Review by Gary Tooze

Production:

Disc:

Video:

Audio:

• Full-length commentary by director Trumbull and actor Bruce Dern
• Isolated music and effects track
• The Making of Silent Running, a 1972 on-set documentary (49:17 in 480i)
• Two video pieces with Douglas Trumbull (30:08 + 4:51 in 480i)
• A Conversation with Bruce Dern, a discussion with the actor (10:56 in 480i)
• Original theatrical trailer (2:57 in 480i)
• A lavish 48-page full-colour booklet featuring rare photographs and artwork from Trumbull’s personal collection, and recollections of the film’s cinematographer, special designs coordinator, and composer

Bitrate:

 

Description: Three years after helping to achieve some of the most amazing imagery in cinema history with 2001: A Space Odyssey, special effects maestro Douglas Trumbull made an auspicious directorial debut at age 29 with the environmentally themed science fiction classic Silent Running.

In the distant future, plant life on our planet is extinct. Remaining specimens are cultivated in vast greenhouse-like domes orbiting in space. Bruce Dern (Marnie, Coming Home, The 'burbs, Monster) stars as Freeman Lowell, dedicated botanist aboard the 'Valley Forge', awaiting the call to refoliate Earth despite the scorn of his crewmates. When an order comes to instead destroy the domes and return home, Lowell takes matters into his own hands, beginning a long and lonely voyage into the unknown.

With its remarkable special effects (especially the robot drones Huey, Dewey, and Louie); glorious score (including songs performed by Joan Baez); memorable sound effects (created by Joseph Byrd from the cult band The United States of America); a screenplay co-written by Michael Cimino (The Deer Hunter) and Steven Bochco (Hill Street Blues), and an impassioned central performance from Dern, Silent Running remains a uniquely contemplative and haunting adventure that continues to make hippies of young children, even today.

 

 

CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

 

 

Audio :

Included is the previously-heard relaxed commentary from 2000 with director Trumbull and actor Bruce Dern. The production information imparted is very good and it's nice to hear them both talk about the film. We get Charles Barbee's 50-minute Making of Silent Running documentary, filmed in 1972 on-set. It showcases more on technical effects details including the three robot drones - efficiently named Drone 1, Drone 2, and Drone 3, reprogrammed by Dern's character, Freeman Lowell, to respond to Huey, Dewey, and Louie. There are further - two video pieces with Douglas Trumbull running about 35-minutes in total plus a 10-minute conversation with Bruce Dern on his reminiscences of Silent Running. Lastly are an original theatrical trailer (2:57 in 480i) and a lavish 48-page full-colour booklet included in the case featuring rare photographs and artwork from Trumbull’s personal collection, and recollections of the film’s cinematographer, special designs coordinator, and composer. Excellent!

BOTTOM LINE:
Silent Running is such a cool film - if, obviously, dated in some respects. We have a simple premise with important undercurrent themes and Trumbull pulls the sci-fi angle together with adept effects and a keen use of the haunting score. This is definitely a thinking man's space-feature rather than an action/adventure epic set in the stars (ex. Dern's character's name is 'Freeman'). I think this was a good choice for MoC to release on Blu-ray. I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting the film and the extensive extras buoyed my appreciation for subsequent viewings. Yes, we can easily recommend this as  apart of your digital library. 

 

Also available as a Limited Edition Steelbook HERE: