleich zu einer DVD (bei Amazon ab 18 Euro) ganz akzeptabel finde.

Handlung: “Ich heiße Robert Neville. Ich habe in New York City überlebt. Falls es irgendwo noch jemanden gibt… Irgendjemanden. Bitte. Du bist nicht allein.” Unheimliche Wesen, Mutanten, Viren, eine tolle Geschichte und die großartige schauspielerische Leistung von Will Smith, lässt mich nicht zweifeln, dass mir der Film einen vergnügensvollen Science Fiction Abend am 23. Mai bereiten wird

Interessante Fakten zu dem Film:

• Schon 1997 wollte Ridley Scott das Thema mit Arnold Schwarzenegger in der Hauptrolle verfilmen. Das Projekt scheiterte jedoch am Budget von mindestens 200 Millionen US-Dollar.
• In New York wurde die Fifth Avenue für die Dreharbeiten des Films gesperrt.
• Will Smiths Tochter, Willow Smith, spielt die Rolle der Tochter von Robert Neville (=Will Smith) und macht es ihrem Bruder Jaden gleich, der bereits in “Das Streben nach Glück” an der Seite seines Vaters spielen durfte

Eins muss ich noch sagen – ich bin froh, dass nicht Arnold Schwarzenegger in “I am Legend” gespielt hat - bei allem Respekt zu meinem Landsmann muss ich leider gestehen, dass er diese Rolle nicht annäherns so überzeugend spielen hätte können (schau Trailer)  

Spoilers will be clearly warned about later in  the review)

Now a hit movie, right?

From the blurb:

Robert Neville is the last living man on Earth... but he is not alone.

Every other man, woman and child on Earth has become a vampire and they are all hungry for Neville's blood.

By day, he is the hunter, stalking the sleeping undead through the abandoned ruins of civilisation. By night, he barricades himself in his home and prays for dawn.

How long can one man survive in a world of vampires?

Notice one thing in particular… this isn’t the movie. It’s not remotely the movie. In fact, virtually the only two aspects shared in common are the name and the fact that there’s a lonely guy hanging around. This book is not set in New York, Robert Neville is not a super-intelligent soldier of the future and the book is about vampires. But none of this is really  review, merely the usual gripe of book to film conversions. Let the review begin.

Stephen King is quoted on the back cover of this book as considering Richard Matheson to be one of his greatest influences. If you have read Stephen King, you may know what to expect, but don’t let that stop you. Matheson’s Neville character is considerably more ‘real’ than most post-apocalyptic characters. Don’t expect this survivor to remain the only noble person in a world gone mad. (Although technically, it may be correct to say he is the ‘most’ noble living person in the world). Neville is a flawed, everyday person we could meet any day of the week. He lives in a small town, ravaged by regular dust storms and struggles to make ends meet with his small family unit. Thrown into extraordinary circumstances, it is great to see that Neville doesn’t become an extraordinary man.

The evolution of the vampires, as told through the story seems realistic, if the distinction between the types is a little blurred at times and downright confusing at others. It’s a genuine pleasure to travel through this world with Neville as he tries to survive the only way he can.

At this point, it’s worth mentioning something about these vampires. Richard Matheson’s writing has always had a perchant towards vampirism in every case, so he knows what he’s describing. The science is done well enough that with my understanding of “vampire = bad” I was sufficiently impressed with the detail Matheson puts into his analysis of the backstory. Some of the greatest features of this book are it’s timeline. The evolution of all of the characters, from Neville himself and the vampirism to his friendly neighbour, outside his house every night begging him to come out and join them.

This book is clever. It doesn’t stard out to be, but it is a short enough book that you should be able to read through the hollywood opening to arrive at the intelligent later parts of the book. Matheson’s conclusion is spectacular in every way of the word and happily actually gives some explaination to the title of the book (something the movie was particularly lacking in).

In short, the book is short enough for any reader to pick up and throw away, it is reminiscent of Stephen King, whom many consider to be the greatest horror writer of our time and the book is a slightly more realistic post-apocalyptic world than you arrive at with most similar books. However, if you despise action horror or were thinking about picking up this book only because you were a big fan of the movie, don’t bother. The story is close enough to Hollywood horror to annoy readers who hate it and far enough from the movie to be almost barely related.

(Spoilers Below)

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Now it’s time for the cheap English professor viewpoint.

The book has a clever ending that raises the issues of morality with survivalist natures. It asks the questions of if morals are really applicable when you are doing everything possible to survive.

Survivalism is the nature of the whole book, even to the point of natural survivalism stopping Neville from committing suicide at every turn. Leading him to press on, even as every day he believes less and less that there is anything to press on for. At times, it seems as if Neville is actually trying to commit suicde when he goes out of his way to allow the vampires a chance to kill him.

For morality, we see that the vampires attempt to do everything possible to draw out Neville, whilst Neville remains steadfast. When Neville finally gets a chance to see a living human woman, he manages to restrain himself, something which he explains himself he would not have been able to do years before.

