How the Industrial Realism of the 1972 Movie ‘Silent Running’ Influenced ‘Star Wars’

Film essayist Gabe of Golden Flicker did a deep dive into the industrial realism in Silent Running, the 1972 Douglas Trumbull movie that first brought mechanized beings to life, long before such sci-fi classics as Star Wars or WALL-E.

We uncover the hidden history of Silent Running (1972)—the box office failure that became the secret blueprint for George Lucas’s universe.

Gabe also points out that Trumbull created the distinct metallic environment of a spacecraft that would later be used in movies such as Alien. Each effect was made by hand at Trumbull’s workshop, where he, along with a stellar team that included his father, crafted each effect by hand.

From the aircraft carrier set that inspired the industrial look of the Death Star to the amputee actors hidden inside the drones (the direct inspiration for R2-D2), we reveal the physical reality behind the movie magic.

via The Awesomer

Lori Dorn
Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.