Silent Running (Hidden Gems)
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- Опубліковано 14 лют 2024
- Let’s plant ourselves down to discuss Douglas Trumbull’s “Silent Running”. Yes, I know you saw what I did there.
“Silent Running”
(C) 1972 Universal Pictures
(C) 2024 BoredomCorner Productions - Розваги
This movie is one of the saddest I've ever seen.
Back in those days there were some similar movies and stories done .like the one by Isaac Asimov about a man keeping the last animals of the world in his flat and commits suicide together with his animals because he is in the way of the WORLDPLAN to improve the ideal Human Population
When you see this as a child it has a impact on you
This is one film that you never forget.
You can't deny its subtle intrigue.
@fredbrandon1645 please share with us your portfolio of award winning filmography
Well said
Saw it in junior high school at an all-student assembly in about 1979 or 1980; I never forgot it. The premise is simple: Earth's last trees and plants are aboard the 3 ships, because Earth is so polluted. As then-US President Anderson says: "On this first day of a new century we humbly beg forgiveness and dedicate these last forests of our once beautiful nation to the hope that they will one day return and grace our foul earth. Until that day may God bless these gardens and the brave men who care for them." When the destruct orders are given, it is little wonder someone questions them, knowing what is at stake.
This is one of my all-time favorite sci-fi films. I think I would disagree with the creator of this video in that I feel that Silent Running is an almost flawless film, and Dern's character is a perfect representation of the environmental movement-- tormented, desperate, yet hopeful-- and willing to sacrifice anything for a cause. I just have a hard time watching this film because the final scenes just choke me up so badly.
This film really depressed me as a kid, and I was never able to get it out of my head. Seeing it when I was a little older though, I certainly appreciated the craft of it and that the bleakness, which depressed me as a kid, was deliberate. The reason I think I couldn't get it out of my head is that it looked so real and Bruce Dern gave such a sincere performance, sucking me into the film to the point that I couldn't watch it detached, as though I was watching it, I could only watch it identifying with the protagonist to such a degree that I really felt I'd just got back from space when it was over.
Also, can I just say Stephen that I had to play this video at 75% speed for listening to be comfortable. I often race through what I'm saying in my videos myself, and often have to go back and rerecord it because I listen to it back and realise I'm speaking so fast I can barely keep up myself (and I know what I'm saying).
Anyway, thank you for producing any video about this film, I do tend to feel that it has pretty much been lost from social consciousness as there is very little material that I've seen on UA-cam about it. It does deserve its place as among the best sci-fi films from that bleak dystopian period of sci-fi (pre-Star Wars).
Most of the science fiction movies of the late 1960s to the mid 1970s were of a dystopian nature. But that was changed in the summer of 1977.
Me too. Of all the films of that period, that one really did.
Andromeda Strain just scared me and there was a reasonably happy ending. Logan's Run had Jenny Agutter in it.
But the worst thing was that when Lowell decided to destroy the ship he took Huey with him. He should have left Huey on the last forest dome with Dewey to keep him company, even though he was damaged! That image of him tending the garden on his own was truly sad. OK he was damaged, but he was still operational. Even if Lowell didn't wanted to die alone, it seemed selfish of him to deprive Dewey of his companion.
I thought the same thing when I saw it in theaters at about 12, how depressing is was that he left Dewey alone.
I had the same experience with the film as a kid. Unforgettably sad.
@@_JellyWalker Considering the state of world affairs now (not the conflicts or politics) but corporate greed and global consumption, disregard for the environment, how do you feel about all that now that you've grown?
Myself, I don't think anyone would bother to build those bio domes, too much expense for now real gain, they'd just let the Earth slowly choke and die.
Bruce Dern is a very underrated actor. He always delivers. I really liked this movie.
My brother and I used to love watching this whenever they'd play it back in the 70's.
Wonderful film but I can't watch it any more 'cause I cry at the end.
Who could forget Huey, Dewey, and Louie.
