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Soylent Green (1973)

Dir: Richard Fleischer.

One of the best Sci-Fi films of the 70's.

It's 2022, food is scarce and water is highly rationed. Most power has gone. Most day to day objects are no longer manufactured, all luxuries have gone. Most jobs have gone. Cars sit rusting, people die in the streets. The same streets most of them live on.

The great houses of God have become no better than over crowded, despairing refugee camps.

People exist only. No one really 'lives'. They take each day as it comes. It could be your last, and probably will be.

The weather has changed. It's always hot, very hot. One of the last trees in the City stands in a protective tent, for the privileged to see. A green/grey haze enshrouds everything, vainly trying to hide the Hell that Earth has become.

It's in this World we meet Thorn, A down at heel Cop. Who's only friend is an old man called Sol. Sol can remember the 'real' World. Can remember the Seas, the Trees, the food, the hope.
Sol also remembers when they still made books. He and some of the other older people are used as knowledge finders by, among others, the Police. The castrated, hopeless Police.

A big shot, a rich man, a man with Running water, hot running water, food, booze and air conditioning, is found dead. His head bashed in. Thorn is assigned to investigate. It looks like a simple robbery. Thorn knows it's not.
He gives books and documents to Sol to find out what the dead man was doing. Sol, with help from his fellow old ones, learns what the dead man knew. Learns why he was killed and why he put up no fight.
Soon, Thorn will know.....
The dead man worked for a Corporation called "Soylent".
"Soylent" make the food that over half the World's population eats, hard wafers of soya protein in various colours. Red, Yellow and most of all, that essential staple for everyone..green....'Soylent Green'.
They say it's made from seaweed. But is it?....

 

A superb cast of names Charlton Heston as Thorn, Chuck Connors, Joseph Cotten, Brock Peters and above all the legendary Edward G Robinson (in his last film role) as Sol, add class to this dreadfully dark, and downbeat tale (based on the story by Harry Harrison called "Make room, make room").

The haze that covers the outside scenes makes the film look ugly and drab, but I suppose that's the point.
All the characters are sad and ultimately despairing. Pleasures are taken whenever they can be got. This is most openly shown in the way Women are now treated. While the poor, drab women die in the streets (a heartbreaking scene of a dead Mother with her lost looking child tied to her dead wrist shows us this) the rich and the beautiful ones are kept as servants, both in a general sense and as sexual ones.
The scene where, without even asking or even hardly any social contact at all, the dead mans 'servant' goes with Thorn to the bedroom, when he comes around to question her, and they both strip and have sex, shows are people living so on the edge of death, that only mutual pleasure and needs matter. Life is too damn fragile for small talk.

Heston is superb as the hapless Thorn. His character comes across as not very nice, but most of Heston's characters always do. I think it's the arrogance of the actor himself that comes through.
As the wistful, bitter Sol, Edward G is wonderful. His face alone acting most other people off the screen. This being his swan song, only adds to the poignant feel of his character.

Don't expect lot's of action (although there is some, including a violent final chase and fight) this is a film of Character and Place.

Once seen, it sticks in your mind. Not a pleasant, happy viewing experience by any means (although there is a wonderful, lightly funny scene where Thorn and Sol share a meal of real vegetables, real beef and real bourbon! And their faces express the sheer joy of what was once so normal) but a thoughtful, powerful one.
Serious Sci-Fi for the serious, discerning film lover.

 

SPOILER*********

On a disturbingly funny note...The end Credits, on a film about people being made into food, has listed a 'Technical Advisor'!