Weekend Buff

Soylent Green

Soylent Green (1973)

The opening for the trailer of Soylent Green the narrator states, “NYC in 2022 - nothing runs anymore - nothing works”. I thought this was going to be a documentary on bad governance. Not so. Soylent Green is a sci-fi detective thriller that takes place in a futuristic New York City.

The film was released in 1973 and takes place 50 years in the future. In the late 60s and 70s global overpopulation was a big fear. People like Paul Ehrlich and his book The Population Bomb foretold an unsustainable future with not enough resources for the growing world. The divide between the rich and poor was another common concern as evidenced by the growth of socialist ideologies during that period.

Soylent Green plays on these motifs with a dystopian future of ecological destruction and overpopulation. NYC’s population alone is 40 million. The rich live in walled off communities while the poor and crammed together in untenable conditions. The NYPD is tasked with keeping the poor from rioting and maintaining the status quo. The Soylent Corporation provides the populace with food in the form of bland nutrient wafers. Their newest product, Soylent Green, is actually quite tasty and in great demand.

NYPD Detective Robert Thorn works homicides in the 14^th Precinct. The crime rate is astronomical – he has no chance of doing his job properly. But some homicides are more important than others.

The ultra-rich William Simonsen is on the board of directors for the Soylent Corporation. He is found bludgeoned to death in his home. Thorn catches the case; sure it will be an important one to solve. But the system is against him. He is dissuaded from working his leads. Why? What is the secret of the Soylent Corporation?

The movie is not a big budget blockbuster. Melodramatic, some bad special effects, and wardrobe that came from the Salvation Army and a secondhand sports shop, it’s a bit of an underdog in the film world, but the producers spend their money on talent. The two main characters are Chalton Heston as Detective Robert Thorn and Edward G Robinson as Sol Roth, Heston’s crime analyst. Leigh Taylor, Chuck Connors, and Brock Peters round out the cast. Dick Van Patten even makes an appearance.

Heston and Robinson are great. Heston’s Thorn is a weary and angry detective, tired of the violence and not afraid to break rules to get the job done or to take a little something for himself. Robinson’s Roth is a bookish old-timer that remembers the way things used to be. This is Edward G Robinson’s last role. He was dying of bladder cancer during the filming and died a few months before the movie was released. Robinson’s last scene in Soylent Green was also his last scene on camera and he knew it. He gives a magnificent performance.

Soylent Green is a short hour and thirty minutes. It is as 70’s as a film can be but the great themes and good acting push through to the forefront and make it a classic. You can rent it on the usual streaming services for $3. This weekend check out a dystopian thriller and learn the secret of Soylent Green.

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