Some of the best science fiction tales tackle very timely, and very human, social issues. For example, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, in its three incarnations, is about post-WW2 fear, Me-decade psychobabble irrelevance, and early 90s military paranoia, respectively. More recently, The Matrix can be seen as a parable about the disconnectedness of a computer-centric society. Then there are the science fiction films that deal with such issues but really aren't very good. Douglas Trumbull's Silent Running is such a film.

Silent Running is definitely a message film—a comment on society's industrial onslaught at the expense of nature—and unfortunately its message squashes down its plot, its characters, and its potential emotions. Essentially, the film is about one man's last stand against technological overlords to save a tiny remaining slice of Earth's forests. That he does so in deep space seems an afterthought.

Bruce Dern stars as Freeman Lowell, caretaker of American Airlines Space Freighter Valley Forge's gigantic geodesic domes, in which sections of Earth ecology have been preserved. Lowell is a passionate, monk-like presence aboard the ship—and maybe a tad insane. He babbles lovingly to his plants and shouts out the pleasures of a fresh cantaloupe to the rest of the small crew, who are firm advocates of the tasteless, genetically perfected blocks of foodstuff created by the Earth of the future. He hopes that someday, his ship will return home and start replenishing the Earth with its vital forest lifeforce. Of course, much to Lowell's dismay, corporate Earth sends word that it's finally decided to destroy all space-bound forests with nuclear bombs. Appalled, Lowell decides to take the future of Earth's ecology into his own hands.

Although we understand Lowell's plight, simply because he functions as a loudspeaker for the film's overt theme, the other crew members—Andy Wolf (Jesse Vint), Marty Barker (Ron Rifkin), John Keenan (Cliff Potts)—are just pawns to whom Lowell can spout his wisdoms. They're never real people. The best character work in the film comes from three drone robots (which were inspirations for R2-D2 in Star Wars 5 years later), who become Lowell's only companions aboard the drifting Valley Forge.

An effect of Silent Running's overt message is that the film is dated. Sure, we're concerned about the planet's ecology today, but this 1971 film's approach feels exceedingly "of its time." Often, Lowell looks like a Woodstock hippie wandering his Eden, seemingly on the verge of flashing a peace sign. It doesn't help that some wildly dated Joan Baez music warbles over the greenhouse montages.

A final note: A primary plot point involving the effect of sunlight on plant life is awfully predictable. Shouldn't a master botanist such as Lowell be well-versed in photosynthesis?

Universal presents Silent Running in a surprisingly fine anamorphic transfer of the film's original 1.85:1 theatrical aspect ratio. Detail and clarity are impressive for this 31-year-old film, although detail suffers somewhat in backgrounds. Close-ups are very sharp. Colors look terrific, preserving the bluish color palette. Fleshtones are natural. As far as imperfections, some scenes look pristine and some scenes show significant wear-and-tear. Overall, though, this is a clean, colorful transfer that doesn't distract.

The Dolby Digital mono track is, obviously, centered at the screen. The presentation is average, providing adequate voice quality but straining a bit at the high and low ends. Particularly during loud sound effects, such as when the ship struggles through Saturn's rings, the track becomes distorted. Poor Silent Running has lost some fidelity because of its age. Or, more likely, the source elements were nothing special to begin with.

The disc offers a bevy of supplements that, thankfully, enrich the experience of the film. First up is an audio commentary from director Trumball and actor Dern. You'll need to make a decision about how you want to learn certain information about the making of the film, because much of the information on this track is repeated in the documentary and featurettes. Trumbull and Dern have a nice, laid-back style together that makes the commentary a sleepy sort of fun. They both seem to cherish the memory of making this film.

Next is the 49-minute The Making of Silent Running, which is a fascinating and comprehensive documentary created in 1972. Filled with on-set interviews and behind-the-scenes footage, this is the gem of the disc. The narration is somewhat ponderous, but the information within more than makes up for that. Included are terrific interviews with Trumbull, Dern, the editor, the director of photography, the composer, and other members of the cast and crew. One interesting tidbit is that the drone robots were played by double-amputees walking on their hands. There are interviews with these actors about the challenges of working inside the costumes. One of the most interesting aspects of this documentary is discovering the myriad ways the filmmakers put the film together so cheaply—for $1 million!

Next is the 10-minute Conversation with Bruce Dern. The actor talks about the challenges of working in a special-effects-driven film. About working with optical effects, he says, "It freaked me out."

The 30-minute Silent Running by Douglas Trumbull is new to this DVD. It's essentially a long interview with Trumbull, accompanied by clips from the film. Much of its information is repeated in the longer documentary. He talks openly about the story's origin and talks in depth about the making of the film. He also talks about the inclusion of the Joan Baez music, which is very much product of its time and, more than anything, dates the film.

The 5-minute Douglas Trumbull: Then and Now seems an extension of the Silent Running by Douglas Trumbull featurette. He talks about his current "immersive entertainment" projects, including Showscan/IMAX. He also worked with Steven Spielberg on the Back to the Future ride for Universal Studios.

On page 2 of the supplements, you'll find a full-frame theatrical trailer, a mediocre set of Production Notes, Cast & Crew biographies/filmographies, and a set of Recommendations (just photographs of DVD covers).

Silent Running is an earnest little sci-fi flick with a message far too unwieldy and awkward for its reach. I admire some of the trickery and techniques that allowed the filmmakers to create a "big budget" look out of a mere million bucks, but the film can't overcome the fact that it has jettisoned character and plot in favor of its message. Still, if you're a fan, the rich supplements make this DVD a must-own.