Soylent Green: The Shocking Dystopian Classic Comes to 4K (Limited Edition 4K)

The Film:

In the pantheon of films with shocking endings, you'd no doubt find many of the usual suspects, such as "The Sixth Sense," the original "Planet of the Apes," "Psycho," and, ironically, "The Usual Suspects." Another that you'd very likely see on that list is Richard Fleischer's 1973 classic dystopian thriller "Soylent Green" (Based on the novel "Make Room! Make Room!" by Harry Harrison), starring Oscar winner Charlton Heston and Honorary Oscar recipient Edward G. Robinson. It's one of those films where, unless you saw it upon its original release back in '73 (or within a couple years of it), you likely already had the surprising & rather disturbing ending spoiled before you got a chance to discover it for yourself.

The reviews for the film were decent at the time, but it was those four little words at the end that truly kicked it into legendary status. To honor the film, which celebrated its 50th anniversary not too long ago, Arrow Films is giving it a tremendous 4K upgrade and throwing in some intriguing bonus material, which once again gives us the excuse to revisit another classic to see how well it holds up all these decades later, so without further ado, let's dive right in.

Taking place in 2022 New York City, where overpopulation and food shortages run rampant due to global warming & pollution, we follow NYPD Detective John Thorn (Charlton Heston), who lives with his friend & co-worker Sol (Edward G. Robinson) in a tiny apartment. Thorn's latest case has him investigating the murder of William R. Simonson (Joseph Cotton), a wealthy man who was also a board member of the Soylent Corporation, a manufacturer of processed foods. The investigation soon points to the strong possibility of an assassination, possibly involving Simonson's bodyguard, Tab Fielding (Chuck Connors). The situation only becomes murkier when the Governor himself tries to shut down the case, which only causes Thorn to try and dig deeper, ultimately putting him right in the middle of a shocking conspiracy.

If there's one thing that "Soylent Green" does particularly well, of the several things that it does quite well, it's establishing its setting's mood & atmosphere. There are several times throughout the film where it oozes claustrophobia with its tiny living compartments stuffed to the brim with people, so much so that Detective Thorn literally has to hop over multiple bodies as he makes his way up & down steps. It's so effective that the scenes in which he's visiting Simonson's luxury apartment practically feel like you finally have room to breathe amid the continually cramped locations. Couple this with the degradation of the city and the condition of the people themselves, most of whom have to amass as an immense mob as they wait an entire day for their ration of food, and you have a film that's able to pull you right into its dystopian world as it unfurls its dark tale.

This brings us to its other strongly effective element, the fact that it's simply a very well-told mystery-thriller, as adapted by screenwriter Stanley R. Greenberg. We know from the start that there's something off about Thorn's latest case, the clues of which are unfolded skillfully as it progresses, leading right up to its stunning revelation. Even if you already know its famous ending, which you'd likely be hard-pressed to find anyone who doesn't, it remains quite a compelling experience as we watch the pieces slowly fall into place over the course of its rather brief 90 minutes.

Throw in the excellent performances from Heston & Robinson and it's not hard to see why the film has endured as such a classic of its genre for over 50 years. It's thrilling, thought-provoking, and yes, that finale still provides quite a kick even when you know it's coming, all of which has given it a great rewatchability factor over the decades. It's one of those films that had a strong, important message in 1973 that's just as important now as it was then, all wrapped up in a powerful, intriguing narrative, ultimately making for an effective outing that is most definitely worth revisiting as it makes its stunning 4K debut.

Video/Audio:

"Soylent Green" comes to 4K in a 2.39:1, 2160p Ultra High Definition transfer of marvelous quality, with the new 4K restoration from the 35mm camera negative featuring a beautifully sharp picture throughout the entire 97-minute duration that perfectly highlights its incredible production design. Likewise, the original lossless mono audio track is fantastic, giving you all of the dialogue, sound effects, and music in excellent quality. Overall, as usual, Arrow Films has done a wonderful job in both areas for the film's 4K debut.

Special Features:

Audio Commentary with Director Richard Fleischer and Star Leigh Taylor-Young

Audio Commentary with Film Historian Michael Brooke and Author Johnny Mains (New)

A Look at the World of Soylent Green (10 Minutes): A vintage featurette that goes behind the scenes of the film.

MGM's Tribute to Edward G. Robinson's 101st Film (5 Minutes): A vintage featurette that honors the legendary star.

Charlton Heston at the BFI (97 Minutes): An audio interview with the star of Soylent Green.

Richard Fleischer at the BFl (76 Minutes): An on-stage interview with the director of Soylent Green.

Conclusion:

Over 50 years later, Richard Fleischer's "Soylent Green" remains a highly-effective dystopian thriller that utilizes its fantastic production design to create a strong sense of claustrophobic mood & atmosphere, as well as a sharply-written screenplay from Stanley R. Green that unfurls its compelling mystery in a skillful manner, which combine with the excellent performances from its two leads to ultimately deliver a captivating outing that still provides a grand kick with its well-known ending even to this day.

Score: 4/5

Available on Limited Edition 4K starting today.

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