Kermode Uncut: Silent Running
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- Опубліковано 17 жов 2024
- www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/markkermode
Silent Running, one of my all time favourite movies and one of the greatest sci fi films ever, is about to be released on BluRay disc. It was made by Douglas Trumbull as a reaction to Kubrick's much more celebrated 2001 and for my money it's the superior film.
The last scene of this movie destroyed me as a child but the themes of looking after nature have stuck with me for a lifetime.
I think I was 8 years old when my brother took me to see Silent Running. We sat in the front row at the theatre. The ending choked me up back then, still does. Masterpiece!
I saw this during the late 70's when I was less than 10 years old. It had a profound effect on me and it remains one of my favourite films to date.
Yep, it's a masterpiece no question. Vividly remember seeing it for the first time in the 70's. Responsible for the emotional issues of so many children!!!
Great someone that loves this movie as much as I do
I burst into tears when Dewey waters the space garden. I'm soft I guess. Coming Home where Bruce swims to his death is shocking.
YESSSS! I was 17 when I saw it and 50 years later we are only just appreciating what SILENT RUNNING was trying to tell us.
Can't watch it, it reduces me to a quivering mound of tears and snot.
I agree that Silent Running is underrated. On an emotional level, it hits as hard as a sledgehammer. It's extremely beautiful. Bruce Dern's acting is always good. It has a few plot problems, though. Why send domed forests into space when the domes would work just as well on Earth, even if the environment has been trashed? Why put them out near the orbit of Saturn, and why, for God's sake, blow them up with nuclear bombs when they could simply be jettisoned? What do those space freighters normally carry, and to where? They don't seem capable of interstellar flight. What were the people back on Earth eating and breathing? And how could a botanist forget that plants need sunlight? (Okay, Lowell wasn't thinking straight by the end.) Those questions don't ruin the film for me, but I couldn't help asking them, even when I first saw it at the age of eleven.
some films are just special and this is one of them......
Just ordered the movie to watch again. Strange I had completely forgotten it but when I saw this I remembered the whole film and how it made me think about things when I watched it as a kid. Thank You.
This film probably had a bigger impact on me than Star Wars did. And I am a massive Star Wars fan.
It turned me to defending animals and nature and there are probably thousands of new vegans on the planet because of the my actions.
1 of my fav movies in endless lists. Mark always love your shows
I love this movie too, its very emotional brings me back to my childhood and one of the few movies that I cant help crying when I watch it.
I love this film!!! But I still cannot understand why he takes one of the drones with him at the end. Why couldn't he leave them together in the dome? He said he wasn't well enough to help. But they could communicate. We saw that in the film. They'd have been better off together.
Shockingly (to me) i have not seen Silent Running - by the end of the day this shall be remedied. Bruce Dern really is a terrific actor too.
Great words Mark. I couldn't agree more. I saw it when I was about 10 (something like that) and I'm now 48. Again, totally agree, well said. Deserves a remake, but only in the right hands.
Just saw the movie, i thought i had seen all the best sci fi movies, glad i was wrong. We need more sci fi movies that take their time to tell a good story.
RIP Doug Trumbull
I totally agree with you .its masterpiece. I love the early 1970s science fiction movies so much silent running. Forbin project. The omega man and soylent green . Thought provoking movies and proves you dont need all special effects ... l enjoyed your video of silent running 📽🎬😎
But it always makes me cry.
A truly underrated 1970s sci-fii cinematic classic.
I saw this when I was about 12....I was upset by it for days afterwards.
ok, don't be silly, its defiantly not better than 2001. but however i do agree with you Mark that it is a truly underrated masterpiece that is sadly overlooked.
the greatest film ever, its content is terrifying and will be truth if we don't change our ways.
This movie is a tear jerker!
I almost cried at the end.
This movie is I think the one that got me into sci-fi.
