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Soylent Green (1973) movie poster

Characters & Themes

Soylent Green (1973) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Release, runtime and language
1973 · 97 min · English
Directed by
Richard Fleischer
Starring
Joseph Cotten, Charlton Heston, Edward G. Robinson, Brock Peters, Mike Henry, Chuck Connors

In a severely overpopulated and resource-depleted New York City, Detective Thorn investigates the suspicious death of a Soylent Corporation executive. As he pursues the case, he uncovers a disturbing secret about the company's popular food product, Soylent Green, and its origins. His investigation leads him into a dangerous confrontation with powerful figures, forcing him to question everything he thought he knew and ultimately leading him to a shocking revelation about the state of the world.

On this page (9)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Characters explained (3)
  3. 3 Where & when it takes place
  4. 4 Themes & meaning (3)
  5. 5 Character & meaning questions
  6. 6 The book behind the movie
  7. 7 Movie threads
  8. 8 Movies like Soylent Green
  9. 9 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch Soylent Green (1973)

Where can you watch Soylent Green? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on TCM, Amazon Video and Apple TV Store: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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3 main characters · contains spoilers

Soylent Green Characters Explained: Who Is Who

The main characters of Soylent Green (1973), heroes and villains: what drives them, how they change over the course of the story and what each of them reveals about the film's bigger ideas.

  • Robert Thorn (Charlton Heston)

    Detective Robert Thorn is a hardened investigator striving to solve a high-profile murder amid societal chaos. He is resourceful and determined, often navigating ethical gray areas to seek justice. His character reflects a deep frustration with the corruption surrounding him and a relentless spirit in the fight against oppression.

    • 👮 Detective
    • 🔍 Investigator
  • Solomon 'Sol' Roth (Edward G. Robinson)

    Sol Roth is an elderly former college professor and Thorn's roommate, offering wisdom and insight from a time of abundance. His nostalgic tales provide a stark contrast to the bleak world around him, embodying the loss of hope and knowledge. Roth's character adds emotional depth and complexity to the storyline.

    • 📚 Wise
    • 👴 Elderly
  • William R. Simonson (Joseph Cotten)

    William R. Simonson is a wealthy lawyer whose mysterious murder serves as the catalyst for the story. His position in society and connections to the powerful reveal the dark underbelly of corruption that Thorn must confront. Simonson's character is pivotal in illustrating the disparity between wealth and the grim realities faced by the average citizen.

    • ⚖️ Lawyer
    • 💰 Wealthy

Last updated: October 22, 2024 at 20:23

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Setting

Where and When Does Soylent Green Take Place?

The setting of Soylent Green (1973): the year and time period, the places and locations, and how they shape the characters, the mood and the tension of the story.

Time period

2022

The year 2022 is characterized by severe climate change and resource depletion, leading to dire living conditions. With temperatures consistently above 90°F and an unemployment rate near 50%, society has fractured. This period reflects a grim future where humanity faces the fallout of environmental negligence and societal collapse.

Location

New York City

New York City in 2022 is a shadow of its former self, grappling with a staggering population of 40 million. The city suffers from extreme overcrowding, with streets filled with homeless individuals and dilapidated housing becoming commonplace. Once a symbol of vibrancy and opportunity, the city now presents a dystopian landscape marked by desperation and decay.

  • 🏙️ City
  • 🌆 Dystopia

Last updated: October 22, 2024 at 20:23

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3 major themes

Soylent Green Meaning: Themes & Message Explained

What is Soylent Green (1973) really about? The emotional, social and philosophical themes the film keeps returning to, its symbolism and the message beneath the surface.

  • Justice

    The quest for truth and justice drives the narrative forward, as Detective Robert Thorn navigates a complex conspiracy. His determination to uncover the truth about the murder and the nefarious practices of the Soylent Corporation highlights the struggle against systemic corruption. The theme is emphasized through Thorn's relentless pursuit amidst societal decay and moral ambiguity.

  • Environmental Decline

    The movie poignantly addresses the theme of environmental decline, showcasing the devastating impact of climate change and resource depletion. The oppressive heat and scarcity of food demonstrate the consequences of humanity's choices. This theme serves as a chilling warning about the future of the planet and the fragility of civilization.

  • Desperation

    Desperation permeates the film as characters confront the harsh realities of survival in a collapsing society. The scarcity of food and the reliance on processed rations lead to violent riots, and the protagonist's struggle against overwhelming odds signifies the fight for dignity and truth. This theme evokes empathy and reflection on human resilience.

Last updated: October 22, 2024 at 20:23

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Character & theme questions

Soylent Green Characters & Meaning: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask about Soylent Green (1973): who the characters really are, their relationships, what the symbols mean, where it takes place and what the movie is really about. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

What is the setting of Soylent Green?

The movie is set in New York City in the year 2022. By this time, the city has become a severely overpopulated metropolis with 40 million residents, down from its historical peak. The once-vibrant city has transformed into a dystopian landscape marked by extreme overcrowding, widespread homelessness, dilapidated housing, and desperate living conditions.

  • setting
  • new york
  • dystopia
  • overpopulation
  • 2022
Q2

When does Soylent Green take place?

The story is set in 2022, a near-future period characterized by severe climate change and resource depletion. Temperatures consistently exceed 90°F, unemployment hovers near 50%, and society has fractured under the weight of environmental collapse and overpopulation.

  • 2022
  • time period
  • future
  • climate change
Q3

What role does environmental decline play in Soylent Green?

Environmental decline is a central theme of the film. The world suffers from severe climate change, extreme heat, and scarcity of natural resources, particularly food. This environmental collapse has directly caused societal breakdown, overcrowding, and the desperate conditions that define daily life in the movie.

