Soylent Green (1973)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Richard Fleischer

Writers:

Stanley R. Greenberg (screenplay)
Harry Harrison (novel)

Release Date:

9 May 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

It's the year 2022... People are still the same. They'll do anything to get what they need. And they need SOYLENT GREEN.

Plot:

In an overpopulated futuristic Earth, a New York police detective finds himself marked for murder by government agents when he gets too close to a bizarre state secret involving the origins of a revolutionary and needed new foodstuff.

Plot Keywords:

Food | New York City | Murder | Police | Police Detective

Awards:

3 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Charlton Heston	...	Thorn
Leigh Taylor-Young	...	Shirl
Chuck Connors	...	Tab
Joseph Cotten	...	Simonson
Brock Peters	...	Hatcher
Paula Kelly	...	Martha
Edward G. Robinson	...	Sol Roth
Stephen Young	...	Gilbert
Mike Henry	...	Kulozik
Lincoln Kilpatrick	...	The Priest
Roy Jenson	...	Donovan
Leonard Stone	...	Charles
Whit Bissell	...	Santini
Celia Lovsky	...	The Exchange Leader
Dick Van Patten	...	Usher #1

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M (original rating) | Australia:PG (TV rating) | France:U | UK:15 (DVD rating) | UK:AA (original rating) | Iceland:16 | USA:TV-MA (TV rating) | Canada:PG | Finland:K-18 | Norway:15 (re-rating) | Norway:16 (original rating) | Singapore:PG | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:PG | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles Sports Arena - 3939 S. Figueroa Street, Exposition Park, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

All of the dialogue for actor Mike Henry ("Sgt. Kulozik") was dubbed. The actor's slight Southern drawl did not fit in with the New York cop character he was playing.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the scene where Charleton "uses" the furniture, his ascot goes from on to off too quickly for him to have tied it.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Voice over PA: First stage removal. First stage removal. Streets prohibited to non-permits in one hour. Streets prohibited to non-permits in one hour.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "The Ben Stiller Show: A Few Good Scouts (#1.12)" (1993)

Soundtrack:

Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op.68: 'Pastoral': I. Allegro ma non Troppo

a great surprise - highly enjoyable.

I watched this film sort of by accident, having bought it as the B side on The Omega Man DVD. The Omega Man was a bit of a disappointment - except for the beginning, which was clearly the inspiration for 28 Days Later, the rest of it is just the stuff of TV movies. But Soylent Green is in a whole other league. I bet this is one of Tarantino's favourites. There are at least 3 scenes in the film that I've never seen anything like before. Heston casually getting into bed with the "furniture" while discussing something else completely unrelated! A whole crowd of people being scooped up by a fleet of mechanical diggers! A priest taking confession and being shot by the confessor. Ok maybe that's been done since - but there aren't many films that are so consistently original like this. And what the heck is going on between Heston and Edward G. Robinson? Is this the most unlikely gay couple ever, or what? Luckily, I saw this film without knowing the ending - which apparently is rare. Then I watched it again, and enjoyed all the little clues that make the long early scenes worthwhile. A very nice script - and some great sets too. Just when you thought you'd seen everything . . .