This Warner Bros picture of 1971 is a quite unsatisfying and particularly silly post-apocalyptic sci-fi action/horror flick that (if you believe the guff spruiked in the Special Features segments of this package) carries a message for us all. The only message I get from this film is how brilliant The Simpsons is as a series - in the way it lampooned this film in one of its Halloween specials. And in a scary way, though it was nowhere near Hestons last film; it could well be seen as a precursor to Chucks later involvement with, and presidency of, the National Rifle Association. After all, as will be seen in one of the special features, this movie seems to promote the idea of holding your own turf against the (albeit) majority - and destroying the perceived abnormal - because it is ones right to do so, the gun being paramount to this end.

Charlton Heston is Robert Neville, the Omega (last) man on Earth following a major conflict between Russia and China that leads to the annihilation of the worlds population through biological pollution. However his luck was in as he was the only person able to inject himself with a dose of an effective antidote to the disease. During the day he is effectively safe; being able to roam freely around Los Angeles finding food, clothing and fuel for his solitary existence, whilst searching out the daytime hideout of The Family, seeking their ultimate destruction. The Family, led by the charismatic Matthias (Anthony Zerbe), are the remnants of the citys population that have contracted advanced symptoms of the plague-like disease but have yet to die. The apparent reason for their existence is to roam the city at night looting and burning anything relating to modernity and the technology that caused their illness. I guess you could call them pale and scabby-faced Luddites. But theyre still hip alright - they all wear sunnies as they cannot cope with sunlight or strong light - strange how their lighting of fires doesnt seem to freak them! Enough of that - back to the storyline

Our Chuck (surprise, surprise!) eventually finds that he is not the only healthy person alive, although the people who find him in most cases have largely mild symptoms of the disease, so his blood becomes worth bottling for their cure. One of these folk is a trash talking bad-assed African-American called Lisa (Rosalind Cash) who initially dislikes Chuck, but quickly changes her attitude when he starts helping her quite ill brother. They fall in love, our hero gets his end in, and alls happy until her brother (who can see the evil side to Chucks character) decides to try to offer The Family the miracle cure. We see The Family in their true colours (as heartless cold-blooded murderers) when they kill the boy, thus justifying Hestons equally overt brutality.

There follows a rather strange (though possibly accidental?) symbolic climax to the film. Lisa, whose illness has developed to the tertiary stage, betrays Heston by allowing Matthias and his cronies into his stronghold. They proceed to trash the place, and Heston is mortally wounded, trying to save her from their evil clutches. He survives long enough to be given a solemn send off by the people he has saved through his serum; only to die leaning against a statue in a fountain that manages to prop him up in a pose reminiscent of the death of a rather significant historical figure some 2000 years ago  during the scene (when already dead?) he is clearly asked by the Director to raise his arms slightly higher to accentuate the effect! Maybe Im a cynic, but it bears the hallmarks of that crucifixion pose

The problems I had with The Omega Man started from the opening credits; with a clearly speeded up action sequence setting the tone for the rest of the movie. Added to that is the contemporary yet horribly hokey and B-Grade musical score that grated no end  to me it cheapened the film even further. And the attempt at serious intellectual content with Heston battling his solitude was ineffective. I guess the biggest gripe I had with the film was the basic premise that you shoot first and ask questions (or try to understand) later.

Chuck, as usual, is there resplendent with his typical bravura and trademark grimace (surely he must have patented it!); though he suffers the fate of many ageing action stars in that it is starting to show. Rosalind Cashs performance is way over-the-top, and the majority of the other cast members are as lifeless as Los Angeles is after the bomb.

There are a few thrills and spills, and red paint flies everywhere at times; so if youre into fairly mindless blood and guts action movies, then this may suit.

THE EXTRAS

There are couple of special features available with this package, and one of them provides a couple of VERY interesting issues relating to my earlier opinion:

A 4-minute introduction by the screenwriter, and a couple of actors appearing the movie - its interesting to hear about the changes made to the storyline because the screenwriter thought it would be a good idea. Did it improve the movie? Of course theres the obligatory hero worship of our Chuck.

The Last Man Alive - a 9-minute documentary with many Making of features, but including a discussion between Charlton and a noted anthropologist where Chuck leads the anthropologist into providing justifications for the mayhem that the Omega Man character perpetrates. It is subtle, yet amazing, the inconsistencies between the narrator of this featurette espousing the Omega Mans selfless quest to help all who have survived the Holocaust (meaning The Family  the mob he is heel-bent on destroying?).

CONCLUSION

Charlton Heston is the only person left on Earth after a human induced global catastrophe. Waging a battle with a race of bloodthirsty mutants, what is there left for this last vestige of humanity? Not much, if this is an example of whats left - let nature be left to itself is my assessment after this!