MovieChat Forums > Silent Running (1972) Discussion > Is this worth watching in your opinion?

Is this worth watching in your opinion?


I haven't seen a whole lot of Dern's earlier movies.

reply

It’s a fine performance from Dern, but it’s an... odd film.

reply

I loved it as a young boy.

reply

It's not a perfect film, but overall it's a good one, I'd say. Dern is superb, as he pretty much has to carry most of the story by himself (with some robot help). And while some modern viewers might find the ecology message a little heavy-handed, it's sincere & sadly still pertinent. Remember that this is from a time when environmental issues were just beginning to become important to the public at large, and pollution was terrible, with almost no regulation or oversight. It's the time when the EPA was created, for instance (and much as I loathed Nixon, that's something he did that I'm grateful for).

But issues & messages aside, as a character study, it's strong & moving. Dern's essential loneliness, even before the events of the film that accentuate & exacerbate it, is beautifully portrayed. As is his inner struggle between conscience & guilt.

reply

It's entertaining, and Dern is good, but brace yourself to get slapped with a BIG MESSAGE about something that was already obvious to any kindergartener at the time.

reply

[deleted]