It's 2274, and on the surface, it all seems to be an idyllic society. Living in a city within an enclosed dome, there is little or no work for humans to perform, and inhabitants are free to pursue all of the pleasures of life. There is one catch however: your life is limited and when you reach thirty, it is terminated in a quasi-religious ceremony known as "carrousel". Some, known as "runners", try to escape their fate when the time comes, and it's the job of Sandmen to track them down and kill them. Logan (Michael York) is such a man, and with several years before his own termination date, thinks nothing of the job he does. Soon after meeting a young woman, Jessica-6 (Jenny Agutter), he is ordered to become a runner and infiltrate a community outside the dome known as "Sanctuary" and to destroy it. Pursued by his friend Francis (Richard Jordan), also a Sandman, Logan and Jessica find their way to the outside. There, they discover a beautiful, virtually uninhabited world. Logan ...Written by
garykmcd
The Old Man was a revision of a character from the 1967 book named Ballard. Ballard was a mysterious figure in the underground who helped runners. He was also revealed in the book to be Francis in disguise. Director Michael Anderson realized that it would have been implausible for Richard Jordan to morph into Sir Peter Ustinov, thus the Ballard/Francis character was dropped, and the Old Man became a separate character. In the book, Ballard was only forty-two and stayed elusive due to laser surgeries, but director Michael Anderson felt that these details would slow the movie down. Also, forty-two was relatively old in the book, where the mandatory age of termination was twenty-one, not thirty. See more »
Goofs
Early on, when Logan fires at the male red runner standing under the archway you can see pyrotechnic special effects props in position on the paved walkway. See more »
Quotes
[first lines]
Logan:
[tapping on a glass window of maternity room]
Wake up.
Francis:
Logan, you are here. I couldn't believe it when they told me. What are you doing?
Logan:
[indicates baby]
Logan 6. Well it's not everyday that they authorize a new sandman. I tell you Francis,
[indicating baby]
Logan:
that's him.
Francis:
Well maybe, maybe not. What does it matter? Anyway, he isn't yours anymore.
Logan:
[continues tapping lightly on the glass]
Francis:
All right, you want me to wake him?
[bangs loudly on the glass with his baton]
[...] See more »
Alternate Versions
Scenes edited out:
The Francis Hunt: The original opening scene had Francis 7 hunting a runner and shooting him backwards into a water fountain to applause from the onlookers. this was because it was deemed too violent for PG and would have got a R Rating in the US and either a AA (14 and over)/2021 15 or X (18 and over)/2021 18 in the UK
Box carving an ice sculpture of Logan and Jessica. This was removed as they were fondling each other in a lovers' embrace and this would have meant an R rating in the USA and possibly a AA (14 and over)/ 2021 15 or even a X certificate/ 2021 18 ( Adults Only 18 and over) in the UK
Francis and Logan meeting a woman on Lastday. They casually chat about it and this illustrates the society's indifference to death.
Longer, racier version of sequence involving characters passing through an orgy shop. again this would have been R rated in the US and AA (14 and over)/2021 15 or X (Adults Only 18 and over)/2021 18 in the UK
Logan (Michael York) is a Sandman, someone who kills all those who refuse to sacrifice themselves on their 30th birthday. But when his clock starts ticking, Logan and Jessica (Jenny Agutter) make a run for it.
I had seen this film in the mid-1990s for a class, and thought it was pretty good. Re-watching it now (2015), I can see why it is a science fiction classic, though some holes are now there. And I do not just mean plot holes (of which there are a few). The city exteriors are obviously a model, and it is almost humorous how easy it is to tell.
But the story is very good and now a part of pop culture. The two leads are great, and I wish Agutter had done more horror and sci-fi in the 70s/80s. Farrah Fawcett's role is small and sort of peculiar. Peter Ustinov is great, and nice comedic relief. Now sure what was up with all the nudity, but...
13 of 17 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
| Report this
Logan (Michael York) is a Sandman, someone who kills all those who refuse to sacrifice themselves on their 30th birthday. But when his clock starts ticking, Logan and Jessica (Jenny Agutter) make a run for it.
I had seen this film in the mid-1990s for a class, and thought it was pretty good. Re-watching it now (2015), I can see why it is a science fiction classic, though some holes are now there. And I do not just mean plot holes (of which there are a few). The city exteriors are obviously a model, and it is almost humorous how easy it is to tell.
But the story is very good and now a part of pop culture. The two leads are great, and I wish Agutter had done more horror and sci-fi in the 70s/80s. Farrah Fawcett's role is small and sort of peculiar. Peter Ustinov is great, and nice comedic relief. Now sure what was up with all the nudity, but...