Robert Morgan: Another day to live through. Better get started.
Rather an unsettling watch considering the current climate. Based on Richard Matheson's novel 'I am Legend' (which-disclaimer- I haven't read), the film is set in an alternative present: a post-apocalyptic world in which Dr Robert Morgan (Vincent Price) is the last man on Earth, everyone else having been infected by a pandemic caused by an airborne virus to which only he has immunity. A self-appointed caretaker of Earth, every day's as dull as the next, as he replaces the garlic and mirror on his door with the acceptance of the 'new normal'- for he's not entirely alone as some of the infected have risen from the dead as a zombie-vampire hybrid. Morgan spends most of his day staking the infected, completely numbed to the act of killing. But as per every iteration of this story, there are other living beings, though thankfully it avoids the trope of the hero finding a love interest and thus having to repopulate the world.
It sounds like the perfect opportunity for some campy horror but the monsters themselves aren't that impressive. Other than putting out the garlic and mirror, Morgan doesn't have to do much to defend himself; they mainly bang uselessly at his house. Really, it's more of a psychological exploration of loneliness. Because of its low budget, the film was produced in Italy with Vincent Price being the only English-speaker and all the other actors are dubbed, which further adds to the alienation. Rome stands in for New York, again, giving the sense that the world as we know it is completely changed.
Those expecting a shlocky cult horror or a fast-paced spectacle will be disappointed; Price underplays it, never sending up the material and really conveying Morgan's depression, whilst also showing the moral ambiguity. I imagine he was too old for the role, being in his early fifties at the time, but this isn't really an action film and black-and-white hides all manner of sins. The black-and-white cinematography (again, probably another way of cutting costs) works so well in portraying the stark desolation; there is a colourised version, although I haven't ever seen a film that was improved by that technique and I imagine it shows up the limitations of a low budget
Though it's not a flashy horror, the film has many unsettling moments. A particularly chilling moment is when Morgan's wife runs after a military van, which is taking a pile of dead bodies to the incinerator- one of which is her daughter. Morgan fluctuates between being a sympathetic character and being very morally dubious; weirdly the fact that the zombie-vampire hybrids are basically just slowed-down humans makes his staking them even more sinister.
If you're in the mood for a plague film, The Last Man on Earth is a great example of a film turning its weaknesses into strengths and stands out amongst other apocalyptic films.