Soylent GreenDirected by Richard FleischerStarring:Charleton Heston, Leigh Taylor-Young, Edward G RobinsonSoylent Green: Movie B, DVD B-Though I already knew the secret of Soylent Green, this was the first time I had ever watched the movie. There are certain movies I wish I could have watched when they were new. It would be interesting to have had the perception of the time period when Soylent Green was released, along with not knowing the twist at the end. Fortunately, or I guess it's not so fortunate, the message of Soylent Green is still relevant today. Soylent Green is a what if tale for the future. Like a lot of science fiction it shows our fears of what the world may become and the possibility that humans may ultimately end up destroying themselves. While a lot of science fiction of the era played upon our fears of nuclear annihilaton, Soylent Green focuses on the destruction of the environment. Overpopulation has made living conditions on the planet nearly intolerable. Fresh food like fruits and vegetables have become high priced luxury items, while the population subsists on food wafers called Soylent Red, Soylent Yellow and the new Soylent Green. One thing I found most striking about this movie is that it doesn't seem to be about the secret of Soylent Green at all. If you know nothing about this movie the ending should take you completely by surprise. Other than the title there is nothing that indicates there is anything mysterious about the little green food wafers. The story actually revolves around a murder a police officer (Heston) is trying to solve. This film still works as a cautionary tale and there are some great moments between Heston and the aging Edward G. Robinson. Soylent Green lives up to its reputation as a classic science fiction film. It is interesting to see so many years later how fears concerning the future of mankind still hold true. The DVD has a few features, including a commentary track from direct Richard Fleischer and star Leigh Taylor-Young. There is also a vintage documentary, a MGM tribute to the 101st film of Edward G. Robinson and a text essay about Charleton Heston's Sci-Fi movies. Review by Sherry |
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