Comparing The Stories and Characters of The Day after Tomorrow and I Am Legend

Through the different genres of movies, differences and similarities can be compared. Apocalyptic movies have taken center stage when it comes to entertainment over the years. Although there are many apocalyptic movies, there are also many different ways directors can approach the idea of the end of the world. “The Day After Tomorrow” (Emmerich, 2004) and “I Am Legend” (Lawrence, 2007) have two different takes on the idea of the apocalypse. Even though the category is one and the same, the idea is completely different between the two films. One is able to observe the similarities and differences in this genre through the way the director approached the idea of the apocalypse, the realism of the movies, and how the characters are displayed.

Analyzing the Narratives and Characters of The Day After Tomorrow and I Am Legend

“The Day After Tomorrow” was directed by Roland Emmerich. He approached the ‘end of the world’ idea by using the concept of Global Warming, going through stages of hail, intense storming, flooding, snow, then eventually leading to an ice age. At first, the effects were minor; no one took note of the dangers that were in the future. The Government became involved as the progression became more aggressive; trying to keep everyone calm, they attempted to fix the situation on their own. Eventually, it became clear that nothing could be done. The citizens had to make their own decisions on whether to stay where they were or follow everyone else who decided Mexico would be the safest place for the time being. It was up to seventeen-year-old Sam Hall (Jake Gyllenhaal) to calm the people in New York as they waited the tragedy out in a local library. Jack Hall (Dennis Quaid) ventures through the fatal, dangerous struggle to retrieve his son. Once reached, the unrecognizable New York City was just a pile of snow. However, some of mankind was retrieved, and the climate shift slowly returned to normality, which saved a portion of humanity.

“I Am Legend” has a different take, directed by Francis Lawrence. Robert Neville (Will Smith) is the one man left in the world, as he thinks. Once the cure for cancer was discovered, life was perfect until an infection broke out and began spreading, infecting anyone. The Government became involved, trying to evacuate anyone who was not infected. The outbreak of this disease eventually plagued the entire country, turning innocent humans into savage mutants. Neville spends most of his time hunting these miscreations with his one companion, Sam, his dog. He constantly tests different medicines on mutated rats to try to find a cure. Once he gets into a dangerous, life-threatening situation, he was saved by Anna (Alice Braga), thinking she was alone in this as well with her son Ethan (Charlie Tahan). They meet and discover that there is hope. Anna explains to Robert about the life of humanity in a different area, but he is hesitant and stubborn about the idea of leaving. Tragedy takes place when their house becomes intruded by the savages, and the only way to save themselves is to destroy the house. Robert decides to give Anna the cure and lets her and Ethan escape while he stays behind. These movies have similar endings considering they both have hope for humanity and are able to reconstruct the world.

Realism and Representation of Apocalyptic Scenarios

The realism of apocalyptic scenarios often hinges on the director's vision. Both of these movies have some sense of realism to them. “The Day After Tomorrow” expresses the idea of Global Warming, which from some perspectives is in action today. Whether or not global warming ever gets to the point where the world would experience an ice age is not determined. However, the movie is not completely unrealistic; there have been instances where weather has affected the world drastically. “I Am Legend” may be a little less realistic. Although there are some realistic points throughout the movie, such as the cure for cancer; even though that has not yet been discovered, it may be in the future. Determining if the cure turns people into mutants is less realistic. Some studies believe there could be a zombie apocalypse sometime in the future, which relates back to the mutants in the movie. Both movies combined have some sense of realism to them, whether they are completely accurate is irrational. The pair is based purely on entertainment, yet they provoke thought about our world's future.

Character Analysis

The characters throughout both movies have some similar actions, but for the most part, they remain different. Jack Hall (Dennis Quaid) in “The Day After Tomorrow” was very dedicated to his work; most of the time, he would put his work over his son Sam Hall (Jake Gyllenhaal). When Jack realized the danger that his son was in, he risked his own life to travel across the country to be with him. Sam stood up to be the leader while waiting for his dad to come for him. Jack changed throughout the movie, knowing that his family goes before anything rather than his work. Both characters showed strength, leadership, and dedication.

Robert Neville (Will Smith) in “I Am Legend” was the opposite with his family. His work was very important to him, but he would always put his family before anyone else. Once his family died, he kept them around in spirit. It is clear once Anna (Alice Braga) and Ethan (Charlie Tahan) came into the picture, he took care of them as well as he could; he treated them as his family. At the end, he put their lives before his own. Robert’s character proclaimed strength, humbleness, and gratitude similar to the characters in “The Day After Tomorrow”. The characters in both movies reflect the human capacity for resilience and sacrifice in the face of insurmountable odds.

Conclusion

It is clear that even if movies are in the same genre, they can have different ideas on how to express it. The way the director sees the idea is how they will interpret it. No matter how different the plots are, if they are in the same genre, they will share some type of similarities. One is able to view these similarities and differences through the director’s view of the apocalypse, the realism of the movies, and how the characters are displayed. Both films offer a unique perspective on apocalyptic scenarios, challenging viewers to reflect on humanity’s place in an unpredictable world.

References

• Emmerich, R. (Director). (2004). The Day After Tomorrow [Film]. 20th Century Fox.
• Lawrence, F. (Director). (2007). I Am Legend [Film]. Warner Bros.