As a kid, this movie was a heart breaker. Since then, I've grown to love it. I've collected quite a few models of the robots over the years and enjoyed building them all. I've scratch built three Valley Forge in two scales. Even the smaller, less detailed model is still a good 24" long. A couple of things about the movie. The Valley Forge model was used in the original Battle Star Galactica as the agro ships. They also updated them for the reboot. They do state the reason they're abandoning the domes. The American Airlines board of directors no longer find the investment profitable. I'd like to see an updated version of this film.
I was really young when I saw this, and I really liked it … Which is pretty surprising, as it’s more an adult-targeted movie. I wept when … Well, you know. Poor little guy.
You and me both. Thinking about it now I start crying.
i have seen this film a couple of times and quite like it, i think the saddest part is at the end he leaves the the robot to look after the biodomes and kills himself
Loved the robots and buggies! Great film.
The ships looked great. Where would they get all that glass? Recycled coke bottles? 😂 Great movie. I always wondered what happened to the ships. Was it a gift for another world, did the trees merge with the droids and make a new race. Inquiring minds want to know. 😄
My biggest insight into Lowell's personality was towards the end, his almost befuddled confusion and depression at being rescued. "But how did you find me? Why did you even try?" Underscored by the obvious celebratory and joyful sounds from the other side of the radio, "Aw come on, I TOLD you we wouldn't give up on you, didn't I??!" from the unseen characters that the movie spent most of its time portraying as the evil anti-nature corporate types. It was a really interesting juxtaposition to me, almost a flip. It would have come off as a plot twist if it weren't a more subtle psychological statement.
Silent Running was almost always paired with Soylent Green, as part of an "ecology" double feature. Also, the soundtrack was written by Peter Schickele of PDQ Bach fame.
I've only watched it once, in about 1980, I think, and I've never forgotten it. The visual were amazing, and the pathos they managed to inject into those robots was wonderful. Yeah, Bruce Dern was over the top, but I feel that the character required it. Okay, off to watch it again ...
The ending really got me when I first watched Silent Running in the theatre as a kid, holy smokes!!
I believe "Silent Running" was the first movie that I remember seeing Bruce Dern in. I had seen him play in lots of TV shows before that, but I believe this was the first feature that he was starring in that I saw. Fascinating, and sad. I was just a kid, so it really broke my heart!😉
I first saw this movie in 1975, when I was 16. Loved it! I was so excited that I could hardly sleep that night. Thing is, back then good, well-made SF films were RARE, and Silent Running was visually stunning for the time. Even then I was aware that the plot had some issues, but I was more than willing to overlook all that, sit back and enjoy the ride. Joan Baez's loud singing was a bit jarring, but the instrumental piece was quite beautiful(to me). Still among my favourite SF movies.
I saw this as a kid. Super depressing. We are well on the way to making this movie a reality.
Only if we don't do anything about China and the other biggest culprits. Our cities are too congested and that contributes to waste geometrically. We should probably stop using all this plastic too. We recycle only a small portion of it which requires energy and releases toxic chemicals. Glass bottles turn into sand eventually or can be reused. No sea creature ever died from a glass bottle, unless someone was aiming for it..
Yeah...have to say dude I think you missed the point of the movie? First off, consider his first name Freeman, secondly, he was a biologist in charge of taking care of the last plant life from earth, consider it the seed vault if you will, its a last resort. The movie is about the connection of humans to their environment, humans in isolation. Frankly the movie was a decent attempt of warning us about what we as humans do to the very environment we live in and depend on...we exploit and destroy it.
I saw this in the cinema. Absolutely loved it. ❤
BTW, the "Valley Forge" ships were also used in both "Battlestar Galactica" series, and the domes themselves in "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" at Starbase 1, with the description seeming to allude to Silent Running.
