The Omega Man (1971)

Directed by: Boris Sagal | 98 minutes | drama, thriller, science fiction | Actors: Charlton Heston, Anthony Zerbe, Rosalind Cash, Paul Koslo, Eric Laneuville, Lincoln Kilpatrick, Jill Giraldi, Anna Aries, Brian Tochi, DeVeren Bookwalter, John Dierkes, Monika Henreid, Linda Redfearn, Forrest Wood

In ‘The Omega Man’, starring Hollywood icon Charlton Heston, nothing less than the future of humanity is at stake. Heston, the sole survivor of all-out war, must survive on his own in a world where anarchy reigns and nothing is as it used to be. The acting isn’t always great, the bad guys are more laughable than terrifying, and the movie’s pretensions are skyrocketing. Nevertheless, this is a recommended film from the science fiction genre.

It’s not the first time Heston, an all-American actor with a concrete grimace, has held the fate of the world in his hands. As early as 1968, our future was in his hands in Franklin J. Schaffner’s ‘Planet of the Apes’ and in ‘The Omega Man’ the basic idea is not much different. Heston is scientist Neville who, it seems, is the sole survivor of a biological war between East and West and we see him roaming the lonely streets of Los Angeles, the city that in reality also resembles a bit of a ghost town.

Very interesting is the symbolism between ‘old’ inhabitants and ‘new’ inhabitants: Neville is a scientist and loves modern technology and art. Members of the ‘Family’, a group of zombies dressed in black robes, face the new residents after the war, who try to wipe out everything that has to do with the past. Okay, some things are outdated. When Heston dresses up in a tight navy blue tracksuit with white tennis shoes, big leather belt and pilot’s cap to terrify the ‘Family’, you have to love cult movies to take everything seriously.

Much more interesting is the comparison between Neville and the ‘real’ Charlton Heston. Heston was a liberal for a long time, but later in life he turned into a conservative, even the figurehead for the National Rifle Association in America. In ‘The Omega Man’ we see the ‘old’ Heston and not the rigid man we saw in Michael Moore’s ‘Bowling for Columbine’. When Neville quietly enjoys filming the ‘Woodstock’ festival in an abandoned movie theater, he becomes melancholy about the time of free love.

‘Omega’ is set in 1977 and (sub)cultures, art and music have almost completely disappeared. Also notable is that later in the film, Neville is joined by a black woman and, despite the racial tensions of the time, the two do exactly what the only man and only woman on Earth would do: fall in love! The woman, Lisa, at one point even suggests using the pill: no small matter at the time! The other survivors of the war, the occult half-dead of the ‘Family’, are not the film’s strongest asset. Instead of instilling fear, they work on the laughter muscles. How is it possible that someone carried out the idea of ​​starring these Ku Klux Klan-esque characters? Their sphere of influence is increasing, without you really noticing it. The question gradually arises of who you can trust, a feeling that is very similar to the claustrophobic nature of Philip Kaufman’s 1978 Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

‘Omega’ is a captivating science fiction film. The film, which is based on a novel by Richard Matheson, had a predecessor (‘The Last Man on Earth’ from 1964) and a follower (‘I Am Legend’ from 2007). The cult elements are for the enthusiast, but the title music alone, a mixture of violins, cello and drums, is a work of art.