The Omega Man Has Fallen

For a few weeks now, some friends and I have been wanting to make our way through some of the more excellent offerings of 70's sci-fi films. Our plan to watch The Omega Man this evening seemed all the more appropriate given the news this morning of Charlton Heston's death.

For those unaware, Omega Man was the second film adaptation of Richard Matheson's 1954 novel, I am Legend. I saw the adaptation by the same name with Will Smith last year, and though it was no Children of Men, the portrayal of the emotional impact of the apocalypse was similarly impressive.

I was not exactly expecting a similar experience from Omega Man. Charlton Heston did not really do emotional depth so much as he did varying degrees of a squarely set jaw combined with a somewhat blase misogyny. The Omega Man was a perfect vessel for this. Where Will Smith's Robert Nevile was a dedicated scientist and all around badass, Heston sortof loped around town with a swagger, seemingly less concerned with restoring the human race or avoiding the mildly vampiric 'survivors' sharing the city with him than with taking a drive and looking awesome. And awesome he certainly did look.

In a way, I hope that this is the legacy Heston is remembered for, being the awesome leading man from 70's sci-fi classics. I would certainly rather remember the man in the unbelievably excellent neckerchief in Soylent Green than the head of the NRA, the 'pry it from my cold, dead hands,' line or the elderly gentleman being harassed by Michael Moore.

Tags: movies