Editing Silent Running

{{Short description|1972 American science fiction film by Douglas Trumbull}}
{{About|the 1972 film}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2013}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Silent Running
| image          = Silent running.jpg
| caption        = Theatrical release poster by George Akimoto
| director       = [[Douglas Trumbull]]
| producer       = {{Plainlist |
* [[Michael Gruskoff]]
* [[Marty Hornstein]] 
* Douglas Trumbull
}}
| writer         = {{Plainlist |
* [[Deric Washburn]] 
* [[Michael Cimino]] 
* [[Steven Bochco]]
}}
| starring       = {{Plainlist |
* [[Bruce Dern]]
* [[Cliff Potts]]
* [[Ron Rifkin]]
* [[Jesse Vint]]
}}
| music          = [[Peter Schickele]]
| cinematography = [[Charles F. Wheeler]]
| editing        = [[Aaron Stell]]
| studio         = [[Douglas Trumbull|Trumbull]]/[[Michael Gruskoff|Gruskoff Productions]]
| distributor    = [[Universal Pictures]]
| released       = {{Film date|1972|03|10}}
| runtime        = 89 minutes
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $1,350,000<ref>As printed in the Silent Running 2011 Blu-ray booklet. [https://web.archive.org/web/20071024002252/https://www.barbeefilm.com/tmsr01.htm (Although producer Michael Gruskoff says in the 2002 DVD 'Making Of' documentary]. : "... we only had a million dollars to make it with ...") <!-- at approximately 3 minutes 30 seconds --></ref>
| gross          = 
}}
'''''Silent Running''''' is a 1972 American environmental-themed [[science fiction film]]. It is the directorial debut of [[Douglas Trumbull]], and stars [[Bruce Dern]], [[Cliff Potts]], [[Ron Rifkin]], and [[Jesse Vint]].

==Plot==
In the future, all forests on Earth have become extinct from careless environmental exploitation. As many specimens as possible have been preserved in a series of enormous greenhouse-like [[geodesic dome]]s serving as [[Closed ecological system|closed ecological systems]] attached to large cargo spaceships, forming part of a fleet of eight "[[American Airlines]] Space Freighters", stationed outside the orbit of [[Saturn]].

Freeman Lowell, one of four crewmen, is the resident botanist and ecologist on one of these ships, the ''Valley Forge.'' He carefully maintains a variety of plants for their eventual return to Earth and the [[reforestation]] of the planet. He spends most of his time in the domes, cultivating the crops and attending to the animal life.

The crew of each ship receives orders to jettison and destroy their domes and return the freighters to commercial service. After four of the six ''Valley Forge'' domes are jettisoned and destroyed with nuclear charges, Lowell rebels and opts to save his ship's plants and animals. He kills Wolf, one of his crewmates who arrives to plant explosives in his favorite dome, and his right leg is seriously injured in the process. He then jettisons and triggers the destruction of the other remaining dome to trap and kill the remaining two crewmen.

Enlisting the aid of the ship's three [[service robot]]s, Lowell stages a fake premature explosion as a ruse and sends the ''Valley Forge'' speeding toward Saturn in an attempt to hijack the ship and flee with the last forest dome. He then reprograms the drones to perform surgery on his leg and sets the ''Valley Forge'' on a risky course through [[Rings of Saturn|Saturn's rings]]. Later, as the ship endures the rough passage, Drone 3 is lost, but the ship and its remaining dome emerge relatively undamaged on the other side of the rings. Lowell gives the surviving drones the names Dewey (Drone 1) and Huey (Drone 2), while the lost Drone 3 is named Louie (a nod to Disney characters [[Huey, Dewey, and Louie]]).

Lowell, Huey, and Dewey set out into deep space to maintain the forest. Lowell reprograms Huey and Dewey to plant trees and play poker. He also has them bury Andy Wolf in the bio-dome. Lowell begins speaking to them constantly, as if they are children.

Huey is damaged when Lowell accidentally collides with him while driving a buggy recklessly, and Dewey sentimentally refuses to leave Huey's side during the repairs. As time passes, Lowell is horrified when he discovers that his bio-dome is dying, but is unable to come up with a solution to the problem. When the ''Berkshire''—another space freighter waiting to see if the ''Valley Forge'' has survived the trip around Saturn—eventually reestablishes contact, he knows that his crimes will soon be discovered. It is then that he realizes a lack of light has restricted plant growth, and he races to install lamps to correct this situation. In an effort to save the last forest before the ''Berkshire'' arrives, Lowell jettisons the bio-dome to safety. He then detonates nuclear charges, destroying the ''Valley Forge'', the damaged Huey, and himself in the process. The final scene is of the now well-lit forest greenhouse drifting into deep space, with Dewey tenderly caring for it, holding Lowell's battered old watering can.

