In 2022 the greenhouse effect has raised Earth's temperature to an unbearably hot level all year round. There is green hazy smog in the air from pollution. People are forced by law to live in cities. Overpopulation has made New York a city of 40 million starving citizens, with over half unemployed. Euthanasia is encouraged to reduce the overpopulation. Natural food is rare, even for the rich elite, who live in separate luxury apartments. Strawberries cost $150 for a small serving.
People depend on the government for synthetic food called Soylent Green, Red, and Yellow. Presumably it is made of soy beans and lentils. A TV announcer says his program "is brought to you by Soylent Red and Soylent Yellow, high energy vegetable concentrates, and new delicious Soylent Green. The miracle food of high-energy plankton gathered from the oceans of the world."
Police detective Robert Thorn (Charlton Heston) investigates the murder of William R. Simonson (Joseph Cotten), an official at the Soylent Corporation. Occasionally Thorn is assisted in his investigation by Shirl (Leigh Taylor-Young), a young woman who lived in Simonson's apartment as "furniture", the movie's euphemism for concubine. Thorn tells Shirl, "You're a helluva piece of furniture." Although Thorn is a good cop, he "liberates" much real food, real paper, and Shirl from the rich man's apartment.
Books no longer exist and Sol Roth, Thorn's elderly assistant, teaches him about earlier times when things were better, because he had a formal education and is literate. Roth remembers the world before the famine struck, "When I was a kid you could buy meat anywhere! Eggs they had, real butter! Fresh lettuce in the stores." Sol Roth is played by Edward G. Robinson in his last film role. He was 80 years old and virtually deaf. Thorn cries about Roth's situation in the film. Charlton Heston's tears were real, for he was the only one who knew that Robinson was dying of cancer. He died 9 days after filming was completed.
Sol: "There was a world, once, you punk."
Thorn: "Yes, so you keep telling me."
Sol: "I was there. I can prove it."
Thorn: "I know, I know. When you were young, people were better."
Sol: "Aw, nuts. People were always rotten. But the world was beautiful."
Thorn uncovers a conspiracy in the Soylent company and the secret of the food product itself. Detective Thorn's last lines are, "It's people. Soylent Green is made out of people. They're making our food out of people. Next thing they'll be breeding us like cattle for food...You tell everybody. Listen to me, Hatcher. You've gotta tell them! Soylent Green is people! We've gotta stop them somehow!"
The cast also includes: Chuck Connors (Tab Fielding), Brock Peters (Lt. Hatcher), Paula Kelly (Martha Phillips), Stephen Young (Gilbert), Mike Henry (Sgt. Kulozik), Lincoln Kilpatrick (Father Paul), Roy Jenson (Chief Donovan), Leonard Stone (Supt. Charles), Whit Bissell (Gov. Santini), Jane Dulo (Mrs. Santini), Tim Herbert (Brady), John Dennis (Wagner), Celia Lovsky, Dick Van Patten, Morgan Farley, John Barclay, Belle Mitchell, Cyril Delevanti, Forrest Wood, Faith Quabius, Jan Bradley, Carlos Romero, Pat Houtchens, Joyce Williams, Erica Hagen, Beverly Gill, Suesie Eejima, Cheri Howell, Kathy Silva, Jennifer King, Marion Charles, Robert Ito, Iada Mae McKenzie, and Richard Sterne. Original music is by Fred Myrow. Non-original music is by Ludwig van Beethoven. Stanley R. Greenberg wrote the script derived from Harry Harrison's 1966 novella, "Make Room! Make Room!". Richard Fleischer directed.
SOYLENT GREEN is a sci-fi classic depicting a bleak dystopian future. The atmosphere is reminiscent of BLADE RUNNER (1982). It makes a good environmental message and warning. Although this allegory is interesting and believable, the shortcomings include a narrative that is less than coherent, occasional poor editing, it moves slowly at times, and looks a bit dated. But the acting is good and it has a great creepy climax with impressive end credits. Remember, "Tuesday is Soylent Green Day."