This book is a classic Ahab scenario. Neville goes from a contented survivor, to an obsessed creature who almost becomes consumed by his desire to kill the vampires. This is where Neville becomes the monster he always feared. Neville doesn’t even attempt to find a cure, yet he researches the vampires. Perhaps this is out of curiosity, though it seems more likely that he is driven by a compulsive desire to simply obliterate as many as he can. His research is fuelled by a desire to find ways to kill them more easily.

Eventually, this obsession leads to him becoming the monster, the legend. He realises that he he has been sneaking into the homes of the vampires and killing their loved ones whilst they slept, just as the vampires of legend had once done themselves. This role reversal leads to I Am Legend’s final main theme. Acceptance.

s Neville accepted his isolation, his survival and his life, so too does he learn to accept his role as the monster of the new world. The survivor no more, he was the creature attempting to obliterate a race, one vampire at a time. Worse still, when the reader realises that Neville was not killing vampires openly, but that most vampires simply awoke to find their loved ones dead, it is understandable that this is exactly how the original legends start.

Matheson’s branding of Neville is accurate and clever. The vampires were mankind’s store, but to them, he is legend.

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SPOILERS END

Thank you for reading, I’ll be here all week. If you pick up this book based on, or in spite of this review, don’t hesitate to drop me a comment. This is also my first real review, so drop a comment anyway to let me know what you thought. If you thoguht I was too personal, or too stuffy, I’d love to hear it.

–Chris

I AM LEGEND

Now you haven’t read the book, have you ?

I must have watched it over 3 times and have liked it even more each time. Up until the point where Alice Braga’s character appeared, I was enjoying it so much that I was considering making a spot for it on my best of 2007 list. However, by the end, I wasn’t as sure. The scene at the end where the vampire creatures break into Robert Neville’s lab is intense and amazing, and I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t how it should have played out.

Last December when I Am Legend hit theaters, one of the biggest complains people had was that the ending was completely changed from the book and in turn the entire “legend” concept that Richard Matheson originally wrote was never actually seen.

And if you have read the book then this is the ending you wanted to see:

For those who have no clue; let me explain the concept of Richard Matheson’s book to help clarify why this original ending was so amazing to finally see. The entire purpose of the title I Am Legend is that in the book, Robert Neville actually is the last man on the planet. For a moment, the reader is awarded a fresh perspective from a unlikely vantage — Neville, hunter of vampirekind, is seen as freakish monster, the garish villain. And he has switched places from our reality of what we perceive as legend, to actually being the legend. As in, vampires are “legendary” to us because they’re a myth from fantasy. In the book, Robert Neville is “legendary” because he is that myth and goes out day after day hunting them. With the original theatrical ending, they never actually touched on that idea at all – but when you think about, that’s a pretty damn cool concept.

This original ending plays out actually caters much more to that concept than the one we saw in theaters. I love the dynamic between Neville and the lead vampire, especially when he finally brushes up against next to him and comes in contact with him. He never got that close to any of them in movie and seeing that gave me a chill.

I want Warner Brothers to understand that the actual audiences in America and rest of the world would have accepted this ending and preferred it over the one that made it into the final theatrical cut.

Another character Anna in the movie completely ruins the darkly clever play of the book’s original plot. Not realizing the movie would completely whitewash and gloss over that aspect, I kept overanalyzing Anna’s behavior and tersely hissing what I believed were clues about her shady origins to my movie-viewing companion. (Clue: She insists there’s a survivor’s colony in Vermont, but can only name God as the source of her information. Clue No. 2: She claims she drove down from Maryland, but Neville’s flashbacks explicitly detail that the island of Manhattan was completely quarantined.)

In april brengt Warner Bros de avonturenfilm “Beowulf” uit op dvd. Eind 2007 was “Beowulf” de eerste grote 3D-film in de Belgische bioscopen. De dvd-versie is in 2D en is eigenlijk de director’s cut. De animatiefilm “Beowulf” is gebaseerd op een oud Engels episch gedicht over de Noorse mythe Beowulf. De krijgsman Beowulf, een rol van Ray Winstone, neemt het op vraag van koning Hrothgar (Anthony Hopkins) op tegen de demon Grendel. Hij doodt Grendel, maar haalt daardoor de toorn van zijn moeder (Angelina Jolie) op de hals. Eind april verschijnt ook nog “I am Legend” op dvd. Will Smith kruipt in de huid van militair viroloog Robert Neville. Hij is immuun voor een onstuitbaar, ongeneeslijk en door de mens gemaakt virus en is de laatste menselijke overlever in wat overblijft van New York City en misschien wel de hele wereld. Neville is wellicht de laatste en beste hoop voor de mensheid en heeft slechts een missie: een manier vinden om de effecten van het virus om te keren met behulp van zijn eigen immune bloed.