The two legends

Just finish to read "i am legend" the novel of Richard Matheson, but of course i've seen ten years ago (and seen again recently) the movie with Will Smith as main actor.

Without know more about Richard Matheson books i read his novel like many times i have do with other books translated to movies, or viceversa. I remember "the road" of Cormac McCarthy novel of 2006, first with reading the book and next seen the movie with Viggo Mortensen as actor.

Like someone is expecting the movie copy as possibile the novel and sometimes adapting some parts. In "the road" it is, ok some parts are "zipped" due to real time exigence.

With "i am legend" i was amazed because the book and the movie have only two things in common, the title and the name of main character. Robert Neville in the novel is described like a lumberjack, caucasian with blonde hair and blue eyes...well is definitely not remembering Will Smith..

picture cc0 creative commons

But also the time, the book clearly indicate the date from 1975 to January of 1979, the movie is modern, in 2007 where is shown. I know after Matheson write this novel in 1954 and for him, at the time, the '70 can ben the dystopian future.

Also the dog where in the movie is preeminent, like in the book was an emotional thing, but in the novel the pet is a quick thing in whole story. And of course, the vampires. Matheson divide in the scientific and critics this figure, for example the garlic and the rood, the first one have some chemical principles to explain, but the second one? Neville will understand also this "non scientist" thing into a rational and explainable one.

In fact the "movie Neville" was a sort of chemist but the one in the novel is not. He's make is own culture, with study and learn himself, often with real problem's.

Also the vampire's are different, Matheson describe it with accuracy and put the point in some difference's where Neville realize that but don't understand this more broadly. In the movie they are present but there isn't a real/explicit focus where he wants the author to bring us.

I'd say to like this dichotomy from movie to novel and i not expect that. In 2007 the director was able to take cues and maintain his own "artistic license" for re interpretate the modern Neville and do not touch the '70 Neville.