Heart, Soul, and Special Effects on a Budget: Silent Running (1972)

Silent Running (1972) remains well-deserving of its cult status. The feature was a product of a cinematic time capsule - the early 1970's Hollywood new wave movement.

A little context here.

Hollywood's Young Mavericks

Easy Rider (1969) was a massive success (Will we ever see the four-hour rough cut?), and studios allowed young directors free reign to produce experimental movies. The idea was to let the "older crowd" at the studios get out of the way since younger directors had a better shot at connecting with younger audiences. Ironically, a number of those films were flops and have become forgotten. The science-fiction genre, mercifully, houses fervent fans who cherish its history. Silent Running is never to be forgotten. Bruce Dern's performance is a memorable (albeit nuanced) one, and the look of the film's set and art direction was amazing for its time. However, not everyone sees it this way due to certain dated aspects of the film.

The Future By Way Of The 1970s

And then some mock the future-by-way-of-1972 look of the space crafts. The advanced space station of 100 years in the future is operated by, essentially, computers found in a long-outdated Radio Shack catalog. The clothes and hairstyles look like 1972 styles make a comeback in 2072. Yes, Silent Running is a very 70's - early 70's - era movie.

The word "cheap" may be unfairly lobbied at the model kits used to create the future space world. CGI was science-fiction and not science/media-fact at this time when Superman: The Movie suffered in development hell because no special effects team could come up with a credible way to make Superman fly realistically. The model kits are not convincing by modern standards, but they possess something modern CGI effects lack. There is both heart and passion to these models.

Building The Genre Via Model Kits

In the early 1970s, producing a movie such as Silent Running was not easy - or even desirable. The strange future worlds of science-fiction were few and far between on the big screen. When such films did arrive in theaters and drive-ins, an amazing sense of wonder overtook the (sadly, sometimes small) audiences who turned out for these films. Today, everyone knows how special effects are produced. The wonder is not there. Special effects are taken for granted.

Little details went into the design of the exterior space station and the surrounding ships. These details bring the models to life and, in turn, help create the believable isolated world Bruce Dern finds himself in.

The look does not have to be perfect, but it needs to be captivating within the presentation context. Yes, there is an ever-present dated look to the models, but the dated nature does capture the sentiments of the times. Even though the film takes place in the future, the themes are rooted in Vietnam War-era anxieties and upheavals. Linking the future to the 1970s through minimalist sets and props helps maintain a connection to the themes and the time the feature debuted.

Special effects that overwhelm the senses tend to take people out of a movie. A CGI-infused war on the sensory system leaves little time for the audience to digest a film. Other wondrous aspects of a film can end up being lost. Though minimalist in so many ways, the plastic and glue creating the interstellar environment of Silent Running help keep the film's focus on its characters and themes. Bruce Dern and his environmental laments are never lost in a sea of computer-generated effects.