SOYLENT GREEN (1973)
4 stars
Arrow Video. Limited edition 4K. Limited edition Blu. 27th July.
Based on the novel by Harry Harrison called “Make Room! Make Room!”, SOYLENT GREEN is one of those movies that is kind of difficult to write about as surely everyone knows the surprise twist.
The film opens with a photo montage showing how there has been a gradual, man-made environmental destruction to our planet (still relevant today, perhaps more so), accompanied by Fred Myrow’s jazzy score
We are in the future world (at least at the time of the film’s production) of 2022 in New York City. Overcrowded to the point where you have to step over people – with a 40,000,000 population!
Real food is in short supply so instead sustenance is provided with Soylent Red and Soylent Yellow high energy vegetable concentrate and now the new, apparently delicious Soylent Green – supposedly created from plankton from the oceans. But we all know the truth. However, this more recent variant is in short supply so is only available on one day a week, which is Soylent Green day.
There is also a permanent heatwave – talk of the greenhouse effect even then (appropriately enough I watched this during the latest round of high temperatures in the UK).
Charlton Heston plays Thorn a cop. He lives with the older Sol (Edward G Robinson in his last feature film role) who helps him on cases. He is known as a ‘Book’, as he knows stuff from before. Inevitably, the rich elite live in luxury whilst the general populace suffer – some things never change I guess (ooh political)
Our detective is called in to investigate the murder of the wealthy William R Simonson (Joseph Cotten) who was on the Soylent Corporation board. Theresa he meets Shirl (Leigh Taylor Young), the dead man’s sex slave companion (they are disparagingly called furniture – I guess because they come with the apartment).
As he looks into the case, which his chief wants to shut down before he has completed his inquiries, he begins to uncover something that he clearly shouldn’t be delving into.
Ol’ Chuck, perhaps better known for his epics, was on a bit of a mini science fiction run in the lat sixties, early seventies, what with two PLANET OF THE APES (1968/1970) movies, the actually pretty good THE OMEGA MAN (1971) and this outing.
Laced with social commentary, the film does a good job of showing the overcrowding of the city with people living in the streets and in their cars (shot on the MGM backlot). Of course, inevitably, some aspects date it – the crude video game for instance and old school telephones. Heston is great in the central role, well supported by Edward G, who apparently was so deaf his scenes had to be shot several times over. He also knew he was dying – he passed away on January 26, 1973, several months before the film was released. This 4K release looks impressively crisp, capturing the sweaty existence depicted in the production.
Steve Kirkham
EXTRAS
Two audio commentaries: one with director Richard Fleischer and star Leigh Taylor-Young and a new one with film historian Michael Brooke and author Johnny Mains
Two on stage interviews at the BFI with Charlton Heston and director Richard Fleisher
Two vintage featurettes
Theatrical trailer and Image galleries
Plus reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Nathanael Marsh and collectors’ booklet featuring new writing by Frank Collins and Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