I can hardly say which movie is "superior". Both of them boast impressive special effects work thanks to Trumbull, but I will say that you are absolutely right in that this movie is carried by Dern. I love Bruce Dern's work, and this is certainly a movie that you need to show to anybody who thinks Dern is just a two-bit actor that appears on any film that they can shove him in for two minutes to play the "guy who says a one-liner with a folksy voice".
What I sincerely agree with is that this is absurdly unappreciated, and it's nice to see that it's on Blu-Ray.
Great clip! Excellent, underrated film, yes. 2001, well, not quite but almost. It played as a double bill with "The Omega Man" in the USA.
On the debate of Silent Running versus 2001, they are both great in their own ways.
I seen it when i was kid on TV in the 70s but it don't really want to see it again because it would spoil the memory of it. but what I can recall it was a very good film. I even got hold of the Joan Baez song
Hey Mark. Absolute Classic movie as you so rightly say. The Masters Of Cinema, Eurek release to Blu-ray is Fantastic. Picked up the Steelbook & what a thing of great beauty. Love the film & like revisiting an old friend from my childhood that is just as wonderful today as it was then. Terrific behind the scenes extra video as well that is highly recommended to check out. Fabulous stuff & what a perfect movie making union between star Bruce Dern & Director Douglas Trunball.
Great film.
Couldn't agree more with the good doctor. 2001 is a spectacular, wonderful movie, but it isn't a human movie. It doesn't provide a sense of connection or an emotional opinion. It's cold, which is probably the point. Silent Running however is not cold. It's heated, it has an opinion, it has a real, deeply personal character all of it's own that someone or multiple people have clearly poured themselves in to. It's fluid, organic and openly communicative in a way 2001 isn't. I love it.
Well said, Sir. I adore this movie.
I can't believe I haven't seen this.
Thanks for sharing the Douglas Trumball memories!
I certainly don't think it's a better film than 2001 but I probably like it more. The best Sci-fi films -especially from this period, really delve into humanity itself. It's flaws, it's remarkable grace, it's desire to know. (Mostly the flaws part) and 2001 can lead down a rabbit hole of existential entropy however beautiful and groundbreaking it is.
Oh, and check out Bruce Derns filmography. Sumbitch!
I loved this film. I was always surprised by its mediocre ratings. Even though 2001 is a great cinematic experience, I found Silent running to be much more relatable. It was a part of the culture that grew from the 60's. And, now with climate change, it is even more relevant.
not seen either of them.... my shame is all encompassing
Truly a great movie!
I don't like the movie, but I always respect the Doctor's opinions. Well done sir, makes me want to go back and rewatch it even though I don't want to...
Excellent film, though it would NOT have ever been made (and neither would Clockwork), had it not been for 2001. Great story and the ending, when I first saw it as a kid, the song by Joan Baez (which should have been nominated for an Oscar), was a real tearjerker.
Well I personally thought Wall-E was a massive massive improvement from Silent Running and mark 2001 is about human's. It's about man evolving from the apes and to the overman, it's about him beginning to find miracles in technology rather than religion, it's about man replacing god as the source of his own morality.
2001 is the best sci-fi film to date and one of the greatest films, period.
I think the humanizing of 2001 comes from Stanley Kubrick; as reading any Arthur C. Clarke will quickly show how 'flat' his characters are. Mere pawns for his story. 2001 & Silent running are both, for me remarkable movies. Too different to compare but displaying the breadth of Sci-fi as a genre.
2001; not so much for Wall-E.
Douglas Trumbull also did the "Tree of Life" universe segment!
Forbidden Planet was my favourite sci-fi film when I was growing-up, followed closely by Silent Running.......2001 was a distant third because the last 30 mins was too weird and could only be appreciated by LSD users.
Too weird? Are you an accountant or something? I am not an LSD user, nor of other types of drugs and alcohol, but I did not find it weird, just awesome.
Could it be that Kermodes overly positive reaction is a subconscious respons to the lack of praise for Silent Running? It might also have something to do with Kermode seeing the film at a young age, and there by "bonding" with the film. I remember Edgar Wright praising Silent Running and remembering watching it when i he was a child too. The emotional respons upon the first view might just have a profound, lasting impact when the first view is in childhood. HSM and Twiligt are mysteries...