During the Summer of 1983, I was invited to attend a program at Vanderbilt for 40 rising Seniors (20 male and 20 female). As part of the enrichment program, we studied varies topics from microbiology to sculpture. In the evenings we watched "thought provoking" films like Blade Runner and Silent Running. We then had high-minded discussions on their meanings and implications to OUR future. That was 40 years ago and while most people have heard of Blade Runner, this Bruce Dern classic is hardly ever mentioned. Thank you for shedding some light on this film.
I loved this movie as a child-thinking I may well see it again soon
Saw Silent Running when it was first released. Loved it immediately. Wore out the first VHS version of it. Been trying to find it in 4K format.
Amazing and really poignant film. Always go back to it. Bruce Dern did really well acting 'solo' when that was something new. Love it....
Cool movie made me cry, what else could I say 😢
I loved Silent Running. But yeah, you don't want to think too hard about the reasons why any of this is happening. It's like an introvert's fantasy, never mind the ecology message, and the sad part is that he has to leave it.
Bruce den, outdid himself, in this forgotten, gem.
I saw this once, on tv, when it came out and I’ve never forgotten any part of it….
great movie...!
True fact:
In 5th grade, I had a book report due, but handed in a review of this movie instead.
Never knew if the teacher knew or cared.
Like most of commenters here, I too find this flick sad AF.
But those forest ships were incredible!
I saw this as a kid and only remember the go carts, the robots, and an overwhelming despondency.
This is a fine film that lures you into caring for the characters' plight. Most viewers don't realize that at a point in the film, the main character goes insane from the isolation, but his obsession with the forest is all that keeps him going.
Eh? It’s that humans cutting themselves off from nature lose all humanity
Story brilliant,music great.One of the best sci fi movies I’ve got it on disc 👍
I saw this movie in the theater as a kid. Fantastic film with great special effects for its day that still hold up. Great message, not only about ecology, but human morals and one man's descent into desperation and madness. The relationship between Dern and the robots is terrific. And the Joan Baez theme song was spot-on.
What a wonderful film. Bruce Dern was perfect. I had a friend in engineering school who had the poster from the movie theater in his room and I was deeply envious.
FYI: There are a ton of Silent Running movie posters, ranging from mini to full-size, available on eBay in the $20 to $100 price range.
I loved this one as a kid.
I saw this movie in the theater with my father, I was 10 or 11. I never forgot it and never will, very underrated movie.
I saw this in the theater when it first came out. Kinda stuck with me.
Like many of the commenters here I saw it as a kid when it was out in theaters and was blown away and totally heartbroken at the end. Since this was before you could buy movies on VHS I bought the soundtrack (composed by Peter Schickele of P. D. Q. Bach fame!) and played it so much I wore the record out. While it’s not on the level of “2001: A Space Odyssey” it’s one the the top 10 science fiction movies of the ‘70s.
Wow! I can name all the films in your intro!
Right!!!! 'Dark City' clip right off the bat!!
Yup.
Loved this movie and got me into sci-fi. I remember my early days as a computer operator doing shift work and had a black and white tv turned on in the background. The movie always seemed to come on around 3am and I'd schedule jobs so I could put my feet up to watch it. Bittersweet memories. Maybe it was the parallels with Bruce Dern's character - working alone with only the machines to talk to. Those were the days.
Silent Running is a deeply wonderful film; one of the best sci-fi movies of the 70s.
I have seen many movies in my life but this one I have never been able to forget and I saw it in the 70s. I’m almost 64.
As a kid this film left a dent in my brain like no other film has done since.
It's great
Yeah, great movie, when I am able to watch it through without falling asleep maybe....
I remember it with great nostalgic endearment. The story still speaks to me. I think the fact that everything you criticized about it, is there, and I think, is intentional, is what makes it so relevant today.
Cheers.
Great review
You're over-thinking it. I'm lucky enough to have seen this film when it premiered. I loved it and everyone I knew loved it. That's enough.
Fair enough! Even if it didn't do much for me, I'm glad that you and other like it.
