Adventure, Science Fiction, Drama  •  1972  •  89 min  •  All Ages

Silent Running (1972)

Silent Running poster

Silent Running (1972)


Rating & Dimensions

Bias Rating
Analyzing...
Leans Progressive
Political: Strong Left
Diversity: Low
Family Values: Leans Progressive

Viewer Rating
6.7

Overview

Silent Running is a 1972 science fiction film about a botanist astronaut who defies orders to preserve Earth's last surviving forests, kept alive in greenhouse domes aboard a space freighter. The Leans Progressive label follows naturally from the film's core argument: that institutional priorities, here cargo economics over ecology, are destroying the natural world, and that one person's conscience may justify extreme resistance. The environmental message was pointed even by 1972 standards, arriving just after the first Earth Day and during the rise of the modern conservation movement. The family unit the protagonist forms with his drone robots reads as unconventional by any era's measure. No religious, LGBTQ, or gender signals push the rating further in either direction.


Starring Cast

Bruce Dern  •   Cliff Potts  •   Ron Rifkin


Where to watch

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Detailed Bias Analysis

Analyzing...
Leans Progressive

Primary

Political: Strong Left
Confidence: Medium

The film's central narrative explicitly champions radical environmental preservation, depicting a future where humanity has destroyed Earth's natural ecosystems. It critiques the systemic indifference towards nature, advocating for its protection at all costs.

Diversity: Low
Confidence: High

The film features a primarily traditional cast without explicit race or gender swaps of established roles. Its narrative maintains a neutral or positive portrayal of traditional identities, without any explicit critique of white or male characters.

Secondary

Family Values: Leans Progressive
Confidence: Medium

The film portrays an unconventional family unit, where the protagonist forms deep bonds and assumes a parental role with sentient robots and the last remaining plant life, highlighting the creation of family outside traditional human structures.

LGBTQ: N/A
Confidence: High

Silent Running, 1972, does not feature any identifiable LGBTQ+ characters or themes. The film's narrative centers on environmental preservation and a solitary astronaut's journey, without incorporating elements related to queer identity or experiences.

Trans: N/A
Confidence: High

Silent Running, a 1972 science fiction film, focuses on a lone astronaut's efforts to preserve Earth's last botanical specimens in space. The narrative primarily explores themes of environmentalism, isolation, and humanity's relationship with nature. The film does not feature any identifiable transsexual characters or themes within its plot or character arcs, resulting in no direct portrayal of transsexual identity.

Female Combat: No
Confidence: High

The film does not feature any female characters engaging in or winning close-quarters physical combat against male opponents. The narrative centers on a male protagonist and his interactions with other male crew members and robotic drones, without depicting such combat scenarios.

Gender Swap: No
Confidence: High

Silent Running is an original science fiction film from 1972. Its characters were created specifically for this production and do not originate from prior source material, historical records, or previous installments. No characters established as one gender in prior canon are portrayed as a different gender in the film.

Race Swap: No
Confidence: High

The film "Silent Running" is an original science fiction production from 1972. Its characters were created specifically for this movie, without pre-existing canonical or historical racial depictions. Therefore, no instances of race swapping occurred.


Viewer Rating Breakdown

6.7

Viewer Rating

Combines user and critic ratings from four sources

User Ratings

IMDB logo
6.6
The Movie Database logo
6.4

Critic Ratings

Rotten Tomatoes logo
7.1
Metacritic logo
6.7

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