  • environment
  • climate change
  • resource depletion
  • pollution
Q4

How is desperation portrayed in Soylent Green?

Desperation permeates the entire film as characters struggle to survive in a collapsing society. Food scarcity forces humanity to rely on processed rations, violent riots break out over basic necessities, and the protagonist faces overwhelming odds in his fight for truth and dignity. The theme highlights human resilience amid utter hopelessness.

  • desperation
  • survival
  • food scarcity
  • collapse
Q5

What does Soylent Green say about justice?

The pursuit of justice drives Detective Robert Thorn as he investigates corruption within the powerful Soylent Corporation. His relentless quest for truth amid systemic corruption illustrates the struggle against powerful institutions, even as the surrounding society has succumbed to decay and moral ambiguity.

  • justice
  • truth
  • corruption
  • investigation
Q6

Who is Robert Thorn in Soylent Green?

Robert Thorn is the film's protagonist, a hardened detective portrayed by Charlton Heston. He is a resourceful and determined investigator navigating a corrupt system while trying to solve a high-profile murder. Thorn reflects deep frustration with the corruption surrounding him and maintains a relentless spirit in fighting oppression, even as he uncovers disturbing truths about his world.

  • robert thorn
  • detective
  • charlton heston
  • protagonist
Q7

Who is Sol Roth in Soylent Green?

Solomon 'Sol' Roth is Robert Thorn's elderly roommate, portrayed by Edward G. Robinson. A former college professor, Roth provides wisdom and insight from a time when the world was more abundant. His nostalgic tales about the past contrast sharply with the bleak present, adding emotional depth and highlighting what humanity has lost.

  • sol roth
  • professor
  • elderly
  • wisdom
  • memories
Q8

What is Soylent Corporation in the movie?

Soylent Corporation is the powerful corporation that produces Soylent Green, the primary food source for the overpopulated world. As the story unfolds, the corporation is revealed to be involved in deeply disturbing practices, with the popular food product hiding a horrifying secret about its true origins.

  • soylent corporation
  • food
  • corporate corruption
Q9

How does Soylent Green address overpopulation?

The movie presents a world of 40 million people in New York City alone, a staggering figure that has strained every resource. This extreme overpopulation is central to the film's dystopian vision, creating desperate living conditions, homeless-filled streets, and intense competition for basic necessities like food and shelter.

  • overpopulation
  • population
  • crowding
  • society
Q10

How does Soylent Green depict wealth inequality?

The film illustrates stark wealth disparity through characters like William R. Simonson, a wealthy lawyer whose murder triggers the plot. While the average citizen struggles with poverty and scarcity, the wealthy maintain their positions through connections to powerful institutions like Soylent Corporation, revealing the dark underbelly of corruption that protects the privileged.

  • wealth
  • poverty
  • inequality
  • class
  • simonson
Q11

Why is Soylent Green considered a cautionary tale?

Soylent Green serves as a chilling warning about humanity's future if environmental negligence continues. The film depicts the consequences of climate change, resource depletion, and unchecked corporate power, presenting a bleak vision of societal collapse. The disturbing revelation about Soylent Green reinforces this cautionary message about the dangers of treating humans as commodities.

  • cautionary tale
  • warning
  • future
  • environmentalism

Movie threads

More Movies Like Soylent Green, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Soylent Green tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Dystopian Conspiracy Thrillers like Soylent Green

Uncovering horrifying secrets within a decaying, oppressive future society. If you liked the investigative dread of Soylent Green, explore more movies where characters uncover dark secrets in a broken future. These films share a steady, suspenseful pace, a bleak tone, and shocking revelations about the world's corruption, perfect for fans of tense, high-stakes dystopian stories.

  • dystopian
  • conspiracy
  • paranoid
  • grim
  • anxious
  • fatalistic
  • Tone: dark, paranoid, bleak
  • Pacing: steady, suspenseful
Why these movies?

The story pattern: These stories typically follow a procedural investigation structure within a dystopian setting. A protagonist, often an insider like a detective or official, begins to question the status quo. Their inquiry leads them down a dangerous path, besieged by the system they once served, culminating in a truth so horrific it shatters their worldview, often with little hope for change.

Why they belong together: They are grouped by their shared core premise: a mystery unraveled within a dystopia. The experience is defined by a combination of world-building that establishes a hopeless setting, a narrative that builds suspense through investigation, and a tone that is unflinchingly dark and morally grim.

Bleak Crime Noir Movies like Soylent Green

A detective's straightforward case leads to a morally bankrupt abyss. For viewers who appreciated the grim detective story in Soylent Green, this list features similar movies where a procedural investigation leads to a bleak, fatalistic conclusion. These films share a dark tone, heavy emotional weight, and the theme that solving the crime doesn't solve the underlying corruption.

  • noir
  • bleak
  • fatalistic
  • grim
  • oppressive
  • crime
  • Tone: dark, grim, fatalistic
  • Pacing: steady, procedural
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern is a seemingly standard investigation that acts as a vehicle for exploring profound themes of corruption and dehumanization. The protagonist follows the clues, but each discovery only deepens the moral quagmire. The climax is not a triumph of justice but a realization of systemic evil, often leaving the hero broken and the status quo unchallenged.

Why they belong together: These films are united by their use of the detective genre to deliver a profoundly pessimistic message. They share a specific mood: a claustrophobic, oppressive atmosphere where the mystery's solution brings despair rather than closure. The similarity lies in the fusion of crime plot mechanics with a overwhelmingly dark and heavy tone.

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Movies Like Soylent Green

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Every angle

Soylent Green (1973) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Soylent Green in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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