@tenaciousd2005 Oh, it is - I was fortunate enough to get tickets to a Manchester show earlier this year. They're actually in the process of recording their version of the soundtrack to be released as a downloadable album... should be available in a couple of weeks actually...
I LOVE Silent Running.... But it's not better than 2001!
Where does one get the models?
To be honest I think that explains the top ten lists of a lot of critics and directors, and why the BFI are so reluctant to put recent films in their top 50 list.
Along with Dark Star it's a classic.
i don't know about "Dark Star."
Moving it most certainly is.
I have to disagree Mark. 2001 is not entirely about the lack of humanity in our future (although that is one of the themes). 2001 is about our evolution, and about our species as a whole. The black monolith's appearance represents the coming of change in a species. Hal evolved to become more human and more instinctual in his survival skills (and his plea for mercy from Dave is one of the most haunting scenes ever). Meanwhile, Dave goes on to become a star child, our next stage of evolution.
Fantastic film from a great period of sci-fi and horror (1971-1982)
Soylent Green, The Omen Trilogy, Alien, Bladerunner (my favorite), The Exorcist, Clockwork Orange, Logan's Run,The Andromeda Strain, Capricorn One, Scanners,Close Encounters, Solaris, Mad Max,Star Wars.........
This was the brave new world, where utopia meets dystopia, where idea's matter.
Now with few exceptions (Moon,Cube,Melancholia,Children of Men) they are in the main horrible franchises and re-heats.
Agreed Mark.
@ZAMPAROAD You sir, are a comedy genius.
Saying that Silent Running is a better film than 2001 is like saying that between the Sistine Chapel and the ceiling in my kitchen, my kitchen is by far the superior example of artex.
2001 is overrated.
Except it isn't
I thought this was going to be about the 65 Days of Static screenings.
I'm sorry Dave.
Kermode you're wrong, it's nowhere near as good as 2001. Silent Runnings may be warm, but the coldness of 2001 is what 's brilliant about it. It's the total loss of contact with our Earthly emotions against such a vast, dark universe.
Yeah, well, that’s just, like, your opinion, man.
When reviewing anything, remember 'subjectivity'. There is no view other that your own. For my part 2001 is a more enjoyable movie. Dr K is very enjoyable though.
Silent Running is up there with 2001, but then they both have different qualities. Silent Running and Close Encounters (another to benefit from Trumbul)l both speak to the heart, but 2001 speaks to the mind... in a way. Nowadays i find it a little pretentious, whereas the ending of Silent Running is much more profound.
Remake??
Sounds like he describing "Moon"
You millennial, you!
Good film though. Comparison is understandable.
It is
The sound quality on this video is very poor - sort it out!
Have to say I disagree when Kermode says 2001 isn't about humans and our characteristics
@Regenmacher175 Your reasons as to why 2001 is a masterpiece is the same as what "Vincent" from Collateral would have said.
He pretty much likes Twilight as a joke.
you lost me at the end when you used the word "better"
Agreed :)
Sounds alot like "Moon" (2009)
I thought this film did not get good until the end. Or toward the end, because then we see something brilliant happen. The dern guy seems to like spending more time around machines then people. In fact he even killed his co worker. And then he lives in a world where the only thing he interacts with are machines. These machines took the jobs of people so now there is not a need for people. The scary thing is that now more then ever people are interacting with machines and are happy with that. I mean this dern guy even seemed like he had shitty social skills. But he was at home with the machines. This movie is kind of deep.
I think you're mistaking a masterpiece with good old fashioned nostalgia Mark.
@whywontyoulisten While I love the Tarkovsky film, one of the great SF film ironies is although it does indeed pull off the "more human 2001" wonderfully, the original author of the book thinks it's exactly the wrong approach! The book is primarily interested in the utter failure for the life on Earth and Solaris to ultimately communicate, with the visions the crewmembers see being merely another failed attempt at communication, rather than the point of the piece.
