Rob_Taylor When I was a LOT younger I remember seeing this film and being fascinated by it. As time passed and I grew older, I forgot the details until all I could remember was an apocalypse movie with some singer in it that my mother had liked. As the years passed I forgot it completely and it was only recently that I came across it again and had the pleasure of watching it as an adult.To watch it now only highlights how far we've come as a society. Sometimes we forget, immersed in our day-to-day troubles, just how much better times are now. We have evolved, as a society, but to those of us who are part of that evolution, the changes happen so slowly we don't notice them. At least, not until something like this movie is revisited to see how things WERE.The story follows the fortunes of a young black engineer after a mysterious apocalyptic event destroys all trace of humanity from the Earth. Man's works are left behind, but of man himself there is, for the early part of the film, only Belafonte's character.With typical stoicism born of the post-war era, Belafonte first digs himself free of a collapsed mine, then sets about making a home for himself in the empty city. Bereft of companionship, his future looks a lonely one as he slowly pieces together what has happened to the world.Of course, he soon discovers a white female survivor and this is where the film really starts to shine. The interplay between the two is electric and both Belafonte and Stevens give dynamic performances as they struggle to come to terms with their growing attraction to one another. Belafonte is particularly adept at getting across how the mindset of non-whites led them to believe they were inferior.Given the time the film was made this in itself would be enough to make a fantastic film, but it's not enough for this movie. After a period where Belafonte and Steven's characters seem to have come to some sort of "truce" between themselves, they discover a third survivor - a white male.Needless to say, the character dynamic undergoes a dramatic change, with Ferrer's white character trying to dominate the trio and taking an interest in Steven's female character.All the usual love-triangle difficulties arise, made all the more intense because of the inter-racial aspect. As tensions mount, the two males eventually come to blows over the female regardless of her wishes in the matter.So, what we have are inter-racials tensions along with (for the time) typical male misogyny.The film is essentially this dynamic played out to an extreme. However, it is in fact the final scenes of the movie that really set it apart as something phenomenal.Having fought and nearly killed each other, it seems set that the men will go their separate ways and the woman must choose one of them. However, with a truly unique twist, she chooses them both and the final scene is the three of them walking off into the distance, hand in hand whilst over the top of the scene appear the words "The beginning.." It may not sound like much, but for 1959 this was a truly epic scene to put on celluloid. The notion that a white woman might have relations with a black man let alone (as hinted strongly here) that there might be a threesome going on, was something that just wasn't done.For those who didn't grow up with any of that racial or sexist nonsense, it might seem bizarre or unrealistic that such things were a big deal. And for you, the best equivalent I could cite in today's world as a similar taboo might involve a brother/sister incest relationship. It really was that big a deal back then.Films like this are often forgotten, or ignored on channel playlists because of their age or content. This is a massive shame, because there are some truly magnificent films out there that are fading almost into myth because of a lack of exposure.It is films like this that show us just how far we've come in fifty odd years. But it is also films like this that show us that, even back then, there were those who hoped for change and expressed that hope and desire through the medium of film.If you like a good, tense character drama, then you'll not find many better than this one.

