THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN (1971)

Director: Robert Wise

Writers: Nelson Gidding, Michael Crichton (original novel)

Producer: Robert Wise

Cast: Arthur Hill, James Olson, David Wayne, Kate Reid, Paula Kelly, George Mitchell, Ramon Bieri, Ken Swofford, Peter Hobbs, Richard O’Brien, Eric Christmas, Mark Jenkins, Peter Helm, Carl Reindel, Richard Bull, Joe Di Reda, John Carter, Frances Reid, Glenn Langan (uncredited), James W. Gavin (uncredited), Michael Pataki (uncredited), Susan Brown (uncredited) 

When a small U.S. space satellite crashes to Earth, it is carrying something that has caused the citizens in the little town of Piedmont, New Mexico to drop dead. The military immediately rounds up a small team of doctors preselected for just such an emergency. The team, the downed satellite, and the only two Piedmont survivors are brought to Wildfire: A remote desert facility designed to isolate, study, and exterminate dangerous microorganisms. 

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The Andromeda Strain is a fine example of the sort of serious science fiction films that were made just before Star Wars (1977) hijacked the genre. Its very measured pace and carefully presented details regarding its menace and the government facility techniques of dealing with it are far more gripping than an ever-escalating flurry of special effects action in fantasy worlds full of people and creatures with funny names. Of course, The Andromeda Strain requires people to actually pay attention, which takes more effort than oohing and aahing at filmic fireworks.

Although hyperactive fantasy with sci-fi trappings often leaves me cold, I have little tolerance for writers foisting upon me purely concept-driven science fiction. That kind of stuff often feels as if a frustrated professor is trying to show off presumed intellect by preaching to a captive audience. Such writers do not take into account that the reader can close their book without even the fear of a flunking grade. The trick is to present this content with good storytelling. The storytelling is ultimately why anyone is reading a story or watching a film. I can’t remember the last time I got off on a good textbook. 

While I have not read the original Michael Crichton novel, I must say that director Robert Wise’s film makes what could have been deadly dull exposition and scientific jargon comprehensible and compelling. We have a real sense of the planning and discipline involved in trying to identify and overcome a new threat to all human life on Earth. 

The earliest scenes are seemingly matter-of-fact, but are presented with an increasing sense of the unknown and dread. This adds momentum to the plot that will keep us intrigued as we learn more about the government contingency plans to deal with the once-hypothetical menace. 

I appreciate the government’s take-no-shit efficiency rounding up the civilian doctors that were assigned to the Wildfire Laboratory team. This is an aspect that drives home the urgency of this situation. Despite a few procedural snafus and disputes about the appropriate protocols, everyone involved in the government, military, and scientific teams are acknowledging the danger and allied to deal with it. It sure would be nice to believe that sort of united effort could be counted on to deal with our world’s present-day perils. 

There is an added note of paranoia raised, which is never resolved, about the government’s intentions regarding the discovery of the space germ stowaway aboard the crashed satellite. Was it only accidental that the microorganism attached itself to the small spacecraft, or was the mission of Project Scoop to find extraterrestrial traces of life for bioweapon development? 

The Andromeda Strain goes to great lengths to establish its setting. We are given a thorough understanding of how the top secret Wildfire facility is designed and shown the progression of procedures and exams the Wildfire team must pass through before they can be admitted to the deepest level of the complex to begin their work. All of these details are interesting and serve to make the audience relate to this place as something more real than just sci-fi film set design. 

The reason this film really works is that the heroes of the story are believable as doctors qualified to deal with this crisis. Actors Arthur Hill, David Wayne, Kate Reid, and James Olson portray these characters as distinctive individuals without distracting from the dire concerns of the plot. There is a bit of humor presented and an occasional cynicism aired in regards to the government’s procedures and ulterior motives, but there is no emotional grandstanding. No one is presented as the movie star ideal that we know will save the day and find romance or redemption. Character backstories here are almost non-existent. These are just very qualified professionals that can be stressed and frustrated, yet they are dedicated to dealing with this crisis. They are not going to prevent disaster with contrived stunts and one-liners. They can only succeed with intelligence and diligence. 

The Andromeda Strain is the sort of science fiction that dispenses with the whimsy and confronts a very frightening “what-if” in a stark and pragmatic manner. It also reminds us of one of original author Michael Crichton’s perennial concerns: Despite all of man’s planning, he can’t foresee every complication and his technology may not always perform as intended.