I just got around to seeing Soylent Green for the first time. Somehow I got it into my head that it was a trashy movie. Maybe all the spoofs and parodies of it colored my judgment. I started watching the DVD expecting some trashy fun.
My expectations changed very quickly. The film starts on a very strong footing with a musical photo-montage that deftly conveys the effects if the industrial revolution, overcrowding, and pollution. There is another montage near the end of the movie, as well. These portions of the film are incredibly striking and powerful. It's some of the most evocative film-making I've seen. They are the high points of the film, and are so bold, that they would be reason enough to see this film.
The rest of the film is uneven, but it's still watchable and compelling. There is a great deal of provocative material here, and it will have you thinking about it for days.
The film is set in the future, but most of the sets look like the early 1970s, when the film was made. One exception is an upscale apartment where the rich folks live. It has an interesting white-hued futuristic look. The apartment comes complete with what, at the time, was a great futuristic advance-one of the first arcade style video games, created by Nolan Bushnell who went on to found Atari. It probably looked pretty cool at the time, but now it looks like a primitive version of Asteroids. It doesn't help that the actress playing with it does not seem to have a clue how to operate it. Her ships keep dying every second or two, yet she is oblivious to this and acts like she's having a grand time. Couldn't someone on the set have spent a few minutes teaching her how to play it? Despite all that, I thought it was a neat scene, and I was pleased to see that vintage game. I think i remember playing it!
You have to make allowances. We are a bit spoiled now. Movies such as Blade Runner and the 5th Element have a fully realized futuristic world with all the little details shown to perfection. You almost take that for granted now. Video games have come a long way, for that matter. I hope we don't get so spoiled by the current technology that we are no longer willing to supply some of our own sense of wonder.
In Soylent Green, you don't see a thing that suggests a futuristic world for much of the picture. This can be forgiven because there is great acting by the principals, Charlton Heston and Edward G. Robinson in his last film appearance. There are also a profusion of thought provoking ideas. You probably know the shock ending of this film. Few people won't know the big reveal going in. It's common knowledge whether or not you've seen the film. That's not the main attraction of the film. Enjoyment of it does not depend on the shock ending.
Soylent Green is not a trashy movie. It's a great , thought-provoking near masterpiece with good acting and great scenes. If you are a film buff, or a science fiction fan, you'll definitely want to see this one. Check it out if you have a chance.
