Soylent Green [M]

In the year 2022, the world is dying and people overpopulate the planet. In New York the population is 40,000,000 all fighting and struggling to get what they need. And what they need is Soylent products: nutritious rations of foods made with vegetables, plankton, and such. The newest product, Soylent Green and its popularity is running through the roof. But it’s not what it seems. Upon investigating a murder, detective Thorn makes a shocking discovery about Soylent Green, but how do you tell a population of desolate and dying people they can’t eat what they need? 

This is one of those landmark science fiction movies that leaves you in a state of deep contemplation by the time the credits start rolling. On the surface, it’s a sci-fi movie depicting the dystopia that humanity may very well be heading towards, but on a deeper level it’s a film about morals and ethics and what happens to these when society begins to degrade. 

In the year 2022, the world is dying and people overpopulate the planet. In New York the population is 40,000,000 all fighting and struggling to get what they need. And what they need is Soylent products: nutritious rations of foods made with vegetables, plankton, and such. The newest product, Soylent Green and its popularity is running through the roof. But it’s not what it seems. Upon investigating a murder, detective Thorn makes a shocking discovery about Soylent Green, but how do you tell a population of desolate and dying people they can’t eat what they need? 

Without a doubt, the strength of this movie lies in its unflinching and unapologetic treatment of people. We’re confronted with quite moving and shocking images of riots being broken up by massive scoop trucks, we’ve got haunting sadness creeping into the faces of older characters when they are confronted with authentic foods from the past such as real lettuce or beef, and then there is the almost vermin-esque way that the streets are filled with people, both alive and dead. This really grungy, desolate, and horrific dystopia is so well founded and depicted in this film that that in itself deserves accolade. 

The screenplay is pretty solid as it succeeds in running along as a murder mystery that balloons out of proportion and then just really hits you at the end with a slightly anticipated but never entirely persuaded shock reveal and cliff-hanger. The inhumanity with which people are depicted and treated in this movie really works wonders for the film’s general atmosphere and the viewing experience because it really causes you to stop and think about what would actually happen to our ethics and our morals if we were living in this world. 

The performances are fine as far as performances go; special applause has to go to Edward G. Robinson who delivers the most moving performance of all. 

Starring Charlton Heston, Leigh Taylor-Young, Chuck Conors, Joseph Cotton, Brock Peters, Paula Kelly, Stephen Young, Mike Henry, Lincoln Kilpatrick, Roy Jenson, Leonard Stone, Whit Bissell, and Celia Lovsky, Soylent Green is a thought-provoking and engaging science fiction thriller filled with action, mystery, murder, drama, romance, and a shock twist at the end. It’s not the most amazing piece of cinema in history in terms of technique and achievements in direction, special effects, acting, or indeed adaptation from the novel, but there is something of the landmark about it; it’s one of those films that, once you’ve seen it, will stay with you for quite a while.