Review Tuesday: The Omega Man

This movie, from 1971, is another reflection of the fears of the time period: germ warfare. In THE OMEGA MAN, Neville (Heston) is a doctor who survived a Russo-China war that decimated the Earth's population with some destructive germ agent. Neville seems to have an anti-body that keeps him alive, but the infected survivors want to change that.

The movie is about Neville's adventures as he tries to keep himself alive while trying to keep himself supplied so he may continue living. Of course he finds other survivors and decides to try to save mankind with the antidote his blood contains.

 

This is one of the movies that I AM LEGEND took pointers from. While this movie doesn't have the special effects nor budget of the Will Smith flick, I think it drives home the point way better, and makes you think more than the newer version. When you see people who look like you and me but are clearly terribly ill, it has a deeper impact on you than some CG zombies ever will.

 

Again, this movie is a reflection of the fears of the early 70s so it's very interesting to watch it for what it is. In a way you can think of it as propaganda creating awareness for what can possibly go wrong if we didn't learn our lessons before it was too late.

Perhaps.

Regardless of which side of the political spectrum you may sit, this is a good movie to sit and watch in it's entirety and to leave time to think about it afterward.

I saw this for free via AMAZON PRIME on my KINDLE FIRE. It streamed nicely and smooth, and high rez.

THE OMEGA MAN