It is of no small importance that Umbrella Entertainment decided to release the 1974 sci-fi film, “Silent Running”, on this year.
At the very least, interest in the movie was piqued by Danny Boyle’s latest movie, “Sunshine”, which draws heavily from “Silent Running”. The 1974 film depicts a bleak future, when the Earth has become so industrialized and overpopulated that there is no natural environment anymore.
Instead, in a last, desperate measure, the few remaining forests are dug up, moved into huge domes, and sent into space on freighters, orbiting the Earth under the watchful eye of forest caretakers, until such time as they can return to Earth.
Yes, it’s an eco-sci-fi movie, but that shouldn’t turn you off. Science fiction’s most powerful tool is the ability to depict a future that may disappoint us without this fear, it’d be easy to reap the short term rewards here in this life.
“Silent Running” is an awful future; we don’t see Earth at all, instead following the crew aboard the Valley Forge, one of the freighters, where Bruce Dern plays Lowell, a ranger that’s been with the forest for 8 years.
His companions, there on short term duty, mock his love of the forest and his desire to eat fresh fruit. They’d rather rip around on go carts and eat synthetic food, then play poker and dream of returning to Earth.
When the order comes to abandon the project and blow up the domes, they cheer, excited to see the explosions. Only Lowell understands what it means for humanity, to reject our natural origins.
“Silent Running” has achieved a cult status among movieheads, as it was directed by Douglas Trumbull, who would handle the special effects for “2001: Space Odyssey” and “Blade Runner”; in this film, he shows off his ingenious methods, creating a spaceship on an extremely low budget.
Of particular note are the three droids, Huey, Louis and Dewey, short squat robots that are reminiscent of the small droids in “Star Wars” Trumbull designed the costumes to fit three actors, who were all double amputees.
In the 70s, this picture was clearly called a hippie flick, obvious when Joan Baez sings the haunting soundtrack. Perhaps Umbrella released this movie because of the resurgence in popularity of science fiction. Perhaps.
There’s a scene in the movie where Lowell comes to the realization that the forests don’t have a chance, not on Earth. It’s not because of a lack of technology or skill, but just because people don’t care. He doesn’t say much more than that, but the meaning is hideously apparent there’s always something else to distract the population, and if it comes down to giving up a plasma TV or giving up monkey and apes, the outcome is chilling.
Perhaps Umbrella Entertainment released “Silent Running” as a subtle way of reminding us that we still haven’t deviated from the fears that started in the 70s. Economic growth and the Information Age helped us to forget about conservation, except when celebrities champion it.
It’s a wonderful film, by the way, with enough faults and stretched belief to make it adorable. This is not glitzy sci-fi to make you dream of hyperspace and Star Destroyers; instead “Silent Running” is a dark ode to a black moment in our future, one that we assume will work itself out, but one that we’ve done nothing to avoid.
I say: A definite must-see for sci-fi fans. The early special effects, the history of the movie cements it in the history books, and the environmental theme is poignant.
See it for: Gratuitous go-kart racing scenes. Why? To fill time? Just because it’s fun?
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