SILENT RUNNING is one of those 'lonely' sci-fi films made in the spirit of 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY where it's all about astronauts being isolated and becoming gradually unhinged in deep space. Bruce Dern stars as an interstellar gardener (!) tasked with caring for a greenhouse full of the Earth's last plant life.
The film that gradually unfolds (at a slow and stately pace) is both watchable and slightly twee. There's a message about ecological conservation that's being shoved down the viewer's throat all the time which I didn't care much for, but Bruce Dern makes up for that by fully inhabiting his character's role. The best thing about the film? Those quirky robots, which are nothing like robots in real life but which add humour and a touch of pathos in any case.
SILENT RUNNING is considered by some to be a masterpiece, but I don't buy it; there just isn't enough substance to go along with all the effects and the heavy-handed message. It is, however, a perfectly watchable movie, albeit one I'm in no hurry to revisit anytime soon.
The film that gradually unfolds (at a slow and stately pace) is both watchable and slightly twee. There's a message about ecological conservation that's being shoved down the viewer's throat all the time which I didn't care much for, but Bruce Dern makes up for that by fully inhabiting his character's role. The best thing about the film? Those quirky robots, which are nothing like robots in real life but which add humour and a touch of pathos in any case.
SILENT RUNNING is considered by some to be a masterpiece, but I don't buy it; there just isn't enough substance to go along with all the effects and the heavy-handed message. It is, however, a perfectly watchable movie, albeit one I'm in no hurry to revisit anytime soon.