Neo-noir genre is often identified in modern motion pictures. It is marked with distinct genre conventions as illustrated.

1. Obscured scenes

The backgrounds of scenes are obscured by rain, smoke, fog, or steam. In some cases, foreground characters are also hidden.

2. Chiaroscuro lighting

This kind of lighting is used to add contrast to a scene hence emphasizing characters or certain details.

3. Crime and violence

Most neo-noir films allow violence to dominate. However, this force is adopted with no real grounds. It merely conveys particular concepts about the character.

4. Femme fatale

Female characters play prominent roles in films of this genre. Some films embrace this convention while incorporating blurred lines between the protagonist and the femme fatale.

Soylent Green makes use of most of these conventions. The film encompasses chiaroscuro lighting to a great extent. This light creates an emphasis on earth’s pollution. One can relate to the dull environment devoid of anything vibrant thanks to this kind of convention.

Additionally, most of the scenes have been obscured. Smoke and fog have been successfully incorporated into scenes. The overall effect is the creation of an understanding of the consequences of pollution. Smoke and fog create a gloomy atmosphere in the film.

Crime and violence manifest itself during the first few minutes of the movie. An official from the Soylent is murdered calling for Detective Thorn’s intervention. In the process, the suspense is created in the film. It is what makes the film more interesting to watch.

Another convention in Soylent Green is plot complexity. The film takes readers back to the realities of life in the early seventies. It captures problems such as overpopulation and corruption. It then reveals the current day’s struggles that have escalated from the previous years. All this is done effortlessly despite its complexity.

Evidently, the neo-noir genre is appropriate for this film. No other genre could adequately capture the subject matters (pollution and corruption) meant for this movie. Additionally, the viewer is captivated by the suspense created due to the use of crime. It makes the film an interesting and worthwhile watch.