The Andromeda Strain (1971)

Calificación de los usuarios:

7.3/10   

Director:

Robert Wise

Escritores:

Michael Crichton (novel)
Nelson Gidding (screenplay)

Fecha de Lanzamiento:

12 marzo 1971 (USA)

Género:

Misterio | Ciencia-Ficción | Suspenso

Frase comercial:

The picture runs 130 minutes!... The story covers 96 of the most critical hours in man's history!... The suspense will last through your lifetime!

Plot:

A group of scientists investigate a deadly new alien virus before it can spread.

Plot Keywords:

Scientist | Baby | Satellite | Virus | Biological Weapon

Premios:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 2 nominations

Comentarios de los usuarios:

Near Perfect

Reparto

Arthur Hill	...	Dr. Jeremy Stone
David Wayne	...	Dr. Charles Dutton
James Olson	...	Dr. Mark Hall
Kate Reid	...	Dr. Ruth Leavitt
Paula Kelly	...	Karen Anson
George Mitchell	...	Jackson
Ramon Bieri	...	Major Manchek
Peter Hobbs	...	General Sparks
Kermit Murdock	...	Dr. Robertson
Richard O'Brien	...	Grimes
Eric Christmas	...	Senator from Vermont
Mark Jenkins	...	Lt. Shawn (Piedmont team)
Peter Helm	...	Sgt. Crane (Piedmont team)
Joe Di Reda	...	Wildfire Computer Sgt. Burk (as Joe DiReda)
Carl Reindel	...	Lt. Comroe

También conocida como:

La amenaza de Andrómeda (Spain) [es]

Duración:

131 min | Belgium:115 min (video version)

País:

USA

Idioma:

Inglés

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Relación de Aspecto:

2.20 : 1

Sonido:

4-Track Stereo (35 mm prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) (Westrex Recording System)

Clasificación:

Australia:M | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) (2003) | Canada:G (Manitoba) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Netherlands:12 | Finland:K-12 | Norway:12 (original rating) | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:G | West Germany:12 | UK:AA (original rating) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Singapore:PG

Locaciones de Filmación:

Red Rock Canyon State Park - Highway 14, Cantil, California, USA

Compañía:

Universal Pictures

Trivialidades:

The Wildfire scientific lab sets cost more than $300,000 to build, and were described at the time as "one of the most elaborately detailed interiors ever built."

Errores:

Errores Reales: When Hall first uses the Medcom program on the computer in Level 5, the word "analysis" is misspelled as "ANALYS".

Citas:

[last lines]
Senator from Vermont: You're absolutely sure it worked? You'd better be!
Dr. Jeremy Stone: All reports continue to indicate that the experiment was successful, Senator.
Senator from Vermont: Then we can feel confident your so-called "biological crisis" is over?
Dr. Jeremy Stone: As far as Andromeda is concerned, yes. We have the organism at Wildfire, and we continue to study it. We know now beyond a doubt that other forms of life exist in the universe.
Senator from Vermont: Thanks to Scoop?
Dr. Jeremy Stone: Yes.
[pause]
Dr. Jeremy Stone: However, with this new knowledge, there is no guarantee that another so-called "biological crisis" won't occur again.
Senator from Vermont: Hmm. What do we do about that?
[...]

Conexiones de Película:

Editado en "The Six Million Dollar Man: Population: Zero (#1.1)" (1974)

Near Perfect

Robert Wise is an under rated director but in his body of work are such gems as 'The Body Snatcher', 'The Set-Up', 'The Day the Earth Stood Still', 'Odds Against Tomorrow', 'The Haunting', 'West Side Story', 'I Want to Live!' and on its own terms, 'The Sound of Music'. He managed to make genre films more interesting and watchable than other more celebrated directors.

'The Andromeda Strain' is an engrossing film from beginning to end. It is science fiction, alien virus comes to earth type thing, but has more depth than just that. The scientists, played very well by Arthur Hill, David Wayne, Kate Reid and James Olson, are fallible and have real emotions. Yet in them is a longing to know, to discover, to solve. Most popular cinema celebrate the fist or the gun but part of the excitement of this film is the use of the intellect to tackle the problem. Brains and not brawn is key.

The early scenes in the town of Piedmont are fascinating. Nothing dramatic, only small details adding up to a large tragedy. Restrained film making is not common but in this case it is really effective. After these scenes the film moves on as fear and wonder grip the scientists to a satisfying conclusion.

The electronic music is just right, the sets are atmospheric, the hard ware plausible and the photography simple and effective. A mention should be made of Paula Kelly as a nurse, an excellent actor and shamefully under used in films. (She is great in 'Sweet Charity' too.)In a supporting role she gives an intelligent, spirited performance.

A near perfect film. Hopefully no one will re-make it.