Many of my generation will remember Charlton Heston only from the lead roles in Ben-Hur and The Ten Commandments - that is, if you either grew up in a Christian home, or your parents just liked classic film regardless of theology. Unfortunately, many others of the same generation probably only remember him from being slandered and mocked in Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine. Equally unfortunately, many young people may also remember him only as a joke in movies they've never watched but assume are lame because pop culture spoofs their climaxes so much, like Planet of the Apes and Soylent Green.
It's that last one I'd like to talk about today in Heston's honour, because while many know the secret/climax of the film, few in their 20s today have actually seen it. Heck, when I first saw it, it was because my husband and I thought it would be a good companion on a double-bill with Escape from New York - something so bad, it's good. Well, we got two surprises for the price of two - turned out Escape from New York isn't actually a bad movie - it has a clear purpose and does it well, and is tons of fun to boot - and Soylent Green isn't bad at all.
Set in "the near future" (dum dum duuuuuum!) in New York City, Soylent Green is an apocalyptic (but not quite post-apocalyptic) tale of overpopulation and the subsequent food crisis. Organic food is all but extinct and only available in tiny quantities to the very rich. The rest of the population subsides on water rations and a mysterious food called Soylent The Soylent Corporation makes all sorts - red, orange, purple, yellow - but the tastiest, most nutritious, most popular version is Soylent Green.
How does Heston figure into all this? As NYPD homicide detective Robert Thorn, he's called to investigate the murder of a Soylent corporate official, which quickly degenerates into a warrant for his own arrest when he winds up on the tail of a conspiracy within Soylent Co. that leads to the discovery of a horrific secret...which, unfortunately, most of you have heard. I say unfortunately because this movie is good; it's well-written, well-acted, and well-paced, and the lead-up to the secret is fantastic and so effective. Heston was a great actor, but mostly known for larger-than-life historical roles. In Soylent Green, he shines in an understated, matter-of-fact environment, with flawless support from Edward G. Robinson as Thorn's elderly researcher/roommate.
"Understated" is really the word for this picture - one of the earliest to paint a dirty picture of the future. Being as a detective doesn't mean Thorn is living the high life - the apartment he shares with Sol (Robinson's character) is tiny, grubby, and he has to climb over a staircase full of sleeping homeless people to get to it. The few "wealthy" areas we see in the film aren't 70's future-flashy - they're just moderately high-end 70's. And this film has some of the best use of music I've ever witnessed, especially during Thorn and Sol's dinner scene.
As well as churning out some really good work, Heston was also known in the industry for crediting and promoting writers and directors for his success, and a passion for discussing the daily grind and realities of the movie business...in short, a really down-to-earth guy.
Today's lesson is, don't judge a film by its spoofs. R.I.P Charlton Heston, survived by his wife of 64 years, Lydia, and their two children.
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