Started off with a message. A deep message? Depends if you understand and sympathise with the protagonist. I did and thought it was a brilliant set up that got me thinking. I also know people who wouldn't have cared either. It's not long into the movie before it becomes much simpler. It pulls some emotional tricks with flashbacks and speaches but they seem a little contrived and don't hold up to the start. I thought the emotional journey of the protagonist was hit and miss. The isolation was good as it did justifies the actions and motivation, but l didn't feel the isolation beyond that. The suffering was unclear. His relationships with the robots worked to fill gaps but they didn't have much depth. A lot of potential was unexplored.
The music was great. The acting was good. The message and initial idea saves it.

SILENT RUNNING is considered by some to be a masterpiece, but I don't buy it; there just isn't enough substance to go along with all the effects and the heavy-handed message. It is, however, a perfectly watchable movie.

This is quite a piece of propaganda. Evil corporations, a malevolent government, nuclear weapons, ignorant insensitive humans...it's all here.

Bruce Dern and crew blast off on a gigantic spaceship loaded with the last remaining forest of a doomed Earth. Dern, as the main character, actually murders his crew mates, but that's okay because he's saving a forest. Later in the movie, he notices that the forest is dying and he can't figure out why. After he killed everyone and faked a ship malfunction, he flew out into deep space. Gee whiz! Turns out the Sun isn't as strong in deep space. Duh! I thought this guy was a scientist.

I managed to stay with this movie until Dern is laying in bed then reaches his hand out to gently caress the "Conservation Pledge" hanging on his wall. I understand the importance of the Earth's ecosystem but this movie's "man is bad" message was more than I could watch.