==Cast==
[[File:Making of Silent Running Drone.jpg|thumb|right|200px|During a shooting break, [[Amputation|double-amputee]] actor Mark Persons is visible inside the tiny ''Drone 1 (Dewey)'' costume with its cover plate removed.]]
* [[Bruce Dern]] as Freeman Lowell
* [[Cliff Potts]] as John Wolf
* [[Ron Rifkin]] as Marty Barker
* [[Jesse Vint]] as Andy Keenan
* Mark Persons as Drone 1 (Dewey)
* Cheryl Sparks and Steven Brown as Drone 2 (Huey)
* Larry Whisenhunt as Drone 3 (Louie)

Note: Although the end credits do not associate the main actors with their character names, each crew member may be correctly identified by a patch on their right breast. The patch is in the form of a [[International maritime signal flags|maritime signal flag]] corresponding to the initial letter of their surname.

==Production==
Trumbull was involved with creating effects for ''[[2001: A Space Odyssey]]'' (1968), whose director, [[Stanley Kubrick]], had wanted that film's Stargate sequence to be about [[Saturn]]; however, technical difficulties prevented completion of the sequence's special effects within the limited time available. The Saturn idea was scrapped, and Kubrick substituted [[Jupiter]] instead. Trumbull developed the sequence after production, and it was recreated for Saturn in ''Silent Running''.{{Citation needed|date=March 2012}}

The interiors were filmed aboard the decommissioned [[Korean War]] aircraft carrier [[USS Valley Forge (CV-45)|USS ''Valley Forge'' (LPH-8)]], which was docked at the [[Long Beach Naval Shipyard]] in [[Long Beach, California]]. Shortly after filming was completed, the carrier was scrapped. The forest environments were originally intended to be filmed in the [[Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory|Mitchell Park Domes]] in [[Milwaukee]], but the production budget forced the sequences to be shot in a newly completed aircraft hangar in [[Van Nuys, California]]. Trumbull stated in the commentary accompanying the DVD release that the geodesic domes containing the last forests of Earth's future on the ''Valley Forge'' were based on the [[Missouri Botanical Garden]]'s [[Climatron]] dome.{{Citation needed|date=March 2012}}

Three freighters are shown in the film: the ''Valley Forge'', the ''[[Berkshires|Berkshire]]'' and the ''[[Sequoia National Park|Sequoia]]''. Five other ships that carried domes—the ''[[Yellowstone National Park|Yellowstone]], [[Acadia National Park|Acadia]], [[Blue Ridge Mountains|Blue Ridge]], [[Glacier National Park (U.S.)|Glacier]],'' and ''[[Mojave Desert|Mojave]]''—are also mentioned. Each ship features a designation on the hull that notes the area from which some of its [[flora]] and [[fauna]] samples were taken. The ''Valley Forge'' is listed as "[[Bahia Honda Key|Bahia Honda]] Subtropical," indicating at least some specimens were taken from this area of the [[Florida Keys]].{{Citation needed|date=March 2012}}

The model of the ''Valley Forge'' was {{convert|25|ft}} long, and took six months to build from a combination of custom castings and the contents of approximately 800 prefabricated model-aircraft or tank kits. After filming was completed, [[American Airlines]] expressed an interest in sending the model on the tour circuit, but this was not feasible due to its fragility. (During filming, pieces of the model frequently detached.) It was subsequently dismantled after sitting for several years in Trumbull's personal storage facility. Several pieces, including the domes, wound up in the hands of collectors. Several domes survive, including one that now rests in the [[Museum of Pop Culture#Science Fiction Museum|Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame]] in [[Seattle, Washington|Seattle]], and another that was sold at auction in 2008.{{Citation needed|date=March 2012}}

The three drones were played by four bilateral [[Amputation|amputees]],<ref name="canby72" /> an idea inspired by [[Johnny Eck]], a sideshow performer of the early 20th century who was born without lower limbs.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thehumanmarvels.com/johnny-eck-the-half-man/ |title=Johnny Eck - The Half-Man |date=August 7, 2006 |publisher=The Human Marvels – Circus Freaks and Human Oddities}}</ref> The {{convert|20|lbs|adj=on}} drone suits were custom-tailored for the actors. The suits are in Trumbull's personal collection.

