Images from the just-released film, Solaris remind me of Silent Running, one of the first sci-fi movies I ever saw. I must have been around 10 years old, and was enthralled despite the fact that it’s a fairly boring movie.
Judging from reviews for Solaris, the two movies sound similar in their spare aesthetic. Neither of these movies are from the Star Wars or Starship Troopers branch of science fiction.
Silent Running, for those who don’t remember this gem from the 70s, starred Bruce Dern as a botanist aboard an enormous spaceship filled with plants. The ship, one of series a botanical “Noah’s Arks,” contains remnants of the last surviving forest from Earth. Conflict among the small crew leaves Dern the only human aboard.
To say that not much happens during the movie is being generous. But something about it stuck in my head and has never left. As a child, being lost in space with robot friends and lush gardens seemed a lot more romantic than it does today. These days, I know I’d get lonely fairly quickly. I’d still want to go for the ride, but couldn’t I bring some friends? Ones that won’t go insane, preferably.