I do like Silent Running a lot, but it does rate highly on the overacted-cheese scale (even for its time) in far too many scenes, and that tends to distract you from what is a really interesting story, with superb sets and miniatures. Personally, I find the Joan Baez contributions to the soundtrack unbearable. For a "human side to 2001" movie, I much prefer Tarkovsky's "Solaris" from 1972; a truly beautiful and emotionally resonant film that I loved from the first time I saw it.
Watched it after seeing this review. Seemed very much my sort of film. I found it quite tedious and a struggle to get through, despite a predilection towards slower paced movies (trek the motion picture for example). The cinematography was mostly bland, the music grated; I never felt I was in the the forests or real sympathy for Bruce's annoying face. *not as good as 2001.
It's good, but it ain't 2001 good.
I've seen it. It looked like a student film.
Furthermore, Kermode (while I do like him) seems to have a habit of ranking films which seems unnecessary and is made all the more annoying due to his attitude of being right because he's right because he's right.
Of course it's normal to refer to other films, but Ebert, for example, doesn't seem to feel the need to constantly rank them, and while I probably disagree with him more often (The Phantom Menace 4 stars?! Come on man!) I think I prefer him as a critic.
Sorry Mark, you are out of your mind. 2001 is by far much better. Sorry Dr.
Silent Running is one of the worse sci-fi's I've ever seen. Mark, I've agreed with you so much... I hope you are getting kickbacks from the blu-ray sales or something.
I think 2001 is more provocative and challenging. I wasn't overly fond of either film after I first saw them, but 2001 left more of an impression: I felt like I'd watched something different that had just gone over my head, whereas with Silent Running I just felt, "meh." I agree with mikeboy0001 that it's just an average film at best, and I speak as someone who should agree with the environmental ideals it spouts.
I also found Huey, Dewey and Louie corny, almost a forerunner to the Ewoks.
I'm usually with the good doctor, but I suspect he might be viewing this through the same rose-tinted goggles he uses for Dougal and the Blue Cat. I don't think its to do with going against the common opinion as someone suggested here, I think its just nostalgia.
I can't help but feel that the films message is pretty dated, at least not very well grounded in science, however prophetic you might consider it. V for Vendetta, it could be argued, is prophetic of GB now, but its still an extremely exaggerated prophecy. The events in Silent Running will never actually happen, but aspects of them certainly will, and are.
Nope.
2001 is good but not as good as transformers 3
Good performance, good overall idea, nice visual for its time. But man, somehow it didn't age well. Like... at all.
it's not
blasphemy!
It amazes me, yes its a great movie.
But NOT once, have I seen any comment regarding what I guess has become simply of no importance. The fact that the main character, Commits Murder.
And he does so for the same reason virtually every human being has since the beginning of time: Their Own Personal Agenda. And so they feel 'justified' and he shows no sign of remorse.
Gawd, I bloody HATE that film. Hippie drivel
2001 is a massively overrated borefest of a movie.
In your opinion.
@Regenmacher175 "Get with it. Millions of galaxies of hundreds of millions of stars, in a speck on one in a blink. That's us, lost in space. The cop, you, me... Who notices?". Disconnected anti-humanist thinking is not the reason why 2001 is a good film.
This has to be a joke
Silent Running is only known because of 2001 lovers
It's an average flick at best at everything it does, story, effects or acting
I respect Mark for liking Silent Running better, but to consider it a superior film is just making himself ridiculous
I find myself liking Pop Music much better than Opera, but would never say Pop is superior to Opera, as that would be a stupid statement of tremendous magnitude
Silly analogy. Both are sci-fi films made in Hollywood's silver age. Both have something to say about humanity, but 2001 simply isnt that goood; Style over substance.
Ahh, he's just wrong here.
2001 is the greatest science fiction film other than Blade Runner. Silent Running not so much.
Anything is better than 2001. Most overrated film ever.