Heston passed away the day before I sat watching this film for the first time for 25 years. Heston was the ultimate definition of giant mega-star presence and a master of lines delivery that seems to emanate from his chest. Though he has played biblical heroes to iconic effect, I feel that he excels most as the arrogant, stubborn hero/anti-hero. This is such a role and is a tour de force for this giant of an actor. Although set in an apocalyptic future, this movie has everything 70s stamped all over it (made in 1971) including some laughable jive talk from Heston "come on, baby" but all the better for it as this was the decade of heightened paranoia, rebellion and cult factions. This film captures all those elements despite its apocalyptic setting. There are moments of excitement but it is ultimately a riveting one man show which only an actor of Heston's calibre can pull off. I am sure Tom Hanks terrific performance in Castaway was influenced by this. The film's narrative is smartly done with the use of flashbacks and a captivating storyline making this highly enjoyable.