Plot
Richard Fleischer directed this nightmarish science fiction vision of an over-populated world, based on the novel by Harry Harrison. In 2022, New York City is a town bursting at the seams with a 40-million-plus population. Food is in short supply, and most of the population's food source comes from synthetics manufactured in local factories -- the dinner selections being a choice between Soylent Red, Soylent Yellow, or Soylent Green. When William Simonson (Joseph Cotten), an upper-echelon executive in the Soylent Company, is found murdered, police detective Thorn (Charlton Heston) is sent in to investigate the case. Helping him out researching the case is Thorn's old friend Sol Roth (Edward G. Robinson, in his final film role). As they investigate the environs of a succession of mad-from-hunger New Yorkers and the luxuriously rich digs of the lucky few, Thorn uncovers the terrible truth about the real ingredients of Soylent Green. ~ Paul Brenner, RoviReview
"Soylent Green is..." no longer much of a surprise since Charlton Heston's climactic line has joined Planet of the Apes' "You maniacs" rant in the oft-quoted annals of Heston overacting. One of a cycle of early-'70s downbeat eco-science fiction films akin to Silent Running (1971) and Heston's The Omega Man (1971), Soylent Green presents Heston as another dystopian savior in a future shock vision that teeters on the fine line between clever and stupid. When not sleeping with dead magnate Joseph Cotten's comely "furniture" Leigh Taylor-Young (apparently feminism went down the drain with the food supply), Heston attempts to solve the mystery of Cotten's murder. The sickly green exterior haze, people sleeping on stairs, and the bulldozers that disturbingly clear riots, however, are enough to tip us off to the insidious secret ingredient in everyone's favorite bio-engineered snack long before Chuck witnesses the "waste" processing plant himself. Still, the opening montage of 20th century decay and Edward G. Robinson's heartfelt performance (in his final film) as a man old enough to know how beautiful and well-fed the earth used to be give moments of emotional heft to Soylent Green's ominous -- and still timely -- message about environmental desecration. ~ Lucia Bozzola, RoviCast
- Charlton Heston - Detective Thorn
- Edward G. Robinson - Sol Roth
- Leigh Taylor-Young - Shirl
- Chuck Connors - Tab
- Joseph Cotten - Simonson
- Brock Peters - Hatcher
Credit
Jack Baur - Casting, Pat Barto - Costume Designer, Betsy Cox - Costume Designer, Norman Burza - Costume Designer, Daniel S. McCauley - First Assistant Director, Richard Fleischer - Director, Samuel E. Beetley - Editor, Fred Myrow - Composer (Music Score), Gerald Fried - Musical Direction/Supervision, Bud Westmore - Makeup, Edward C. Carfagno - Production Designer, Richard H. Kline - Cinematographer, Lloyd Anderson - Production Manager, Walter Seltzer - Producer, Russell Thacher - Producer, Robert R. Benton - Set Designer, Augie Lohman - Special Effects, Robert R. Hoag - Special Effects, Matthew Yuricich - Special Effects, A.J. Lohman - Special Effects, Charles M. Wilborn - Sound/Sound Designer, Harry W. Tetrick - Sound/Sound Designer, Joe Canutt - Stunts, Stanley R. Greenberg - Screenwriter, Harry Harrison - Book Author| Soya's Tagsten (1967 Film), Soy un Delincuente (1976 Film) | |
| Sozhzhennaya Dusha (1995 Film), Soñar No Cuesta Nada Joven (197z Film) |
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