"Light up the darkness"

In the movie I Am Legend, Will Smith plays a man who lives in fear and solitude for three years. He is driven by his desire to cure a biological disaster that seems to have wiped out all of humanity except him. On the outside this film is an awesome movie depicting zombies and mans instinct for survival. On a deeper level this movie is about social values, which can be illustrated, in Will Smith’s character’s favorite quote in the movie, “Light up the darkness.” He wants to be as dedicated in bringing good, or light, into the world. One obvious theme in I Am Legend is Light vs. Darkness. As humans we were designed to depend on light. Light implies reconciliation, goodness and purity. In the movie there are two kinds of people left in the world: Light-dwellers and dark-dwellers. Will Smith is one of the few light-dwellers left in the world. The majority however are crazed zombies who can only come out at night because sunlight will burn and kill them. In I Am Legend, the majority of people left on earth have the capacity to be productive but they are compelled by their infection to use their strengths for killing, destruction and for infecting others. The minority, the light-dwellers, risks their lives in their attempts to save the dark-dwellers. A close connection can be drawn between the good people in this world and the light-dwellers as well as corrupt people in this world and the dark-dwellers. So few of us actually make the effort to provide a better world while others only serve in destroying it. That’s what this movie attempts to communicate and I believe it succeeds.

As a film and video major it is no secret horror films are the easiest to make. Their plots are simple and the idea is simple: blood. However I do feel that horror films are perfect for opening the eyes of the audiences to certain truths about humanity. Some examples of this are evident in the articles we read. After reading those two articles I have a better understanding of the rules and regulations that make a horror film. Overall almost every movie has some deeper meaning that requires an analysis to find. The difference between the outside entertainment and the deeper meaning can only be communicated through the film and that’s what makes a good movie.