Silent Running (1972) - film review

At the beginning of the 21st Century, every species of plant on Earth has become extinct.  The last remaining specimens of plant life are housed in large dome-like structures attached to space freighters orbiting Saturn.  The only member of the freighters’ four-man crew who cares about the plants is Freeman Lowell.  He alone is confident that one day the domes will be sent back home to re-forest planet Earth.  Imagine then his horror when his superiors order the domes to be destroyed by nuclear explosives and the freighters returned to Earth!  Once four of the domes have been blown up, Lowell goes berserk and kills one of his colleagues in a fight.  He then blows up his two other fellow crewmen whilst they are setting the charges in dome number five.  To cover up his murderous actions and buy himself some time, Lowell sabotages his own freighter, sending it out of control.  After a hazardous passage through Saturn’s rings, Lowell sets the freighter on a course away from the Earth.  With the help of the two remaining robotic drones, Huey and Dewey, Lowell heads for deep space, determined to preserve the last specimens of plant life...

Silent Running isn’t so much a space odyssey as a space oddity - a lavish sci-fi film with pretty well just one character (and two impossibly cute but mute robots) and a message so simple it can be understood by children of kindergarten age.  A classic of its genre, the film is as renowned for the quality of its effects work as for its environmentally minded theme, and was well ahead of its time in both of these areas.  It was the first film to be directed by Douglas Trumbull, whose work as special effects supervisor on such films as 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and The Andromeda Strain (1971) helped to redefine the sci-fi movie in the late ’60s, early ’70s. 

For a time when science-fiction was generally still looked down upon by the critics, Silent Running is surprisingly sophisticated, both in its characterisation and in its treatment of a topical subject (man’s destruction of his own ecosystem).  The intelligent screenplay was written by Michael Cimino, Deric Washburn and Steven Bochco, who would subsequently collaborate on the multi-Oscar winning Vietnam drama The Deer Hunter (1978).   The film’s stunning visuals are complemented by a haunting score from Peter Schickele (better known as P.D.Q. Bach), who also co-wrote (with Diane Lampert) the film’s two songs Silent Running and Rejoice in the Sun, interpreted by folk singer Joan Baez. 

With environmental issues assuming ever great prominence, Silent Running probably has a greater resonance today than it did when it was first seen.  This fact accentuates the film’s subtle poignancy and makes it easy for a modern audience to identify with the principal character (superbly portrayed by Bruce Dern) as he makes one last effort to salvage the sublime wonders of nature.  With its languorous pace and minimum of sensational plot developments, the film is a refreshing alternative to most traditional sci-fi offerings.  Silent Running may be a sweet, beguiling little film, but it pricks our conscience with the force of a nuclear-powered pneumatic drill, reminding us what we risk losing if we do not change our ways.

© Steve Chandler 2010

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