Review – Soylent Green

Boy, if this movie is even half right, the future is really going to suck. No natural food. Drastic overpopulation. Corporate control over all society. In short, this is a typical dystopian vision of things to come from the halcyon days of the 1970s. Just in case there’s actually anyone left on the face of the earth who doesn’t know the dark secret of Soylent Green, I won’t give away the ending. I should note, however, that my favorite moments in the movie come well before the histrionic conclusion. I loved the riot scene when I first saw this movie many years ago, and it still stands out as one of the high points. The other moment I really like is the Edward G. Robinson death scene; despite its heavy-handed, hippie-era sanctimony, it’s actually genuinely touching. Of course, it helps that Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony is one of my favorites (musical pedestrian that I am). Also, by my best estimates ol’ Edward G’s character is more or less the same age I’ll be when the third decade of the 21st century rolls around. Now that’s creepy. Mildly amusing