The late 1960's and early 1970's had a few of these, with "2001: A Space Odyssey" and "Silent Running" among them, a bit more personal uand less focused on what type of effects that had been utilized in films about outer space over the previous decade. It's not a really character-driven film although a few of the characters do have their moments, particularly Gene Hackman who is one of three astronauts stranded in outer space, slowly losing oxygen which has NASA desperate to get up there to save them. David Janseen and James Franciscus are the other two, with Lee Grant, Nancy Kovack and Mariette Hartley as their wives worried back on Earth, and hoping for good news from the commanders of the mission, Gregory Peck and Richard Crenna.
While the film is very slow, that is necessary at times to show the details of this Mission, so while you are getting all that oh, you are also getting some great visuals what they see in outer space which includes Earth from a great distance, as well as a wonderful shot of the ship being sent into space being flown to where it will launch. This is a film done in great detail with excellent cinematography, special effects, music and editing, and for a patient viewer, it can be very gripping.
Perhaps the biggest tension comes from the individual reactions of each of the three astronauts, particularly Hackman as she has a breakdown that has them feel forced to sedate him so he doesn't cause any further damage. Along the way, they have to make a decision about the dissolving oxygen which could cost every one of them their lives they all remain inside. The scene where Peck has to reveal to one of the wives the date of their husband is truly tragic. I can see why this film has slipped Into obscurity because it isn't as commercial as other big space epics of the time, but that doesn't mean that it isn't worth watching. It was done on a very high budget which is very visible on screen, and unfortunately did not get the commercial success that it would have had it been more about the types of elements that viewers wanted in science fiction films about space travel.
While the film is very slow, that is necessary at times to show the details of this Mission, so while you are getting all that oh, you are also getting some great visuals what they see in outer space which includes Earth from a great distance, as well as a wonderful shot of the ship being sent into space being flown to where it will launch. This is a film done in great detail with excellent cinematography, special effects, music and editing, and for a patient viewer, it can be very gripping.
Perhaps the biggest tension comes from the individual reactions of each of the three astronauts, particularly Hackman as she has a breakdown that has them feel forced to sedate him so he doesn't cause any further damage. Along the way, they have to make a decision about the dissolving oxygen which could cost every one of them their lives they all remain inside. The scene where Peck has to reveal to one of the wives the date of their husband is truly tragic. I can see why this film has slipped Into obscurity because it isn't as commercial as other big space epics of the time, but that doesn't mean that it isn't worth watching. It was done on a very high budget which is very visible on screen, and unfortunately did not get the commercial success that it would have had it been more about the types of elements that viewers wanted in science fiction films about space travel.