The sound effects, including the drones, were created by uncredited composer [[Joseph Byrd]]. They were generated on a modified [[ARP 2600]] synthesizer with added [[Oberheim  SEM|Oberheim Synthesizer Expander Modules (SEMs)]].{{Citation needed|date=March 2012}}

Footage from the film would later be reused in [[Universal Pictures]]'s 1978's ''[[Battlestar Galactica (1978 TV series)|Battlestar Galactica]]'' and its sequel ''[[Galactica 1980]]'', notably depicting the [[Battlestarwiki:Agro ship|agro ships]]. Shots of the internal domes would also be re-used, with Dern making a fleeting cameo appearance in "[[The Magnificent Warriors]]" due to re-use of footage from the film.

===Soundtrack===
The soundtrack was written by [[Peter Schickele]], a [[bassoon]]ist who also composed comedy music under the name [[P. D. Q. Bach]].<ref>{{cite book |first=Tammy |last=Ravas |date=2004 |title=Peter Schickele: a bio-bibliography |page=7 |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |isbn=0-313-32070-5}}</ref> It contains two songs written by Schickele and Diane Lampert, which were performed by vocalist [[Joan Baez]]: "Silent Running" and "Rejoice in the Sun".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Nash |first1=Jay Robert |last2=Ross |first2=Stanley Ralph |last3=Connelly |first3=Robert |title=The motion picture guide |date=1987 |volume=7 |page=2920 |editor=Nash, Jay Robert |editor2=Ross, Stanley Ralph |publisher=[[Cinebook]] |isbn=0-933997-00-0}}</ref> The two songs were issued as a single by Decca (32890). An LP was released by Decca in 1972 (DL 7-9188) and later reissued by Varese Sarabande on black (STV-81072) and green (VC-81072) vinyl. In 1998, a limited-release CD by the Valley Forge Record Groupe included an additional track with the spoken introduction "God Bless These Gardens." A CD with audio restoration was released in 2016 by Intrada, Special Collection Volume 369.<ref>[https://www.amazon.com/Silent-Running-Original-Soundtrack-Schickele/dp/B01N6AGRLS Silent Running (Original Soundtrack)] Retrieved December 26, 2019 Amazon.com</ref>

The title song was later covered by [[David Matthews (keyboardist)|David Matthews]] on his 1977 album ''Dune''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/master/248445-David-Matthews-Dune| title=David Matthews "Dune" at discogs.com| website=[[Discogs]]}}</ref>

The band [[65daysofstatic]] recorded an [[Silent Running (album)|alternative soundtrack]] to the film, released in 2011 and commissioned by the Glasgow Film Festival.{{Citation needed|date=August 2022}}

==Reception==
{{Anchor|Critics|Critical response}} 
On [[Rotten Tomatoes]] the film has an approval rating of 71% based on reviews from 34 critics. The critical consensus states: "It doesn't fulfill the potential of its ambitious themes, but ''Silent Running'' stands as a decidedly unique type of sci-fi journey marked by intimate character work and a melancholic mood."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/silent_running |title=Silent Running (1971) |publisher=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=July 23, 2022}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]] the film has a score of 67% based on reviews from 13 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".<ref>{{cite web |title=Silent Running |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/silent-running |website=[[Metacritic]] |access-date=2021-02-26}}</ref>

