one-nine-eighty
A classic film with Charlton Heston taking the lead as a detective trying to uncover who murdered a corporate big wig. Set in the future where greenhouse gasses and nasty chemicals have ravaged food supplied, a massively inflated populous struggles for food and breathing room. While this film may seem dated by today's slick standards this production from the 70's is still relevant, delivering a message about culture and society, wealth, greed, economics and the lengths humans will go to in order survive. Slow at times while the plot and setting unfolds the film picks up pace towards the end. The acting is as good as you'll get from similarly dated films. There's nostalgia for anybody re watching this but equally there's fun and thrills for new audiences still. Enjoy.
hackraytex
I saw this in 1973 and listed it in my list of movies that I had seen and could not find. A very pleasant surprise that it was just shown on the Comet Network. One of Charleton Heston's best but certainly not his last best. A lot of people dismiss the work of this fine actor simply because his politics were not what they would call politically correct.I really think we would all be better off if our celebrities would keep their politics to themselves unless they wish to run for office. This is certainly not a forum to discuss politics just like it is probably never a good idea to discuss politics in the work place today. We all have the right to our opinions and should respect the opinions of others and should not crowd those with whom we may disagree.As for this fine movie, after 44 years, it still holds up well. I have read in places that there is an effort to remake it and that would be interesting. I certainly think it would be a good project for Arnold Schwarzenegger in the Charleton Heston part since a lot of physical "grunt work" is not required. It was certainly a fine farewell performance part for Edward G. Robinson. Rest in peace all of you. Well done.
Prismark10
Director Richard Fleischer could me some odd looking campy films and I am afraid the costumes in this Dystopian futuristic film makes you wonder why the male characters are dressed in such a foppish way.Set in 2022, the planet is suffering from the greenhouse effect and global warming. There is overpopulation, homelessness and an increased divide between the rich and the underclass.Pollution has meant food is in short supply and Soylent Industries makes from plankton called Soylent Green. Real food whether it is meat or vegetable is a rare luxury.When an executive of Soylent Industries is brutally killed Detective Thorn (Charlton Heston) investigates. Thorn lives with an elderly scholar Sol Roth (Edward G Robinson) who tells Thorn about the old days and helps with his investigation. Thorn enters a world of the rich with their fancy apartments, treacherous bodyguards and accompanying furniture who are young beautiful women who come with apartment.Thorn soon finds out that the rich and powerful are trying to disrupt his investigation by applying pressure to his bosses. The murdered executive felt guilty about something and confessed to a preacher who himself has been executed. There is a secret about the food chain which Thorn is determined to find out.Charlton Heston despite his increasing right wing views as he got older did make several films about an environmentally degraded world. The film has a famous reveal about what exactly is Soylent Green but it really does looked aged in parts, slow going and not very convincing despite its interesting premise of an environment destroyed by humans. The treatment of women as just playthings is despicable.This was the last appearance of Edward G Robinson who died soon after the film was completed. The most emotional scene is regarding his euthanasia surrounded by images of fields, forests, mountains, animals, rivers, sunsets and piped classical music.
lomereiter
Although there are a few nicely shot scenes such as 'crowd collection' or fancy assisted suicide procedure, the core premise just doesn't hold water. First of all, there's nothing wrong with cannibalism per se, as long as it doesn't involve purposeful killing of humans and only relies on those who deceased naturally or according to their own will. One of the final lines mentioned 'breeding people like cattle' to make food, which is now horrible indeed, except how are you going to feed the cattle? See a catch 22 here? It would be quite an interesting movie if it considered more seriously what would happen in the case of plankton' disappearance, but as it is I'm struggling to give it even 4/10.
AD