(If anything I just felt that some things misfired, I do like what it was trying for)
This one has a special interest to me as it was one of the few films that I studied as a media component of our High School senior English subject.
The local cinema was contracted for a viewing so we could see it in at least a 35mm print, and this was preceded by a "Making of …" documentary, which dove well into the production issues, like shooting in the cramped spaces of the Valley Forge, and the casting of the three little "bots", and how they managed in their respective suits.
It was, for me thoroughly enjoyable as a film and a focus of study at the time.
My father died when i was 5. I identified with Lowell upon first viewing because like him I was always angry for what was lost and precious only to myself while all the other kids around me where just out there enjoying their lives eager for whats to come, just like Lowells crewmates.
I have always liked this film. I like space movies that show space as a lonely place and not full of spaceships racing across the screen every five seconds. And the use of amputees to portray the robots was genius. I have seen this movie several times. It's different . That's why I like about it.
That was a great movie. And omg sad when one of the robots gets killed. Right now it makes me cry.
Wonderful movie. No spoilers, but one scene made me cry.
When one of the drones got hurt? I don't remember if it was Huey, Dewey or Louie.
I loved Silent Running. Haven't watched it in a liong time, but still have it on tape somewhere (VHS I hope). This film introduced me to Bruce Dern & I've been a fan of sorts ever sense. May need to dig out that tape: hope it's not a beta!
Fun fact: The three service drones, Huey, Dewey, and Louie (named after Donald Duck's nephews) were played by bilateral amputees, an idea inspired by Johnny Eck, a sideshow performer of the early 20th century who was born without lower limbs. The 20-pound drone suits were custom-tailored for the actors. The drones partly inspired the creation of R2D2's design.
Dern's character was the last sane man, which is why he seemed to be a bit crazy. It was a sort of Greek tragedy in which humanity has lost its humanity and consequently is at peace with itself, while the one humane person, still in contact with Nature, consequently is at war with his fellow humans.
I really like this flick, having seen it many times over the years.
Going over it just now they could have asked the company for all of the ships but one combined into a large structure. The remaining ship then returns to Earth with any volunteers remaining behind to watch over the eco-domes. The company can write off what’s left behind.
Shout out to the Vietnam vets inside the robots. Their movements made it real.
I knew they were bilateral amputees, but I didn't know how they got that way.
It also has to do with the fact that the main dude was eating real food rather than fake food like processed food.
Musical score was composed by Peter Schickele, of P. D. Q. Bach fame.
John Dykstra(Star Wars) was in the sfx crew.
This is true science fiction, not space opera, like Star Wars. A good, almost forgotten movie. And it's one the few Hollywood movies that have a sad ending.
Highly underrated. Huey, Dewey, and Louis
One of my favs!❤
My gf hated it when the little droid got hit and taken...
My dad always hated SciFi movies but this was the only one he actually liked.
If it makes Bruce Dern feel better, his daughter goes on to see dinosaurs resurrected. Life finds a way.
R2D2 is a direct descendent of Huey, Dewey and Louie. As stated in the video, the general esthetic of mainstream sci fi spaceships was established in this film. And the other commenters are correct - it was very impactful to watch a child.
This films creators were aiming their message purely at young people.
It is not a movie for mature ...and therefore unfortunately jaded individuals.
That's why this film was a dud with adults. But the few kids that saw it were transfixed.
The future was a world where adults were jaded and the natural environment was despised,
and its only value was its monetary worth, which for this films timeline... was nothing.
For those with a beating heart... this film was a sad awakening to the reality of the adult world.
fun fact: in Italy the film was distributed in cinemas with the title "2002 the second odyssey" to use the hype of Kubrick's film as a driving force.
The best thing is the robots. You care about them as humans. Also ,Bruce Derns performance is very good.
Did you know that the drones were operated by bilateral amputees? And that they partly inspired the design for R2D2?
