Soylent Green Review

Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!

Plot Summary: In an overpopulated future, a detective uncovers a horrible truth while trying to solve the murder of a board member from a shady food conglomerate.

Review: This is one of the few movies I would surprisingly not mind if it received the remake treatment. Not because it has lost its resonance, but because it could use a few modifications and polish to make it timeless. Having the distinction of being one of sci-fi's most hellish dystopias, this film serves less as a vision of the future and more of an exaggerated warning regarding numerous worldwide issues. You may be wondering if there's really a difference, but I don't think anyone imagined this as a plausible scenario--just food for thought. There were definitely a few missteps like not having computers or any real advanced technology in this future (it's supposed to be 2022). Plus, a future of endless '70s fashions, looks, colors, and styles? Umm, no thanks! As disturbing as this future may be, the structure is imagined from a naive point of view. Come on, the trick to controlling the masses is giving them the illusion they're in control. You can't have a harsh reality prominently on display with no means of distracting the people. If it were only so easy. None of this is to say the film is bad, as it's quite awesome, you just need to understand its place in the sci-fi pantheon. It's goal is more focused on getting the viewer to think rather than imagine a horrifyingly possible reality.

So what does this world look like? You have overpopulation levels to the point where you have to step over people in any dwelling or in the streets. To give you an idea of what we're dealing with, apparently (according to wikipedia) New York City's current population is roughly 8.5 million and in the movie it's over 40 million. The animal life and vegetation of the planet have been virtually destroyed with the implication that the world's temperature is permanently elevated. There is even a misty cloud in the air at all times similar to smog minus the cars. The people survive on synthetic, cracker-looking food supplements, in varying colors, provided by your trusty Soylent company. You also need food vouchers as most things are rationed. There is massive unemployment, poverty, and the people are unclean--with little water to go around and hardly any electricity; air conditioning is a mere pipe dream. People drop dead left and right with little care or value to human life. In fact, there are euthanasia centers that are heavily frequented by old people wary of the world. If you riot, probably over food shortages, they will scoop you up in dump trucks and not give a shit if you die. Of course, the most disturbing aspect is the film's twist and revelation that "SOYLENT GREEN IS PEOPLE!" So the final icing on the cake is that the excess people are being fed back to the masses. YUM! It's not all doom and gloom though...if you're rich that is. The rich live in lavish and isolated areas where they can eat "real" food and enjoy their, uhh, "furniture." The precious "furniture" are sexy girls who do, I guess, whatever you want, but you have to take care of them. I typically don't care for '70s-era girls, but the ladies in this film are hot! And best of all, you get Atari-esque video games! Fucking PC peasants--Atari 2600 master race!

Besides the unique spin on the future, this film succeeds in numerous regards. First off is the gravitas of Charlton Heston and the rest of the cast. The cornball romance may be shoehorned in at the last second, but I absolutely love Mr. Heston's Thorn character. He's such an asshole, but he's clever and has enough charm to be likable. The banter between the characters is priceless as well. The overall mystery would have kept you guessing quite a bit back in the day, but, unfortunately, the twist is too well known today; however, this doesn't take away from the film at all. The general social statements, messages, and themes are not too preachy or pretentious; they try to tell the story in a succinct manner rather than dwell on artsy bullshit. This doesn't mean that certain aspects of the film aren't throught-provoking as you will probably spend a considerable amount of time reflecting on what you've watched. Given the ending, this is particularly of interest since it's ambiguous if humanity will even care that Soylent Green is made out of processed human meat.

I get the impression that this is one of those instances where, despite a lot of people hearing about the twist, most of the under 40 crowd haven't taken the time to see the actual film. The pacing can be a little slow at times, which is common for the era, but I would recommend checking this out regardless. The running time is short so the action and mystery should keep you thoroughly invested. It has its flaws, like the perpetual '70s style, but most of this can be forgiven and doesn't deter from the overall experience. It's not as deep or visually stunning as something like "Blade Runner," but it's definitely still a sci-fi classic worthy of attention. As long as you understand these expectations and limitations, I think you will be pleasantly impressed by the story and its dark depiction.

Notable Moment: When Thorn is doing half detective work/half ransacking of Simonson's apartment. Thorn is such an asshole but I can't help being amused nonetheless.

Final Rating: 7/10