THE OMEGA MAN

US, 1971, 98 minutes, Colour.
Charlton Heston, Anthony Zerbe, Rosalind Cash.
Directed by Boris Sagal.

The Omega Man comes father late in the day for nuclear destruction science-fiction. It is reminiscent of the 1959 Harry Belafonte film, The World, the Flesh and the Devil. Once again, Charlton Heston plays a world-significant role (after blowing up the universe in - Beneath the Planet of the Apes, 1970).

What makes this film different is the strange struggle between Heston and a strange brotherhood of Darkness, led by Anthony Zerbe. It is not difficult to see allegory here, nor in the final Christ-figure death of Heston. Far-fetched, perhaps, but very interesting.

1. How significant was the title?

2. First impressions as Robert Neville rode seemingly irresponsibly through New York?

3. Was the nuclear destruction of the city and people plausible? How horrifying was this picture of a city with dead lying about? Was the survival of Robert Neville plausible?

4. How could an individual live alone after the rest of mankind had died? What effect did this have on Neville and how did he keep his sanity?

5. Why did the Family attack Neville? Here the origins of the Family well explained? What had happened, what motivated them?

6. What hold did Matthias have over them? What motivated him?

7. Other human beings existed? Why did they fear each other at first? What hopes of survival did they have?

8. Why did Richie believe in Matthias? Why did he betray Neville? Reaction when Lisa became one of the Family?

9. What was the significance of Neville's death? What hope was there for the recovery of the human race?

10. What impact do science-fiction features like this have on a general audience? Do they frighten and influence reaction to nuclear warfare?

11. How pessimistic are such films?

12. Is it too fanciful to interpret the film as a modern allegory, with Neville as some kind of Omega-Saviour? figure; e.g. being able to live in light and strive for life as opposed to the Family living only in darkness and striving for death and destruction? The Saviour figure literally gives his blood for the life of the world from his pierced side; he dies, transfixed, in blood and water, arms outstretched, in a crucified image, with which the film ends? How significant?