Silent Running (Masters of Cinema) [Blu-ray] [1972]

These are just some of the words you can use to describe this wonderful film. Although it's now thirty years since original release it is anachronistic neither in terms of story nor special effects, and one could argue even more relevant three decades later with America's reluctance to sign the Kyoto Treaty.
For ME it has all the hallmarks of what great art SHOULD contain; a relevance to one's life and the abilty to challenge psychologically and philosophically on a number of levels. Indeed lasting eighty minutes and with only one speaking protagonist for eighty percent of it's duration, much is left implicit for the viewer to interpret. The plot of the film is simple. Cut forward to a time in the future when overpopulation and pollution of the environment has forced the last remaining forests to be moved into outer space on craft orbiting Saturn, until such time that earth is ready to replant. The craft are inhabited by four men, three of which exemplify the socially ordered and homogenous population back on earth, the other Freeman Lowell (played to perfection by Bruce Dern) being more cerebral and less bovine. After eight years they receive an order to destroy the forests and return the craft to commercial service. To save one of these forests Lowell has to murder the other three crewmembers and resign himself to a life of enforced exile without human company. Alone in space, save for two robots for company, Lowell has ample time to reflect on his actions in a way similar to Raskolnikov in "Crime and Punishment". It is also gives an insight into the psychology of isolation and alienation. The answer being for me that some HUMAN contact (even though the robots have more character and humanity than Lowell's previous crewmates), even of the lowest common denominator is necessary for mental 'health'. This is reflected in the sad ending. The DVD version of the film offers nothing more than the tape version other than a dodgy trailer for the film pre-release circa 1972 and language choice. As a footnote look out for an early example of brand/product placing! Enjoy!

Silent Running is a film that now divides people more than ever, 40 years on from its initial release. Those watching it expecting an action packed science fiction film in the vein of Star Wars will be disappointed. This is a surprisingly tender film, wrapped up in a sci-fi skin. The film was directed by Douglas Trumbull, who had been chief special effects supervisor on Kubrick's epic 2001 - A Space Odyssey, but this was his first film on his own (still at the surprisingly young age of 29). One of the first things that impresses is the standard of effects throughout. Yes, to a modern audience, and considering the extra definition afforded by Blu-ray, there's some scenes that look less than convincing, but on the whole it still holds up well. The story itself is deceptively simple: four men are the crew of the space-station Valley Forge, a vessel containing the last forests from the Earth, now a swelteringly hot planet. As they orbit Saturn, the call comes from Earth that they are to jettison and destroy the domes housing these forests. This is too much for the environmental botanist Freeman Lowell (played by Bruce Dern), and the rest of the film follows his plight to save these forests.

One of the highlights is actor Bruce Dern, who by the nature of the film ends up carrying much of it himself. He's an immensely watchable actor, and though he's not playing the most sympathetic of characters, you understand why Lowell is going to the extremes that he does. The crew are accompanied by three service drones, Huey, Louie and Dewey, and because of their unconventional size, Trumbull hired three double-amputees to play the robots. Again, with few actors in the film, the drones are characters themselves, and are one of the most memorable things about it. So, though it's slow by today's standards and won't be to everyone's taste, the acting, special effects, and more to the point, the environmental message, are spot on: this is an excellent film which deserves to be seen. Also, it's one of Mark Kermode's favourite films. Make of that what you will.

This is a Limited Edition Blu-ray only release as part of Eureka Entertainment's superb Masters of Cinema Series. Part of a deal with Universal to celebrate the studios' centenary in 2012, this has been given an fantastic release (ironically far better than that which is afforded to most of Universal's in-house releases). The picture itself is one of the best I've seen of a 70s film on Blu-ray, sharp throughout, with strong, vibrant colours. On the very odd occasion the image is almost overcome with very strong grain, but this is undoubtedly an issue with the film stock itself. There's a DTS-HD Master Audio track in English, as well as an isolated music and effects track, both of which have no problems. Special features are numerous, but it should be noted that they are all in SD. First of all, there is an audio commentary with Trumbull and actor Bruce Dern which is certainly informative, if not one of the most exciting commentaries I've ever heard. There's also a contemporary and refreshingly candid 1972 on-set documentary which lasts 50 minutes, covering all aspects of the production, such as the problems of shooting a film on an abandoned US aircraft carrier. There are also two video pieces with Trumbull, totalling well over half an hour, as well as a conversation with Bruce Dern lasting 10 minutes and an original trailer. Finally, this wouldn't be a Masters of Cinema release if there wasn't a booklet inside, and in this case we get a 48-page colour booklet full of production photos (from Trumbull himself) and memories from the cinematographer, special designs coordinator and composer.

Especially as this is a Limited release (a condition apparently imposed by Universal) anyone with an interest in 70s sci-fi, or looking for a sci-fi film with real emotion should not hesitate to pick this up, as this will undoubtedly become very difficult (and expensive) to get hold of in the future.

"Natural" is a word that often sprang to my mind while watching Eureka's 'Silent Running' Blu-ray. This is, inherently, a rather soft film with an abundance of grain; and I'm very glad to see it's been kept that way. Grain levels do unexpectedly spike on occasion (leading to "snow storm" instances), but there's always loads of fine detail on show. Take a look at the clearly visible textures on clothing, or the complex exterior shots of the Valley Forge for just a couple of excellent examples of the increased clarity on offer here.

Colours stand out to me as the transfer's most impressive quality. Skin tones are pleasingly normal, while the lush greens and earthy browns of the forest dome genuinely pop - as does Lowell's bright blue jacket. There's no "teal and orange" controversy going on here, that's for sure.

I did notice a small amount of edge enhancement, but it only appeared in one or two scenes and was far less obvious than some of the thick white halos seen burdening other discs. There's also some shimmering here and there, but you can probably put that down to the film's source materials. On the whole, Eureka has done a commendably cinematic job with their transfer.

Also pleasing is the faithfully presented HD mono audio. Dialogue and music is clear and precise, while sound effects are satisfyingly robust. That early scene where the domes are being detached, with everything clanging, screeching and then exploding is a real wake-up-the-neighbours moment. As impressive as a remixed HD 5.1 option can be, I'm a big fan of these more old-school audio presentations.

Eureka complement the film with a decent selection of extra features, including a comprehensive making-of documentary, interviews with Bruce Dern and Douglass Trumbull (both of whom also provide a commentary), while there's even an isolated music and effects track for your auditory pleasure. Yes, there's little new material here, but it's still good value overall. In addition, the SteelBook packaging is nice and sturdy - neatly bearing the original theatrical poster art - and houses an extensively detailed 48 page booklet.

Although this is not my first Eureka Blu-ray (I may have bought the... 'Human Centipede'... ahem), I'm ashamed to admit that this is indeed my first `Masters of Cinema' purchase. But if this impressive high-definition release of Silent Running is anything to go by, then I'm sure it won't be my last. Eureka has clearly treated Trumbull's eco-friendly sci-fi cult classic with the utmost respect, meaning this release deserves your attention.