Look at this, listen to it, and enjoy it!

Just Watch: Camera

This clip from the movie I am Legend started in mainly darkness except for the door to the building that was open and allowed light to come in.  The viewer focuses on this light.  It is dominant just like Ebert says.  This is reinforced again when the vial of blood Smith throws on the ground is brighter than he is because the movie makers want you to focus on what is being done not on the actor himself.  This same part is from a point of view below Smith’s eye-line and therefore enhances the object (Ebert).  While Smith waits for his trap to work there is a slight camera tilt to the right, which Ebert suggest means some sadness or what I took as fear and the future what I took as anticipation.  At the point when the zombie gets trapped in Will Smith’s set up there is quick and rapid motion, this action sets a tone of destruction.  The clip had over 10 switches of the camera point of view.  Because there was very little dialog in this clip the switching back and forth kind of acted as the dialog between Will Smith’s character and the zombies.  Smith and the zombies tended to be center in most all of the shots.  Ebert’s ideas of left and right placement didn’t come in as much, but if I had to choose then I would say they were slightly more to the right of the screen showing the importance.

Just Listen: Audio

At the beginning of the clip things are very quiet with just the sound effects of glass breaking and bird in the background.  This created a sense of eeriness which with further emphasized by the echo and hollow sounds.  There is one point where the sounds loudness and speed picks up.  It is destructive and animal like.  After that there is a change to beeping noise that reminded me of a hospital.  Then comes the only real dialog, Smith speaking about vitals in a serious voice that is quite monotone.

All Together Now

Putting the two together allows the viewer to more fully understand the story being told.  Smith is alone (hollow/empty sound) and is setting a trap (the blood) to catch one of the zombies.  When he does catch one it is loud and quick to show to excitement and battle.  Further more, looking at the whole I noticed the setting was in New York City, that action is fully captured with vision and hearing.  Also Smith wears Black when he is out “hunting” and White when he is taking care and trying to find a cure to save people.  I feel that these help to emphasize and represent the scene parts.  All of these help carry the story along.

I am Legend is an Sci-Fi Thriller.  This is because of the use of zombies and the action pack suspense and drama.  The movie was made in 2007 and set in 2012.  It has some interesting points involved in the making of the movie that help explain this.  All from here and from here!

1) The action and destruction – Above Neville’s TV is a replica of Vincent van Gogh‘s “Starry Night”, a painting showing the violence and chaos of a night sky.

2) The zombie/creature show the sci-fi – Although the creatures are referred to as Dark Seekers, during the film, if watched with the subtitles on (DVD) they are called Hemocytes.

3) Sci-fi Action – The concept behind the infected was that their adrenal glands were open all of the time.

This combined clips helps show this, unfortunately I couldn’t find where to change the aspect ratio: