Spoiler Warning

This post contains spoilers.

The year is 2022. Actual food has gotten so scarce that large factories now pump out nothing but little edible squares called Soylent Red, Soylent Yellow and Soylent Green. At the end of the film Soylent Green, Charlton Heston is chased down and shot after discovering the terrible secret behind America’s favorite snack.

“Soylent Green is made out of people,” he bleats. “Soylent Green is people!”

I have a theory that everyone who heard this line in 1973 had been brainwashed to then repeat it as many times as possible, until we have now reached the point where people still go around saying it without having any idea what they’re talking about. It just sounds cool. This is a movie quote that was voted one of the 100 greatest by the American Film Institute and which has a larger following than the movie from which it hails. Its popular use is as a dare to friends to say it in public place as loudly and dramatically as possible. The helpful website Urban Dictionary provides the following scenario.

Guy #1: Hey, man, you want to grab some chow?

Guy#2: SOYLENT GREEN IS PEOPLE!

The popularity of these four words is astounding. They have elevated the movie to an understood classic status, as most people who use the quote will someday watch the movie. This is both a positive and negative result. The movie is fondly remembered because of its ending, but knowing the ending ruins the movie. That’s not to say there’s much to ruin, because I have always felt that Soylent Green was a little lacking in terms of quality. It is only an average film whose success relies entirely on the twist climax being a surprise.

I suspect Soylent Green’s ending wasn’t kept a secret through the year. The movie is nothing but a ninety minute build to its ending. The second it reveals the card it was holding, the movie ends. Of course people will talk. The movie was begging to be spoiled, and its viewers were all too happy to oblige.

What’s odd about this movie is that the popularity has never met with acclaim. All good sci-fi geeks are aware of the movie, but either have not seen it or have seen it with a lack of enthusiasm. I am reminded of the drive-by spoiling of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Snape kills Dumbledore.), and how infuriating that must have been for the excited fans waiting in line all night. In this case, it’s like the only joy the movie gives is in being able to so gleefully ruin it. The fact that there aren’t that many actual fans certainly helps the cause.

Indeed, there are few movies that have something worth spoiling that don’t also have wild support from fans to fight the spoiling. There are also few movies that are as easily spoiled as Soylent Green. Four little words cover everything there is to know, which is further proof that there wasn’t that much worth knowing to begin with. Still, say, “Soylent Green is made of people,” and anyone who watches the movie will be thinking it throughout. Say, “She’s my sister! She’s my daughter!” and only those who have already seen Chinatown will get it. No harm done.

That’s why I think there is a definite line that can be crossed when it comes to spoilers. There are some movies, like The Usual Suspects, for example, that are actually good movies whose effect would be watered down for a first-time viewer who already knew the ending. That’s why I would probably get genuinely angry at someone who would purposefully tell someone who was about to watch a movie like that how it ends. Those movies, though, do earn a level of respect from their audiences. Nobody wants to spoil those movies, because we all know that finding out what happens is half the fun.

I heard a story once about someone who was in a crowded theater to see The Sixth Sense during the first week it was open. A girl walked into the theater and shouted to an acquaintance that they should leave because they had already seen it. A guy called back that he didn’t think they had seen it yet. The girl insisted they had, shouting, “Remember? Bruce Willis is a ghost at the end!”

The Sixth Sense was one of the most popular movies during the twist ending craze that went on during the nineties, mostly because the ending was such a surprise. You have to remember that this was before the internet changed everything. The biggest reason Hollywood abandoned the twist was because the excitement of mystery would be ruined on every discussion forum. Besides, a really great movie can have a twist ending and still be worth revisiting. The Sixth Sense was one of these, being such an interesting character study to begin with, and adding a layer of suspense that just perfected it.

Alfred Hitchcock probably made the best twist movie with Psycho, a movie that features more than one surprise up its sleeve, but has endured decades thanks to its expert craft that invites endless study. It is a movie that is a puzzle to begin with, forcing the viewer’s head this way and that, allowing them to believe anything and pulling the rug out from under them afterwards. This is the movie that famously killed off the main character half-way through. Hitchcock was so worried about his movie being spoiled that he set up a mandatory system for theaters showing it, which included only showing the movie a few times a day and not allowing anyone to enter or leave the theater once the picture had started. He won the battle, because, although the shower scene is now instantly recognizable, most people are still not aware of the actual ending.

There are some instances of spoilers becoming obsolete in the hands of pop culture. For example, during the climax of the highly-anticipated Star Wars sequel The Empire Strikes Back, Darth Vader reveals that he is Luke Skywalker’s father. Yes, the world’s most famous villain was related to one of the world’s most famous heroes, yet any initial shock was quickly shrugged off. Fans came to terms with the fact rather quickly, accepting it as Star Wars common knowledge. There was even an entire movie made concerning the details of the subject, making it as much of a spoiler as the fact that Jason Voorhees kills people.

Most of the time, nobody actually cares about giving spoiler warnings. I overheard two guys talking once. One had not seen Fight Club and the other was explaining everything that happens in it in detail, because it was over ten years old and, therefore, it didn’t matter. I don’t know how people get these ideas in their heads, but I disagree. Don’t explain Fight Club to him, show it to him!

When it comes to the specifics of movie plots, they always either fall into common knowledge or obscurity. It really doesn’t matter anymore if you tell someone the controversial ending of the original Planet of the Apes, but only because nobody cares. Either that or it turns into a fun game, like with Soylent Green. That’s probably why any movies today that have something like twist endings aren’t as blatant. People leaving a theater after seeing Shutter Island or Inception are certainly talking their heads off, but because of what wasn’t explained.

Whenever I write about movies, even ones I don’t like, I do not include spoilers. I like to think that any movie at least deserves enough respect to let its viewers find out what happens for themselves. Sometimes, things slip through the cracks and someone finds out the truth about Keyser Soze. I just try not to be the leak. There are times, though, when I don’t want to keep it in. Sometimes, I want to tell someone, “No, Diabolique is extremely interesting. Such and such happens!” I resist whenever possible, but I am okay with critics including spoilers occasionally, so long as they are clearly marked, like this.

[SPOILER WARNING]Bruce Willis is dead. Kevin Spacey is lying. Edward Norton is Brad Pitt. Dil is not really a woman. Soylent Green is people. [END OF SPOILER]