[[Vincent Canby]], reviewing the film for ''[[The New York Times]]'', said that ''Silent Running'' "is no jerry-built science fiction film, but it's a little too simple-minded to be consistently entertaining."<ref name="canby72">{{cite web |first=Vincent |last=Canby |title=Silent Running: Science-Fiction Story With Cheerful Robots |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=April 1, 1972 |url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9504E4DC1F31E73BBC4953DFB2668389669EDE |access-date=2021-02-26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140419105228/http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9504E4DC1F31E73BBC4953DFB2668389669EDE |archive-date=2014-04-19}}<!-- NYTimes archive link: https://www.nytimes.com/1972/04/01/archives/screen.html?searchResultPosition=1 requires subscription --></ref> [[Carl Sagan]] criticized the "technically proficient" film for depicting a future in which people have forgotten the [[inverse-square law]], and that plants need sunlight.<ref name="sagan19780528">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1978/05/28/archives/growing-up-with.html |title=Growing up with Science Fiction |last=Sagan |first=Carl |date=1978-05-28 |work=The New York Times |access-date=2018-12-12 |page=SM7 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> [[Roger Ebert]] awarded the film his highest rating of four stars and praised Dern as "a very good, subtle actor."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/silent-running-1971 |title=Silent Running |last=Ebert |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |website=[[RogerEbert.com]] |access-date=December 10, 2018}}</ref> [[Gene Siskel]] gave the film two stars out of four and compared it unfavorably to ''[[2001: A Space Odyssey (film)|2001: A Space Odyssey]]'', saying that it had "the same effects but none of the wit or intelligence."<ref>[[Gene Siskel|Siskel, Gene]] (May 8, 1972). "Silent Running". ''[[Chicago Tribune]]''. Section 2, p. 19.</ref> Arthur D. Murphy of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' lauded the "excellent special effects" and "broadly entertaining script" but faulted the "crucial miscasting" of Dern, explaining, "Walking around often in robes which crudely suggest some kind of airborne vegetarian [[Noah]], and otherwise suggesting an out-to-lunch mentality, his characterization does not evoke empathy."<ref>Murphy, Arthur D. (March 8, 1972). "Film Reviews: Silent Running". ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]''. 24.</ref> [[Charles Champlin]] of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' praised the film for avoiding "the usual heavy hokum associated with the [sci-fi] genre" and called it "a solid and well-disciplined first film. The spaceries really are impressive and the movie is an ingenious family entertainment which offers something to think about."<ref>[[Charles Champlin|Champlin, Charles]] (March 10, 1972). "Man Alone in 'Silent Running'". ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''. Part IV, p. 1.</ref> Gary Arnold of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' called the film "the most original and interesting science-fiction melodrama since '[[Planet of the Apes (1968 film)|Planet of the Apes]]' and a new classic of the genre."<ref>Arnold, Gary (May 1, 1972). "A Moving Elegy-in-Advance". ''[[The Washington Post]]''. B1.</ref> [[Penelope Gilliatt]] of ''[[The New Yorker]]'' wrote: "The robots have endearing qualities, paddling about as if in galoshes, and they play a wonderful game of poker, but this is sci-fi with the soul of an editorial."<ref>[[Penelope Gilliatt|Gilliatt, Penelope]] (April 15, 1972). "The Current Cinema". ''[[The New Yorker]]''. 125.</ref> British film critic [[Mark Kermode]] has said that the film is a personal favorite and that he prefers it to ''2001''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/markkermode/2011/11/silent_running.html |title=Mark Kermode's film blog: Silent Running |work=BBC |date=November 1, 2011 |access-date=October 22, 2014}}</ref>

Nods and various [[Easter egg (media)|easter eggs]] to the film would make their way in numerous genre media, including [[Ronald D. Moore]]'s 2003 [[Battlestar Galactica (miniseries)|''Battlestar Galactica'']] miniseries and [[Steven Spielberg]]'s 2018 film adaptation [[Ready Player One (film)|''Ready Player One'']]. As testament to the film's cult status, a screen-matched costume jumpsuit worn by Bruce Dern originating from Douglas Trumbull's personal collection sold for {{US$|40,625}} in 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Silent Running (1972) - Douglas Trumbull Collection: Freeman Lowell's (Bruce Dern) Screen-Matched Hero Costume |url=https://propstore.com/product/silent-running/douglas-trumbull-collection-freeman-lowells-bruce-dern-screen-matched-hero-costume/ |access-date=2024-01-07 |website=propstore.com}}</ref> In [[Super Mario Odyssey]], various steam-powered robots are upkeeping a biome in a wooded area, much like the film.

