Soylent Green (1973)

Director:

Richard Fleischer

Writers:

Stanley R. Greenberg (screenplay)
Harry Harrison (novel)

Release Date:

9 May 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

It's the year 2022... People are still the same. They'll do anything to get what they need. And they need SOYLENT GREEN.

Plot:

In an overpopulated futuristic Earth, a New York police detective finds himself marked for murder by government agents when he gets too close to a bizarre state secret involving the origins of a revolutionary and needed new foodstuff.

Plot Keywords:

Food | New York City | Murder | Police | Police Detective

Awards:

3 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Charlton Heston	...	Thorn
Leigh Taylor-Young	...	Shirl
Chuck Connors	...	Tab
Joseph Cotten	...	Simonson
Brock Peters	...	Hatcher
Paula Kelly	...	Martha
Edward G. Robinson	...	Sol Roth
Stephen Young	...	Gilbert
Mike Henry	...	Kulozik
Lincoln Kilpatrick	...	The Priest
Roy Jenson	...	Donovan
Leonard Stone	...	Charles
Whit Bissell	...	Santini
Celia Lovsky	...	The Exchange Leader
Dick Van Patten	...	Usher #1

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M (original rating) | Australia:PG (TV rating) | France:U | UK:15 (DVD rating) | UK:AA (original rating) | Iceland:16 | USA:TV-MA (TV rating) | Canada:PG | Finland:K-18 | Norway:15 (re-rating) | Norway:16 (original rating) | Singapore:PG | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:PG | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles Sports Arena - 3939 S. Figueroa Street, Exposition Park, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

The scene where Thorn and Roth share a meal of fresh food was not originally in the script, but was ad-libbed by Charlton Heston and Edward G. Robinson at director Richard Fleischer's request.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Thorn is in the Soylent Green factory, he knocks two factory employees off the catwalk. A stunt mattress can clearly be seen sticking out from underneath the conveyor belt where the second one lands.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Voice over PA: First stage removal. First stage removal. Streets prohibited to non-permits in one hour. Streets prohibited to non-permits in one hour.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Welcome to Eltingville (2002) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Peer Gynt Suite No.1, Op.46: I. 'Morning'

a true classic

I saw this movie shortly after it first came out - when I was a kid. The scene that sticks with me to this day is when the scoops come to break up the riot. The cop says, "The supply of Soylent Green has been exhausted. The scoops are on the way." Then the front-end loader trucks come and scoop the people up like so much garbage. The fact that 2022 looks like 1973 is entirely plausible because society has gone retrograde. Charlton Heston's performance is beautifully nuanced and believable. Edward G. Robinson is unforgettable as Sol. References to this movie pop up in shows like "The Simpsons" and "Millennium" for the simple reason that it is a visionary look at the future with real heart - a true classic.