Soylent Green :: 1973 movie review . Soylent Green is a 1973 Sci-Fi film set in the year 2022 were there is food shortages and global warming ,widespread over population and the population of Just New York City alone is 40 million; and almost everyone lives on processed food rations made by the Soylent Corporation . We meet Robert Thorn (Charlton Heston) he is a New York City police detective investigating a brutal murder of a wealthy businessman named Simonson, who lives in a luxury building where the he has real food, hot water and even bottles of alcohol. Thorn then questions Simonson’s the bodyguard and live in girlfriend Shirl (Leigh Taylor-Young) about the murder and marvels over the house and it amenities.

Thorn then loots the food, bottle of Liquor, a bar of soap, towel and even some important looking books, he goes home to have a feast with his Confidant and roommate Sol Roth (Edward G. Robinson) a former Professor, who helps him crack his cases. As Thorn learns that Simonson was a executive at the Soylent corporation and more about his murder he is drawn into a deep dangerous mystery…This Science fiction movie made 36 years ago predicts a future of global warming, widespread unemployment and poverty and food rationing. There are some really powerful images that were captured in this film including huge Dump trucks scooping up food rioters and scenes where there are so many homeless people sleeping in every doorway that the properties had armed guards with assault rifles.

After seeming this film I could see why this films star Charlton Heston was such a big spokesperson the NRA National Rifle Association, he probably thought that this was a possible future and wanted to be well armed. Leigh Taylor-Young was considered at the time of the film to be one of the most beautiful women in the world and she really is and does a very good job in the part of Shirl with her soft voice and easy demeanor. It is said that this film help start the modern environmental movement and the recycling efforts that were started in the mid 70s, after movie goers saw this depiction of a possible future. I saw this film as a child and it scared me, it made he want to help recycle cans and drive an ecology friendly car. Remember at this time there was gas rationing in America and more smog in the Los Angeles basin that there is today. This is a classic with some very 70’S dialog and no real special effects just a Great suspenseful story and a vision of a future that I pray will never happen.

Directed by Richard Fleischer
Produced by Walter Seltzer, Russell Thacher
Written by Harry Harrison (novel)
Stanley R. Greenberg (screenplay)
Starring Charlton Heston, Leigh Taylor-Young, Edward G. Robinson
Music by Fred Myrow
Cinematography Richard H. Kline
Editing by Samuel E. Beetley
Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer