For the two or three of you who aren’t aware of how this one ends, I feel compelled to offer a spoiler warning…and a suggestion that maybe you should get out more. As for fans of the film (such as yours truly), this new Limited Edition release from Arrow Video doesn’t quite do it justice.
Soylent Green is, of course, a science-fiction classic, and of all the dystopian nightmares unleashed in the 1970s, it’s easily the bleakest. The film also boasts one of the genre’s greatest plot revelations, which has become nearly as iconic as Charlton Heston discovering he’s been back on Earth the entire time. Speaking of ol’ Chuck, he was pretty-much Hollywood’s apocalypse poster-boy back then, starring in a lot of socially conscious catastrophes.
In 2022, the world is severely overpopulated. While the wealthy live in relative comfort in luxurious high-rise apartments (complete with young concubines), most poor bastards dwell in crowded squalor. Suicide is an option, and anyone sick of life can show up at their friendly neighborhood euthanasia clinic and peacefully end it all. Real food is nearly non-existent and reserved for those who can afford it. Everyone else survives on government issued crackers, Soylent Red, Soylent Yellow and everyone's new favorite, Soylent Green. In fact, Soylent Green proves to be so popular that people riot whenever food centers run out.
Frank Thorn (Heston) is a cop investigating the murder of a Soylent Corporation bigwig. With the help of his researcher & roommate, Sol (Edward G. Robinson), the investigation leads him to discover the Soylent Corporation's dark secret: the main ingredient of those delectable crackers isn't soy at all, but people who've been processed through the euthanasia clinics.
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Soylent Green definitely ain't a feelgood film. In fact, it's downright depressing at times, such as when Sol finally decides to cash-in at one of those clinics. Elsewhere, the film is visually drab & grimy, the tone relentlessly downbeat and pessimistic, its environmental message sobering. We're subjected to so much self-perpetuated human misery that when the big twist is finally revealed, perhaps we really aren't all that shocked. But even though we made it through 2022 without making Grandpa part of our nutritious breakfast, the film remains a compelling vision of the future that might be more timely (and prophetic?) than it was in the 1970s. Only some aesthetic trappings really date it.
One of the most culturally significant sci-fi films of the era, Soylent Green is essential viewing, which is why I gotta say I’m kind of disappointed with this Limited Edition release from Arrow Video. Accentuating the positive, both the 4K and Blu-ray editions (available separately) boast excellent video restorations, nicely preserving the film’s bleak imagery, and are a significant improvement over Warner Bros’ previous Blu-ray release. However, the only audio option offered is the original mono track, which is merely adequate.
But the ball is really dropped with the supplemental material. With the exception of a new audio commentary, all the featurettes and interviews (outlined below) are more than 30 years old. Unlike many recent Arrow discs, there are no new video appreciations, critical analyses, documentaries or cast/crew bios. Surely a movie as iconic, influential and timely as Soylent Green warrants at least some kind of newly-produced retrospective. Ultimately, this one is recommended for those unhappy with the video quality of previous releases. But speaking as a longtime fan, it could've been a little more comprehensive.
EXTRA KIBBLES
NOTE: Free Kittens Movie Guide was provided with a promo disc for review purposes. Physical supplemental material included with the final product (booklets, artwork, inserts, etc) were not available for review.
FEATURETTES - A Look at the World of Soylent Green and MGM Tribute to Edward G. Robinson’s 101st Film were originally created to promote the film’s theatrical release.
INTERVIEWS - Recorded in 1985 and 1994, Charlton Heston and director Richard Fleischer are interviewed on-stage at the British Film Institute. While interesting, neither focuses exclusively on Soylent Green, and Heston’s is audio only.
2 AUDIO COMMENTARIES - 1) By historian Michael Brooke and author Johnny Mains (NEW); 2) By director Richard Fleischer and actor Leigh Taylor-Young.
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