Silent Running **** (1972, Bruce Dern, Cliff Potts, Ron Rifkin, Jesse Vint) – Classic Movie Review 2924

This nifty cult item is the 1972 directorial début of Douglas Trumbull, visual special effects supervisor wizard for 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979), and Blade Runner (1982). It finds him at work on a screenplay by Deric Washburn, Michael Cimino and Steven Bochco (Hill Street Blues).

In one of his best performances, the underrated Bruce Dern gives this sci-fi drama the dynamism it needs as Freeman Lowell, a space station botanist given orders to destroy the last of Earth’s botany, kept in a greenhouse aboard a spacecraft. Earth’s ecosystems exist only in large pods attached to the spacecraft.

But Freeman loves the forest and its creatures. And when the crew of the Valley Forge are told that the pods are to be jettisoned into space and destroyed, Freeman kills his colleagues and tries to save Earth’s last samples of vegetation. He’s left alone with three small drone robots – Huey, Dewey and Louie (named after Donald Duck’s nephews) – relishing the joys of nature.

It is an interestingly well-meaning ecological tale, with notable visual effects by Trumbull and John Dykstra, sharp cinematography by Charles F. Wheeler, endearing robots and an eerie soundtrack by Peter Schickele. Some may find is a wee bit low powered and a tad arty, but everyone who likes sci-fi will find it thoroughly engaging.

Also in the cast are Cliff Potts, Ron Rifkin, Jesse Vint, Steven Brown, Mark Persons, Cheryl Sparks and Larry Whisenhunt.

Trumbull didn’t direct another feature till 1983, with Brainstorm, which was so troubled a production that it proved his last Hollywood feature. Dykstra went on to a distinguished special effects career of his own.

Shots of the Valley Forge and its sister ships were re-used in the TV series Battlestar Galactica as agricultural ships in the refugee fleet.

The Saturn sequence was intended to be featured in 2001: A Space Odyssey but the technology needed for the visual effects team to do it was not ready.

The three drone robots are operated by four multiple-amputee actors: Mark Persons, Steve Brown, Cheryl Sparks and Larry Whisenhunt.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 2924

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