Film Review: Logan’s Run

Very Average Joe
5 days ago
4 min read

Title: Logan’s Run

Director(s): Michael Anderson

Screenwriter(s): David Zelag Goodman

Studio: MGM

Released: 1976

Runtime: 1h 58m

Starring: Michael York, Jenny Agutter, Richard Jordan, Peter Ustinov

This film is based on the novel of the same name by William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson that was first published in 1967. I have not read the novel so this review is of the film only.

Set in 2274, humanity lives in domed cities due to catastrophes such as war. The city is mostly clean and safe. Everything is provided for and the population is forbidden to go outside. People are bred and it appears that nothing remains of the traditional family. The population can live liberally.

There is, of course, a catch: everyone has a “life clock” in their hand that changes color according to their age, and all who reach 30 years of age must enter the “Carrousel” to be “renewed”. Some refuse and become “runners”. Logan 5 (Michael York) and his friend Francis 7 (Richard Jordan) are “sandmen”. They are basically enforcers who “terminate” runners.

After a termination, Logan meets Jessica 6 (Jenny Agutter) hoping to get laid. But they just talk, she is one of those who question the world they live in.

Later, Logan is ordered by the computer that manages the city to find “Sanctuary”, the place runners are presumably trying to get to. Logan is to investigate any dissident elements attached to Sanctuary. The computer takes away a few years of life from Logan, forcing him to go undercover. Of course, Jessica is somehow connected so Logan contacts her. The plot follows Logan and Jessica as they run…

This is obviously a false utopian setting. Somehow, a hedonistic population that has a computer to make all the decisions can keep the place functional and clean. And it does not appear people are encouraged to take up a hobby or something vaguely constructive. Perhaps the sandmen and the daily ritual of the Carrousel facilitate some discipline.

Either way, it does beg the question whether hedonism was what ruined society in the first place. This is not explored in the film. It is clear that it is now a form of control.

Accepting the premise, it is realistic that some question the “renewal” despite its general acceptance. It is also realistic that some people run when their end is imminent. Logan is one such person despite being a sandman.

From Jessica’s and others’ point of view, there is the question of whether Logan sincerely wants to run. It is arguably a shame that this is too apparent. It would be more intriguing if this were initially ambiguous.

The pacing of the film is what one expects for a film of that era, at least for the first two acts. There is a sense of urgency and some mild suspense as Logan and Jessica try to outrun those who are after them. The development of the romance between Logan and Jessica is forced in some moments and it doesn’t need to be.

The main problem is that once Logan and Jessica get outside the city, the pace stagnates. Getting out of the city needs to happen. All that chasing and running need to get some sort of release, the plot needs to move on to avoid repetition.

However, it doesn’t move onto much and what is in effect the final act drags on for too long. Either it needs to be tightened or the climax and resolution need to be more complex. As it is, it drags but then ends in a fashion that is too convenient and neat.

The film looks very good. The camerawork is mostly conventional, which is fine, but the designs are generally excellent. The exterior shots use a model for the city and the interior sets look cool enough, especially the tube transports.

It is a solid production and, despite the weaknesses, a decent example of dystopian sci-fi at the time. The themes of population control, eugenics and the erosion of morality and tradition are apparent even though the film does not delve too much into them.

Still, it is no surprise that a similar premise is used in other works, even if the plot and themes go in another direction. In the Star Trek: TNG episode 1.17 “When the Bough Breaks”, the Enterprise encounters a society run by an ancient computer referred to as the “Custodian”. It does almost everything for them. They are also infertile. The story is not about population control but over-reliance on the computer which they have no idea how it works.

In episode 4.22, “Half a Life”, the Enterprise deals with a society in which members must commit ritual suicide when reaching the age of 60 years. This applies even for those who are clearly able to continue to contribute to society.

A more recent example is In Time (2011), written and directed by Andrew Niccol, in which the population stops aging at 25 years. However, the clock on the arm then starts counting down and time (life) is the currency. Although it obviously does not delve into the intricacies of the debt-based financial system, it does highlight that the financial system is a tool to enslave the population.