MovieChat Forums > Soylent Green (1973) Discussion > Not one thread about the 'furniture.'

Not one thread about the 'furniture.'

posted 12 years ago by slakespeare
16 replies | jump to latest

When Thorn meets Shirl midway through the movie for questioning, he goes into the bedroom with her and tells her to get on the bed. He then proceeds to have sex with her.

She barely knew him and she just allowed him to have sex with her.

My question is, what is the reasoning for this? I don't recall it being explained in the movie, at all.

I'm sure, no doubt, that this particular system of having sex leads more into their problem of over-population, but can someone explain it, still?

Why are women called "furniture" in this movie? Are all women somehow required to just give sex to any man that asks or something?

[–] fleshcut 12 years ago

she was a prostitute that comes with the apartment. On her end she gets to eat real food. We barely understand it in the movie but are lead to believe that once you get rich enough (and you don't need to be to rich, the bodyguard had one) you can have one. I think its more about the amount of space really.

[–] andrewwjohnson 12 years ago

The wealthy got food and furnished apartments. Even in the depraved world of 2021 there was still just enough shame, among the wealthy, not to have prostitutes listed among their other perks. The women were listed as "furniture" because they came with the apartment just like the chairs, tables, beds and other things.

TAG LINE: True genius is a beautiful thing, but ignorance is ugly to the bone.

[–] Avenger69 12 years ago

Also, the reason Thorn is so quick to have sex with Shirl, is she is "furniture," and therefore she would be like a coffee table book... when a guest visits, they may thumb through the book. Shirl is "furniture," so... It was expected.

Harsh and anti-woman, but that was part of the point of the movie (and the book) to show how women's rights had regressed. As viewers, we are supposed to be horrified by it.

"It's people..."

[–] briarmor 11 years ago

and there is too the lack of any family and marriage ....all the characters are unmarried and without children, it means there is no faith in future ....I think Thorn believed in the system before Sold told him the truth and now will find a way to see if really the rest of the world is like he believed it was...(My Op for the teoric sequel)

[–] Danimal_77 10 years ago

There most certainly was a child in the movie whose mother was lying dead on the street when Thorn was heading to the church.

[–] BoxOfficePoison 8 years ago

Well, yeah -- the adults had to come from somewhere, after all.

"You seem a decent fellow. I hate to kill you."
"You seem a decent fellow. I hate to die."

[–] ejioforobi 8 years ago

Choice number 1
Become "furniture" live in an apartment eat regularly and live a somewhat safe existence with the drawback that you have to sleep with the owner.

Choice number 2
Survive on the street fighting for scraps and being a young women unless you have a "protector" you will have to "do what you have to do" with a lot of guys to survive.

In world like thatthat most who could would would take choice number 1

[–] mariakelly-04164 7 years ago

I was w

[–] Morphindel (9) 7 years ago

I watched last night and was a little confused by that. I guess they assumed that the term furniture was enough of a clue to how it all works, but it still is a little ambiguous.

[–] mariakelly-04164 7 years ago

I was wondering about that myself. Also, I seem to remember that the "furniture" were locked up in a cage in between assignments. Could someone please tell me if that's true?

Laugh while you can, Monkey Boy!

[–] rndgurl-971-654277 7 years ago

Cage? in the movie or the book.. in the movie they were just supposed to stay in their apartments, like Shirl did..

[–] mariakelly-04164 7 years ago

Well, it has a VERY long time since I saw it. And for some nutty reason that's what I thought I saw. Thanks for settling that for me.

Laugh while you can, Monkey Boy!

[–] MNRebecca (750) 7 years ago

Calling them furniture objectifies the women, indicates that there are so many people, their value has decreased and they are worth no more than objects. Happens to men, too, when police researchers are referred to as books.

[–] rndgurl (129) 6 years ago

Much like handmaids in the Handmaids tale.. they aren't even allowed to use their real names.

[–] MNRebecca (750) 6 years ago

Interesting. Same objectifying behavior in an antithetical situation. In HT, people are scarce and extremely valuable. Well, some people. Sorry, colonials.

[–] bobbydallas (8059) 4 years ago

exactly. even death seemed no real concern - no funeral as Shirl states.. you just get shipped "off"