Review: Soylent Green

Charlton Heston plays a NY cop in 2022, which is typically overpopulated, and processed food is all that is available to the masses, manufactured by The Soylent Corporation. Heston is investigating the death of Joseph Cotten, the head of Soylent, who has been murdered in his apartment. His superiors think it’s just a case of petty theft turned wrong (and given Cotten was rich enough to afford ‘real’ food, it’s not implausible), but Heston is adamant there’s more to the story. And boy is there ever! Edward G. Robinson plays Heston’s elderly assistant, Brock Peters plays Heston’s boss, Chuck Connors plays Cotten’s thug bodyguard, Roy Jenson an assassin, Whit Bissell is a politician with connections to Soylent, Leigh Taylor-Young is Heston’s love interest, and Lincoln Kilpatrick and Dick Van Patten have cameos as a preacher and…well, I can’t even describe Van Patten’s role. Just see the movie, trust me.

 

Alright, so the element of surprise is gone with this 1973 sci-fi flick from Richard Fleischer (“Fantastic Voyage”, “Barabbas”, “The Vikings”, and the infamous “Mandingo”) and screenwriter Stanley R. Greenberg (“Skyjacked” with Charlton Heston), thanks to “The Simpsons”. We all know what Soylent Green really is by now. However, this film has more than a twist ending going for it. In fact, I’d argue that the big twist is easy enough to predict without being a “Simpsons” fan from the moment you hear the words ‘waste disposal’ in practically the first ten minutes. And yet, it doesn’t ruin one’s enjoyment of the film, at least not for me. Hell, transparent or not, it’s still an interesting and audacious twist, and only really slightly lessens the film’s effectiveness. Adapted from a novel by Harry Harrison, I think it’s actually one of the most underrated sci-fi films of the 70s and certainly better than Heston’s “The Omega Man”.

 

The film starts interestingly with an effective view of historical human innovation leading up to the film’s ‘futuristic’ worldview of 2022. Yes, we’re very close to reaching that year as I write this in 2015. Pretty scary, all things spoiler-y considered. The scene where a book from 2015-2019 has Edward G. Robinson lamenting that books ‘had paper once’ is quite creepy watched by me in 2015. It’s not far from the reality we have already now! It’s an interestingly bleak future worldview, and the film looks terrific too, even if at times it feels like the future was designed on the distant memories of someone of the 70s era. Good-looking or not, the occasional 70s elements turning up are probably the only flaw here for me. It’s a little limited in imagination, in that sense, though it still manages to create an interesting futuristic urban nightmare visage.

 

You can see what the theme is here, a fear of processed foods wiping out organic foods. It’s a clever idea on an issue that still hits home today, really. We still live in a society that tends to promote organic foods whilst most of us, especially below the upper class tend to consume more (affordable) processed junk instead (Guilty as charged right here).

 

Chuck Heston is in fine form as the futuristic cop who is like a less robotic Deckard from “Blade Runner” (or at least, could be a cop in that film’s futuristic world). Personally, given the futuristic-yet-70s vibe of the film, I think James Coburn would’ve been an even better choice for the lead. He’s much more at home playing the 70s lover man than the super-serious Heston (even a laidback James Garner might’ve been interesting in the part). But it’s Heston we have, and it’s one of his best roles of the 70s for sure, he does a very fine job with it. Less interesting is leading lady Leigh Taylor-Young, who is pretty stiff. There’s a reason why no one talks about her anymore. A really good and obvious reason.

 

Although he’s not in the film much, character actor Whit Bissell is fine as always in what in the 80s and 90s might’ve been called the Ronny Cox role. It’s a shame the role is so small, because when you think about it, he’s basically the central villain, not something Bissell normally got to play (if ever). Chuck Connors is appropriately cast mainly for intimidating physical presence, whilst for once Joseph Cotten’s positively suicidal demeanour works well for his cameo here. He seemed awfully depressed (and glassy-eyed) at this point in his career. On a good day, he was one of the most underrated actors of all-time, but the 70s and early 80s didn’t see many good days for him. Dick Van Patten, meanwhile has never been creepier than in his cameo here. Special mention must go to Edward G. Robinson and Brock Peters. This, the last ever film appearance by the great Robinson is not among his finest roles, but he does an excellent job with it. I can’t decide whether his last scene is a brilliant way to go out on a top career or positively ridiculous. Maybe both, but either way it sure is the damndest thing, and ominously the last scene Robinson ever filmed. Brock Peters and his frankly magnificent, deep voice is always good to see and hear, even if he’s playing the John Shaft of the dystopian future society. Or at least the ‘angry black police boss’ of the dystopian future society. Really nice, shadowy, low-level lighting by Richard H. Kline (“The Andromeda Strain”, “Mandingo”, “Body Heat”) deserves singling out, too.

 

An interesting and underrated sci-fi film that deals with issues that are still somewhat relevant to today, actually. Like “Silent Running”, it’s a sci-fi film with a social conscience. Some will find it heavy-handed, sure, but certainly interesting. That said, it could’ve been a true classic if it had found a way to tell its story without spilling the lentils and soya beans too early. That and perhaps not designing its future society based on a then-current (but now outdated) model. As is, though, it’s definitely worth a look. Don’t pay too much attention to its mediocre reputation (though its box-office was fine). I think it’s time for a re-appraisal of this one, it’s been the butt of jokes for far too long already.

 

Rating: B-