I was always aware of this movie back when I was a kid when they used to play it on TV, but for some reason it didn't interest me. Recently, I was surfing through the channels one late Saturday night, and I came across Soylent Green. Although I just got to see the second half of the movie, there was something about it that attracted me to see it. It was so good that later I purchase it on DVD and I was totally blown away by it. Now, today's demanding audience, are used to elaborate CGI, big explosions, and mindless violence. In Soylent Green you won't find that. Instead, you will find an intelligent movie with a deep environmental commentary, especially for its time.
The Story
This movie is scary, but not in the way you might think. It's scary in its near accuracy and depiction of overpopulation. The story takes place in N.Y.C in the year 2022, where pollution, poverty and overpopulation have reached a frightening point. Soylent is a multinational corporation that provides wafer like rations for the hungry masses. Detective Thorn, played by Charlton Heston, is set to investigate the murder of William R. Simonson, a VIP from the Soylent Corporation. The murder was meant to look like a common burglary, but while conducting the investigation, Thorn notices that there was no force entry and the supposed burglar didn't take anything from the victim's apartment, concluding that it was an execution. He informs his superiors about it, but they seem to be part of a cover up. Thorn, request his friend and roommate, Sol, played by Edward G. Robinson, to help him investigate some books he retrieved from the crime scene. Thorn gets deeper in the case and he also becomes a target. Eventually, Sol discovers the disturbing secret of Soylent Green.
The Characters
The highlight of the movie, other than the story which is great, has to be the acting and dialog of the characters. Detective Thorn is cynical, sarcastic and indifferent with others, but through the course of the movie, he becomes self aware of the pain of others and we get to see him change. Sol is the soul of the movie. He is an elderly cop who reminds Thorn of a different world in another time. There's a quote Sol said that really stuck with me, "People were always rotten, but the world was beautiful." Shirl or the furniture is a young and naïve girl that has opted to become an accessory for those who can afford her. She is often treated as an object by Thorn, but eventually, a relationship between them grows.
The Concept
This is a future where mankind has totally messed up. People literally live on top of each other and basically live in every inch of space they can find. Natural food is a luxury, and even synthetic food is hard to acquire. The rich pays $150 for a jar of strawberry jam and vegetables and meat are a rarity. Society has become a police state, where only the privileged have access to curfew passes. The masses are treated as garbage, this is shown in a scene when Thorn is at a riot because Soylent rations finished at an exchange station and people are literally are being dumped into garbage trucks. But most disturbing is how the film shows how hopeless, aimless and godless people are in this world. Overpopulation is pretty real and it is expected to double in the next 40 years.
The Acting
I think the chemistry between Heston a Robinson is phenomenal. I truly enjoyed the dialog between them, and their relationship. There is a scene where Thorn and Sol are having a diner with the goods Thorn was able to collect from Simonson's apartment. You can see the how they enjoy their meal, giving you a sense of appreciation for what you have.
Final Words
This movie was made in 1973 and it does look like a 70s movie. It looks bleak, dark, and grainy. There is no advance technology and no alien monsters, but instead, the movie carries a heavy message of awareness of things to come. The ending revelation of what is Soylent Green is no secret by now, but I am not going to say it just in case you haven't seen it. The beauty of sci-fi is that it challenges you to think and rationalize on present issues that are happening around the world today.
The Story
This movie is scary, but not in the way you might think. It's scary in its near accuracy and depiction of overpopulation. The story takes place in N.Y.C in the year 2022, where pollution, poverty and overpopulation have reached a frightening point. Soylent is a multinational corporation that provides wafer like rations for the hungry masses. Detective Thorn, played by Charlton Heston, is set to investigate the murder of William R. Simonson, a VIP from the Soylent Corporation. The murder was meant to look like a common burglary, but while conducting the investigation, Thorn notices that there was no force entry and the supposed burglar didn't take anything from the victim's apartment, concluding that it was an execution. He informs his superiors about it, but they seem to be part of a cover up. Thorn, request his friend and roommate, Sol, played by Edward G. Robinson, to help him investigate some books he retrieved from the crime scene. Thorn gets deeper in the case and he also becomes a target. Eventually, Sol discovers the disturbing secret of Soylent Green.
The Characters
The highlight of the movie, other than the story which is great, has to be the acting and dialog of the characters. Detective Thorn is cynical, sarcastic and indifferent with others, but through the course of the movie, he becomes self aware of the pain of others and we get to see him change. Sol is the soul of the movie. He is an elderly cop who reminds Thorn of a different world in another time. There's a quote Sol said that really stuck with me, "People were always rotten, but the world was beautiful." Shirl or the furniture is a young and naïve girl that has opted to become an accessory for those who can afford her. She is often treated as an object by Thorn, but eventually, a relationship between them grows.
The Concept
This is a future where mankind has totally messed up. People literally live on top of each other and basically live in every inch of space they can find. Natural food is a luxury, and even synthetic food is hard to acquire. The rich pays $150 for a jar of strawberry jam and vegetables and meat are a rarity. Society has become a police state, where only the privileged have access to curfew passes. The masses are treated as garbage, this is shown in a scene when Thorn is at a riot because Soylent rations finished at an exchange station and people are literally are being dumped into garbage trucks. But most disturbing is how the film shows how hopeless, aimless and godless people are in this world. Overpopulation is pretty real and it is expected to double in the next 40 years.
The Acting
I think the chemistry between Heston a Robinson is phenomenal. I truly enjoyed the dialog between them, and their relationship. There is a scene where Thorn and Sol are having a diner with the goods Thorn was able to collect from Simonson's apartment. You can see the how they enjoy their meal, giving you a sense of appreciation for what you have.
Final Words
This movie was made in 1973 and it does look like a 70s movie. It looks bleak, dark, and grainy. There is no advance technology and no alien monsters, but instead, the movie carries a heavy message of awareness of things to come. The ending revelation of what is Soylent Green is no secret by now, but I am not going to say it just in case you haven't seen it. The beauty of sci-fi is that it challenges you to think and rationalize on present issues that are happening around the world today.