Our next movie, in which plants have the starring role, is Silent Running (1972), written by Deric
Washburn and Michael Cimino, and directed by Douglas Trumbull. In this sci fi
adventure, set in the 21st century, man has brought plant life to the brink of
extinction. Freeman Lowell is a botanist on a four-man mission to transport the
last remaining plants from various habitats on Earth into space on a specially
constructed ark, the Valley Forge. Several drones aid the team in running the
ship.
Lowell spends his time tending the various habitats, growing
food in his garden, and expecting to receive the order at any time to return to
refoliate the planet. Instead, the crew is ordered to destroy the payload of
plants, and return to Earth. Lowell grapples with the ramifications of this
order, and takes matters into his own hands to ensure survival of at least some
of the plants.
I appreciated seeing the movie again - to see a young Bruce
Dern in the title role, and hear Joan Baez sing the title songs. The
habitat pods (the "green houses in space") are quite imaginative, and artificial intelligence and robots are evident.
The themes of conservation and stewardship are still relevant today. We have
cleaned up many of our environmental practices, but the world’s population has
doubled since the movie was released, so vigilance is still required. Take a
look (click Watch Trailer):
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002RPK1P0/ref=atv_feed_catalog?ref_=imdbref_tt_pv_vi_aiv_1&tag=imdbtag_tt_pv_vi_aiv-20
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