Coventry Wow, this must be one of the most "ahead of their time" movies ever made! Back in a decade where the Sci-Fi genre almost exclusively existed of cheesy outer space invasion movies and tacky B-monster flicks, "The World, the Flesh and The Devil" brings an emotionally devastating and deeply discomforting portrait of a post-apocalyptic big blue marble. Richard Matheson wrote his hugely famous novella "I Am Legend" five years earlier in 1954 already, but this is cinema and also very different & innovating. Matheson's tale, which received three major film versions over the years, is primarily a Sci-Fi spectacle with the last man on earth battling against mutant creators or albino vampires, whereas this is merely a socially engaging drama unafraid to cover taboo topics like interracial rivalry, cultural differences, selfishness and mental collapsing. Quite courageous and ambitious aims for a low-budgeted movie, and I don't at all intend to claim "The World, the Flesh and the Devil" is a masterpiece or anything, but it's definitely an intriguing and praiseworthy effort with a reasonable amount of monumental sequences, horridly void locations and great acting.After being trapped in a collapsed mine for five days, the optimistic (as he keeps serenading) and colored Ralph Burton gives up hope of being rescued and digs his own way out. To Ralph's astonishment, there's not a living soul in sight and even the giant city of New York is godforsaken. Following a reluctant process of accepting his position, Ralph courageously begins to rebuild his own private civilization with decorated buildings, electricity generators and even mannequin dolls for company. Then Sarah Crandall, another and female survivor, appears and the two build up a tight friendship even though Ralph maintains an unnatural distance between them. Several weeks and minor incidents later, a third survivor literally sails onto dry land and, like the ancient expression says, three's always a crowd. The while and confident Benson Thacker clearly intends to make advances with Sarah and sees a threatening competitor in Ralph. Talk about hopelessness when even the last three survivors can't even get along!Particularly the first hour of "The World, the Flesh and the Devil" is very solid. The footage of Ralph wandering around the empty streets of NY in despair, or the sequences where he desperately tries to radio-contact others but eventually reverts to talking to plastic dolls, are unimaginably powerful. The romantic tension between him and Sarah as well result in a handful of superb moments, especially since director Ranald MacDougall genuinely generates the impression that they really are the last ones left and thus mankind's final hope for survival. Unfortunately, but like the title slightly forebodes already, the film eventually becomes too lyric, morally preachy and overly symbolic. The three main (and only) characters gradually alter into walking, talking exemplifications of their values and beliefs and their behavior simply isn't plausible. I just cannot believe that Ralph would react the way he does to certain situations, regardless of the fact he's black and presumably lived a life of oppression before the day of the apocalypse. Speaking of which, apart from the emptiness on city streets, there are very little signs indicating the end of the world. The areas are clean, the buildings are intact and there are no traces of possible mass hysteria. It is hinted that sodium clouds of dust caused the total annihilation of mankind, but it looks more like all humanity just vaporised into thin air. Shouldn't there be small piles of ashes and remnants of clothes all over the streets, or something? Obviously, the lack of horrific images and special effects in general are due to budgetary restrictions. Heck, the excessively moralist speeches are probably also meant to divert the attention from typical Sci-Fi scenery and stunt work. The final 15-20 minutes are quite preposterous, I must admit, but if you have a far-ranging sense of humor, you might still appreciate it. There's actually quite a lot of humor in "The World, the Flesh and the Devil", albeit it's often very repressed and dry. All the typical 'last man on earth' jokes pass the revue, but they're quite funny, like when Ralph rejects Sarah's proposal of moving in together by saying "the neighbors might talk". Good old Harry Belafonte is excellent in one of the only lead performances of his career and literally overpowers his male opponent, veteran and multi-versatile actor Mel Ferrer. Inger Stevens is simply ravishing. It's a damn shame she committed suicide at the age of 36; barely 11 years after the release of this film. In spite of some defaults "The World, the Flesh and The Devil" is a definite must-see for fans of intelligent Sci-Fi and extra suggested for people who saw and loved all the other entries in the "Last Man on Earth" sub genre.

pppossum This film was an excellent film of its type. It was daring in its (not quite complete--you couldn't get away with it then) treatment of race in those times. The film clearly pointed--it never said--that Inger Stevens would end up with the best man.It was extremely well acted. Belafonte was so human, so believable as the telephone engineer who couldn't accept this end. When race arose in the picture, it arose as a problem, a real problem, but not an hysterical diatribe. Inger Stevens was good. Mel Ferrer, as another viewer noted, was not the easy bigot, but a man who was used to getting his way, given the methods society allowed. He didn't really care about Belafonte's color, but about the girl. The script, given the willing suspension of disbelief you needed to accept a world in which no bodies could be seen, was excellent as well. As for realism, the theatre (correct spelling, IMDb!) has been using this kind of signification since Greek theatre didn't allow acts of violence on the stage. My only problem is not being able to get a copy because of the years of bad press from a public that loves gore more than human substance.

Skragg I've seen many actors play the "last man on earth," and NO ONE ever played the part as believably as Harry Belafonte. There's his reaction when he's listening to those radio messages ; his shouting at the whole world to come back (I'm paraphrasing this) : "Where did you all go? What did I do?" ; his trying to live alone with the mannequins ; singing to himself ; his reaction when he finds out there's someone else ; his line when Mel Ferrer threatens him : "Is this World War IV ?" And Inger Stevens was extremely good in it, including her big argument with him, telling him she can live alone, with its almost funny little faux pas : "I'm free, white and 21." And Mel Ferrer, whose character (if I'm correct) was more arrogant in a GENERAL way than he was a bigot, seemed very right for that part. People have complained about the faulty science and similar things, but to me, those things pale alongside the actors and characters. One science fiction guidebook had a great line about this "last three people on earth" movie : "Well, at least one of them can sing."