Silent Running (1972)

Calificación de los usuarios:

6.8/10   

Director:

Douglas Trumbull

Escritores:

Deric Washburn (written by) &
Michael Cimino (written by) ...

Fecha de Lanzamiento:

10 marzo 1972 (USA)

Género:

Aventura | Drama | Ciencia-Ficción

Frase comercial:

Amazing companions on an incredible adventure... that journeys beyond imagination!

Plot:

The loner crew member of a spaceship harbouring Earth's last nature reserves goes renegade when he is...

Plot Keywords:

Forest | Murder | Space | Robot | Futuristic

Premios:

1 nomination

Comentarios de los usuarios:

SILENT RUNNING (Douglas Trumbull, 1971) ***

Reparto

Bruce Dern	...	Freeman Lowell
Cliff Potts	...	John Keenan
Ron Rifkin	...	Marty Barker
Jesse Vint	...	Andy Wolf
Mark Persons	...	Drone 2 - Huey
Steven Brown	...	Drone
Cheryl Sparks	...	Drone 1 - Dewey
Larry Whisenhunt	...	Drone

También conocida como:

Running Silent (USA) (working title)
Naves misteriosas (Spain) [es]

Duración:

89 min

País:

USA

Idioma:

Inglés

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Relación de Aspecto:

1.85 : 1

Sonido:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Mono (35 mm prints) (Westrex Recording System)

Clasificación:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | Australia:PG | Norway:12 | Sweden:15 | UK:U | USA:G | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG | Canada:PG

Locaciones de Filmación:

Aircraft Hanger, Van Nuys Airport - 6590 Hayvenhurst Avenue, Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California, USA

Compañía:

Universal Pictures

Trivialidades:

The model of the "Valley Forge" space freighter was 26 feet in length and was constructed of steel, wood, plastic, and over 650 army tank model kits. This model no longer exists, as it was disassembled and destroyed several years after filming. At least one original "dome" from the model has survived in good condition, and was offered on an Internet auction site in 2003 - it sold for $11,000, and currently rests in a science fiction museum in Seattle, Washington, USA.

Errores:

Errores que Revelan: When Freeman is outside the ship, investigating the lost robot drone, he is wearing only a lightweight blue flight suit, a thin helmet, and is without a life support/oxygen system. In the total vaccuum of deep space, all this would have resulted in his body disintegrating within seconds of exposing himself to such a vacuum.

Citas:

Freeman Lowell: [to Huey and Dewey] Poor Louie, God bless him... he's not with us anymore.

Conexiones de Película:

Referenced in "Stargate SG-1: Unending (#10.20)" (2007)

Banda de Sonido:

Silent Running

SILENT RUNNING (Douglas Trumbull, 1971) ***

Made in the wake of both 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968; the ultimate space opera) and EASY RIDER (1969; the era's biggest 'sleeper' hit), SILENT RUNNING was given the go-ahead by the executives at Universal – in an attempt to recapture the momentum of those two films – who even allowed special-effects wizard Douglas Trumbull to make his directorial debut, and this with unprecedented artistic freedom.

The film is a visual treat, featuring marvelous if unassuming special effects, though Trumbull manages to keep the technology firmly under control – it is all so simple but still very impressive (even more so in view of the budget). Bruce Dern is appropriately cast as the film's eco-friendly hero. Joan Baez's two songs are very much of the time, and yet add quite a lot of humanity to the 'outer space' events. The film's sets (an unused aircraft carrier conveniently converted into a spaceship!) are also notable. However, the film's most endearing elements are the two almost-human 'drones', Huey and Dewey, which contribute to some amusing and even touching interplay with Dern; they were an obvious influence on C-3P0 and R2-D2 from from the STAR WARS films.

Still, I found the film to be somewhat plodding - especially since Dern is, for most of the time, the only human being on screen. In the end, SILENT RUNNING is a pretty good film, and a deserved cult item, but not a classic in the strict sense of the word. That said, it is a whole lot better than the only other feature film Trumbull directed, the dull and overblown BRAINSTORM (1983).

Universal's SE DVD is so packed with extras, it's almost too much: even so, there's actually little repetition throughout the lengthy documentary, numerous interviews and Trumbull's and Dern's joint commentary - and, all in all, it serves as irrefutable proof of the importance and worth (as in experience-enhancing capabilities) of DVD bonus material. While I was not overwhelmed when watching the film proper, after going through the mass of supplements on offer here I had a new-found admiration for what Trumbull intended - and actually makes me look forward to a more open-minded second viewing!