Ron Howard is the man when it comes to lunar cinema. After directing the Tom Hanks hit "Apollo 13," he revisits his love for earth's largest satellite with the recent release "In the Shadow of the Moon." The documentary uses real footage from several of the Apollo moon missions to bring a better perspective to the awesome accomplishments of NASA and the people who made it inspiring.
To help the viewer get a better grasp on the historical context, the film begins by contrasting the enormity of President Kennedy's mission with the actions of ’60s counter-culture. While students were protesting on campuses nationwide, NASA men were nerding out (in the best way) in Florida. The men involved in NASA were far removed from events like the hippie movement and the Vietnam War. Some even lamented their guilt over being involved with the Apollo missions while their friends were serving in the Air Force. However removed from current affairs, the ambitions of these pioneers was completely appropriate for this tumultuous time of change.
It is amazing to see how these people accomplished what they did with only (by today's standards) the most rudimentary computers. The first successful mission to the moon, Apollo 11, had an onboard computer that couldn't even handle taking readings from two different sensors at the same time without getting bogged down by the information. Not only that, but these early astronauts were flying in crafts made with experimental alloys that hadn't even been patented yet.
It was also interesting to see Buzz Aldrin discuss Apollo 11. Of all the people involved in that mission, he seems to have taken to notoriety best; he has even appeared at various comic conventions. He describes his accomplishments without being remotely self-aggrandizing. In fact, all of the astronauts interviewed never once lauded their own achievement. They speak of the moon, outer space and the view of earth from space as if they had experienced some kind of divine presence and had been greatly humbled by it.
In the film, Mike Collins, the lesser-known command module pilot of Apollo 11who never set foot on the moon, gave some interesting personal notes on almost every aspect of the missions. His description of the awe-inspiring nature of the moon conveys how important these missions were at the time. The man is also fun to watch; he has a lively spirit comparable to a jolly old uncle who secretly gives you booze on Thanksgiving.
The main message of this film is hope. The giant leap for mankind was viewed as just that; it was humanity's achievement, and not exclusively America's. Countries united in celebration of the journey into space. The footage shows people from all continents waving American flags and jumping around with gleeful abandon.
Unfortunately, the end of the film tries too hard to get across a green message. The astronauts briefly discuss the physical appearance of the earth after a few decades of heavy pollution.
"You can see the big cities […] with their own atmosphere," said one former astronaut. The themes of international unity emphasized earlier do not jive well with this agenda that seems both forced and indiscreet. The pro-environmentalist part is short, but nonetheless cumbersome and adds little to the film.
The end credits provide some humor. The former astronauts discuss the conspiracy theory surrounding the supposed moon-landing hoax.
"Why would we fake it nine times?" said Alan Bean, a lunar module commander on the Apollo 12 mission, as he refers to the (real) successes of NASA.
This film is a great documentary and does a great job of telling the story of the Apollo missions from the astronauts' perspective. It does drag on a bit after the famous steps of Neal and Buzz. Engineers and anyone who has the least bit of curiosity or interest in space should see this film.
4 stars out of 5
