tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2801441755423984496.post5795199220076940697..comments2024-03-05T17:26:44.559-08:00Comments on Roman's Movie Reviews and Musings: Silent Running (1972)Roman J. Martelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09545497713474664555noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2801441755423984496.post-64762095796173410002014-01-13T20:31:09.238-08:002014-01-13T20:31:09.238-08:00Yeah, I'm not sure I'll revisit this one e...Yeah, I'm not sure I'll revisit this one either. Compared to another 70's sci-fi, "Logan's Run". I found that to be much more engaging and the characters easier to identify with. It is heavy handed too, but it manages to work in spite of it.Roman J. Martelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09545497713474664555noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2801441755423984496.post-78443255729842438702014-01-13T09:40:05.872-08:002014-01-13T09:40:05.872-08:00I was there in 1972, and there really was a tenden...I was there in 1972, and there really was a tendency among filmmakers to think (as you say about the makers of this flick) that being anti-establishment by itself was sufficient to make a character sympathetic, at least to a particular target audience. The messages were often heavy-handed, as in Getting Straight (1970). This annoyed me at the time even when I agreed with the messages, and often I can enjoy such movies better now that they aren't so Relevant. (Capital R intended.)<br /><br />I liked this one well enough in the day -- it was pretty well-produced scifi after all -- but I've never felt the urge to rewatch it. Maybe that says it all.Richard Bellushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10108081864942272619noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2801441755423984496.post-68112005515129125862014-01-13T07:36:11.008-08:002014-01-13T07:36:11.008-08:00Wow, I didn't think of that connect with "...Wow, I didn't think of that connect with "Unforgiven". Good catch there. <br /><br />Yeah I think we are supposed to sympathize with Dern's character because he is sticking it to the man. But he really comes across as unstable. Even his final act seems to be driven by his guilt at killing his fellow astronauts, and crumbling under the desire to end it all. He's a really odd character and not one I found sympathetic. I think another pass of the script could have helped this film feel a little less preachy. Still I'm glad I've seen it. But I get the feeling that you may have had to have been there in 1972 to really enjoy it.Roman J. Martelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09545497713474664555noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2801441755423984496.post-42561284435153114182014-01-12T12:41:32.843-08:002014-01-12T12:41:32.843-08:00I think Silent Running suffers a bit from the sign...I think Silent Running suffers a bit from the sign of the times when these type message films were made supposedly to expose "the system." But it's hard to get behind the Bruce Dern character who really is sort of a sociopath. I enjoyed the escapism, and the efx, but I think the story could have been worked out a bit better. When I thought of this movie, I also thought about the western, Unforgiven. There are similarities in both of the anti-hero characters of Eastwood and Dern, but we get behind Eastwood's character more. And I'm guessing that's because the character that Hackman plays is every bit as bad, but we don't get that in Silent Running. El Voxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05985563041511492981noreply@blogger.com