Silent Running (1972)
72%RT Audience Score: 66%
Awards & Nominations: NA
Silent Running, directed by Douglas Trumball, is a film that has stood the test of time and remains relevant today. While some critics may argue that the production lacks dramatic credibility and teeters on the edge of the ludicrous, Trumball’s intimate and serious approach to character work is a virtue that sets this film apart from the subsequent new wave. The lush green foliage and vibrant colors of the garden pop and glow against the vast black emptiness of space, making for a visually stunning experience. This thoughtful science fiction film is a classic that may have a few flaws, but its unique approach to the subject matter undeniably makes it a sci-fi spectacle in a class of its own.
Silent Running is a classic sci-fi film that’s still relevant today, even if it’s a little flawed. Some critics found it lacking in dramatic credibility, while others praised its intimacy and character work. One critic even called it a “wonderful film.” Personally, I think it’s a unique and entertaining spectacle that stands out from other sci-fi movies. Plus, the contrast between the lush garden and the vast emptiness of space is visually stunning. It’s definitely worth a watch, even if it’s a little simple-minded at times. And who doesn’t love a good sardonic, grisly fable about vengeance on behalf of Mother Nature?
Production Company(ies)
Distributor
Universal Pictures
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
Year of Release
1972
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:NA
-
Runtime:1h 29m
-
Language(s):
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Mar 10, 1972 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 7, 2003
Genre(s)
Sci-fi
Keyword(s)
starring Bruce Dern, directed by Douglas Trumbull, written by Deric Washburn, Michael Cimino, Steven Bochco, sci-fi, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Roger Ebert, produced by Michael Gruskoff, G rating, space station, greenhouse, robots, ecologist, preservation, rebellion, melancholic mood, intimate character work, unique sci-fi journey, audience score, critic score, Universal Pictures, Cliff Potts, Ron Rifkin, Jesse Vint, Mark Persons, Steven Brown, MPAA rating, English language, Universal/Universal Int, Freeman Lowell, John Keenan, Marty Barker, Andy Wolf, Drone, Huey
Worldwide gross: NA
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Cliff Potts – John Keenan
Ron Rifkin – Marty Barker
Jesse Vint – Andy Wolf
Steven Brown – Drone
Mark Persons – Huey
Director(s)
Douglas Trumbull
Writer(s)
NA
Producer(s)
NA
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (35) | Top Critics (8) | Fresh (25) | Rotten (10)
…more relevant today than it was back in 1972
March 2, 2023
Wael Khairy
RogerEbert.com
TOP CRITIC
Douglas Trumball’s Silent Running is a flawed classic, but that still makes it a classic.
January 8, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/4
Sara Michelle Fetters
MovieFreak.com
TOP CRITIC
The production lacks much dramatic credibility and often teeters on the edge of the ludicrous.
June 4, 2007
Variety Staff
Variety
TOP CRITIC
The film is enjoyable for its intimacy, seriousness, and intelligent character work, virtues not perpetuated by the subsequent new wave.
June 4, 2007
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
A wonderful film.
June 24, 2006
Derek Adams
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
Silent Running is no jerry-built science fiction film, but it’s a little too simple-minded to be consistently entertaining.
May 9, 2005 | Rating: 2.5/5
Vincent Canby
New York Times
TOP CRITIC
It is brilliantly illustrated but the storyline and dramatic structure are fatally weak.
July 22, 2022
John Fleming
Starburst
rumbull makes the colour and detail of the simple, exquisite things in that garden—its lush green foliage for instance, and the oranges, yellows and pinks of flowers—pop and glow by contrasting them against the vast black emptiness of space
June 27, 2022
Luke Buckmaster
Flicks (AU, NZ, UK)
It’s a sardonic, eventually grisly fable of a rich, powerful clan whose despoiling of the pristine countryside draws a visitor in disguise delivering vengeance on behalf of Mother Nature herself.
April 18, 2022
Dennis Harvey
48 Hills
…a sombre, often pompous story, but it’s also got offbeat charm…
February 24, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Eddie Harrison
film-authority.com
Thoughtful science fiction.
January 16, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
Matt Brunson
Film Frenzy
Its simplicity and unique approach to the subject matter undeniably makes it a sci-fi spectacle in a class of its own.
August 31, 2020 | Rating: 6/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins…
Plot
After the end of all botanical life on Earth, ecologist Freeman Lowell rebels against orders to destroy the greenhouse he maintains on a space station, putting him at odds with everyone but his three robots and small human crew in Silent Running.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels praises Bruce Dern’s “intense, slightly unhinged portrayal” in Silent Running.
Douglas-Trumbull.jpg