I read the book as a kid, saw the movie... still no clue what to think of it :D
Note that if you watch Star Trek Strange New Worlds, it's implied that they rescued the domes. Similar are in scenes of one of the Star Bases, but the domes are much bigger. It was kind of a nod to the movie IMHO.
I remember seeing this movie at the Drive-in
Good sci-fi flick for the time.
Bruce Dern is one of my favorite actors ever.
It was an interesting film (I watched it in the 80s on TV). The ship is recycled as the agro-ship in the original Battlestar Galactica.
That’s the point, he doesn’t have a plan, he’s winging it the whole film, just trying to make the best of a bad situation. Even if some of it is self inflicted.
Silent Running was one of three movies shown at my university back in the early seventies that I still remember. The other two, also worth watching today, were John Waters' Pink Flamingos and Harlan Ellison's A Boy and His Dog starring a very young and very hot Don Johnson. I remember having to squeeze past an angry crowd of women protesting the latter film...possibly due to the men in the movie hunting, raping and sometimes killing the few women left in its apocalyptic world.
This film reminds me a lot of Dark Star
A very melancholic movie, but, I can respect that. However, it just pains me to think about the robots: they seemed so cool, when I saw this film for the first time, as a child. But looking at them now, knowing that there are handicapped guys inside, really shatters the illusion.
The three service drones, Huey, Dewey, and Louie (named after Donald Duck's nephews) were played by bilateral amputees, an idea inspired by Johnny Eck, a sideshow performer of the early 20th century who was born without lower limbs. The drones partly inspired the creation of R2D2's design.
What's interesting is people were thinking about it back then and are STILL failing to address global issues 40 years later.
The inspiration of Mystery science theater 3000
The Critic talking, reminded me of Siskel... Who was really good at critiquing movies, by comparing them to the movies they would've made instead..
I was very young when I first saw Silent Running. And, I understood exactly what it was about. Why Dern's character was so into saving the last acre of Earth. Huey, Luey and Duey may not have said very much, but, they were integral characters in the story...
That one of them, floating through space, was the last hope of Earth surviving into the future...
That this guy found this movie confusing somehow, confuses me...
Always liked this movie. But could never figure out WHY the forests were ordered destroyed. Or WHY the ships appear to be so SO far away from Earth. What was the point to that? And if the "program" is cancelled (for government budget reasons) and rangers brought home, why not just abandon the forests - why destroy them at all ? Weird.
Absorbing when originally watched. Rewatching years later and it moved too slow since I knew the plot.
To BoredomCorner - too much video fill before SR starts. I concur w/ cmnts of science and art. I don't remember Bruce dieing, only that the trees would survive. :) PS: saw him in an off-Broadway play and I clapped hard because of this movie.
the intro music is too loud (as well as the exit music)
Poop. Peepee!
@@jasonhewitt9542 some people appreciate the comments if it could make their videos better...
I'm still getting the hang of the mix, thanks for letting me know.
@@BoredomCorner awesome, no worries
@@BoredomCorner The song CHILDREN IN THE SUN was sang by Joan Baez. A singer somewhat off the social establishment.
The comment about the '70s message being dated says more about you than it does about the movie. The lack of passion about our environment has led us to the brink of a huge die-off. And we will go over that brink. I'm old enough now, and childless, that it won't be my tragedy. It will be the tragedy of today's middle aged and their children.
Great film
I photoshopped weed growing on the ships 😂 Love this movie 🍿
Perhaps the first movie, when the non-human characters are the most memorable. Also, when I learned to never play poker with robots because they will find a way to cheat.
I like Bruce Dern. And I like chainsaws.
Just subscribed!
Seemed impossible when I was a kid 😢
a round pool table?
I know...
Of the many things never explained -- why nuke the domes? Just jettison and come home. Why Saturn and not just in the sane orbitbas Earth? Why have humans at all, and not just robots from the start?
Uh, think this is a generational thing. I never got any confusion as to what was going on.