The picture won the 1972 Golden Astroid for best picture at the International Science-Fiction Film Festival in Trieste, Italy. <ref>{{Cite web |title=AFI catalog of feature films |url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/54648}}</ref>

[[Joel Hodgson]] credits ''Silent Running'' as being a direct influence on the concept of ''[[Mystery Science Theater 3000]]'', with both ''Silent Running'' and ''MST3K'' featuring a single human aboard a spaceship accompanied only by robot companions. ''MST3K'' and its Joel Robinson character also occasionally reflected Freeman Lowell's [[hippie]]-like nature.<ref name="nytimes 2008">{{cite news | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/09/arts/television/09dave.html | title = The Show That Turned the Mockery Into the Message | first = Dave | last = Itzkoff | date = November 9, 2008 | access-date = December 2, 2015 | work = [[The New York Times]] | archive-date = April 7, 2017 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170407225443/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/09/arts/television/09dave.html | url-status = live }}</ref><ref name="art of the title">{{cite web | url = http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/mystery-science-theater-3000/ | title = Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1998) | website = [[Art of the Title]] | first1 = Jonathan | last1 = Dube | first2 = Will | last2 = Perkins | date = December 19, 2011 | access-date = December 2, 2015 | archive-date = December 8, 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151208173324/http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/mystery-science-theater-3000/ | url-status = live }}</ref>

==Adaptation==
A novelization of the film was published by [[Scholastic Corporation|Scholastic Books]] in 1972. It was written by longtime children's book author [[Harlan Howard Thompson|Harlan Thompson]], based on the screen story and screenplay by Cimino, Washburn, and Bochco. It features expanded scenes (in flashback) taking place on Earth.<ref>{{cite web |website=isfdb.org |url=http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?276697 |title=Publication: Silent Running |publisher=Al von Ruff |access-date=2017-05-24}}</ref>

==Home media==
The film has been released several times on home video by [[Universal Pictures|Universal Studios Home Entertainment]], beginning with the [[Betamax]] "[[pan and scan]]" release in 1982, and several [[VHS]] releases that followed. A [[DVD]] was released featuring the film's original 1.85:1 aspect ratio on May 21, 2002.<ref>{{cite web |title=Silent Running DVD |url=https://www.amazon.com/Silent-Running-Bruce-Dern/dp/B000063UR1 |website=Amazon.com|date=May 21, 2002 }}</ref> A Blu-ray of the film was released on 14 November 2011 by Eureka for the film’s 40th-anniversary, initially in a [[Optical disc packaging#SteelBook|steelbook]] case.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/Silent-Running-Masters-Cinema-Blu-ray/dp/B005DE1G2Y |title=Silent Running |date=November 14, 2011 |website=Amazon.com}}</ref> Another was released by Arrow on 17 November 2020, from a 4K scan and 2K restoration of the film, with an additional extras.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Silent-Running-Blu-ray/275740/ |title=Silent Running Blu-ray Release Date November 17, 2020 |website=Blu-ray.com}}</ref> Both were released under license from Universal Studios, with transfers approved by director Douglas Trumbull. This same approved 4K transfer was used to create a 4K UHD version of the film, again released by Arrow Video in December 2022.<ref>As printed in the booklet for the 4K version of the film, released by Arrow Video in December 2022.</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of American films of 1972]]
* [[Environmentalism]]
* [[Astrobotany]]
* [[Space farming]]
* [[Space habitat]]
* [[Plants in space]]
* [[Closed ecological system]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
{{Commons category}}
* {{IMDb title}}
* {{Discogs master}}
* [http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?276697 ''Silent Running''] at the [[Internet Speculative Fiction Database]]
* [http://www.scifimoviepage.com/silent.html Sci-Fi Movie website analysis]
* [https://www.thespacereview.com/article/1337/1 In-depth review of Silent Running at the Space Review]
* [https://www.centauri-dreams.org/2019/02/01/in-wildness-is-the-preservation-of-the-world-silent-running-and-our-choice-of-futures/ In-depth analysis of Silent Running at Centauri Dreams]

[[Category:American dystopian films]]
[[Category:American post-apocalyptic films]]
[[Category:American robot films]]
[[Category:American science fiction films]]
[[Category:American space adventure films]]
[[Category:Environmental films]]
[[Category:Films about robots]]
[[Category:Films set on spacecraft]]
[[Category:Rings of Saturn in fiction]]
[[Category:Saturn in film]]
[[Category:Universal Pictures films]]
[[Category:1970s dystopian films]]
[[Category:1972 directorial debut films]]
[[Category:1972 films]]
[[Category:1970s English-language films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Douglas Trumbull]]
[[Category:American Airlines]]
[[Category:1970s American films]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Michael Cimino]]
[[Category:1972 science fiction films]]
[[Category:English-language science fiction films]]