Pandemic Talks

The movie I am Legend is not everyone's movie. Aside from the fact that it displays world class computer graphics, exhibitions of Will Smith's impressive acting prowess, a simple storyline and fluid storytelling, the movie's subject may stir so many reactions and reflections.

I will not tell and spoil the movie here just like what I did with Hitman. All I'm going to say is that the movie talks about a certain pandemic attack, and the holistic effects on the remaining human survivors. It puts humanity back to basics. It puts a person's psychological and physical capabilities to the test. The world is shown in the eyes of the survivors. And it doesn't help that the infected acquire vampire-like qualities and the survivors as main source of food.

I am Legend is reminiscent of movies like 28 days and 28 Weeks later. These three films similarly talk about survivors of a very chilling pandemic. In 28 days and 28 weeks, the pandemic comes from a virus unknown to man, specifically from the Raging qualities of an ape or was it a chimp? Hence the virus is called the RAGE virus when people develop a penchant for killing brutally all the uninfected. It's like people are driven mad to kill, with the effects of blood gushing from their eyes and mouth. For I am Legend, the virus is called the K Virus when the infected develop vampire-like qualities and which human psychology, behavior and physiological attributes are totally wiped out.

Movies like these tweak people's minds. It tests the possibility, and unlike the movie ENCHANTED, movies like I am Legend and 28 Days Later, have a better grip on the possible and frightening reality. Audience of pandemic concentrated movies cannot help but put themselves in the character's shoes. It causes a shudder here and there and the possibility of it happening is entertained yet violently pushed aside...or is it?

When I got home from watching the movie, I was put into a research mode savvy to learn more about what PANDEMIC is all about. I browsed at my reliable information source, wikipedia, and found Pandemic to be a form of epidemic that spreads through human population across a large region.

According to World Health Organization, there are three conditions that should be met before ruling it out as pandemic.

1. The emergence of a disease is new to the population
- It just means that no proven cure is made available or accessible
2. The agent infects humans, causing serious illness
- Humans are susceptible victims and the effects of the illness is grave or fatal to oneself or others.
3. The agent spreads easily and sustainably among humans.
- The speed is faster and consistent than anyone thinks.


Pandemics are by far worse than any man-made military war. It strikes so fast and it's not selective. Unlike war, the opponent is identified. The cure is to diminish political egos and collective and sensible revolution. With Pandemics, the virus is often like a ghost. It's not known and cannot be easily identified nor killed as it continuously spreads to anyone from children, to women to men. It's unmerciful unless the cure is identified.

This world has suffered numerous forms of epidemics, but thankfully not pandemics. MOst recently we had the H5N1, which is simply known as the Avian Influenza. In 2005, World Health immediately announced to the public to prepare of a pandemic flu that could strike as much as 20% of the world's population. Looking back on ancient times, they had tuberculosis, typhoid fever and typus. Bottom line of these pandemics are that each pandemic is new the first time it strikes. A pandemic can never be an old recurring disease. A pandemic is like a thief, it strikes at the back, cripples a defenseless man and kills whoever witnesses it.

Pandemics usually are lowered to the epidemic degree since humans are lucky enough to control the situation. At this point, we should still consider ourselves very lucky.

It made me contemplate on man's wheel of fortune. We are constantly trying to challenge science. We are slaves of scientific pursuits and evolution in a hope to cure recurring diseases like cancer or AIDS. But does science have a limit? Does it always tend to work for us? Think of it this way, Without any disease, there wouldn't be any reason to pursue in developing a certain cure. It just goes to show that no matter how ingenious and brilliant we have come in the field of science, we are still at the mercy of nature.

Nature can easily destroy us, drive us to insanity and pieces before actually finding a particular cure. It saddens me to think that pandemics are actually possible. It's real and we can never foresee it. Therefore it humbles us.

These types of movies do not only tell the possible hardships of any survivor. It reminds us to be thankful and treasure life. It reminds us not to be boastful with science because Nature can just easily turn it against us and douse our egotistical nature with a deadly touch of regret. And no matter what we do and ignore the fact that this bogus idea is absurd, remember that that is the main element of what a pandemic is all about. It's Bogus. It's Unknown till it strikes and often than not, it's Fatal.