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Synopsis
America's quest to put a man on the moon, while both fascinating and inspiring, has been well-covered on film, perhaps most notably in "From the Earth to the Moon" and "Apollo 13". Add to that a space program that by the early 2000s ranked near "Abscam" in terms of public interest, and it's easy to see why the documentary In The Shadow Of The Moon might be a tough sell. Yet this simple, stylish look at the Apollo space program is a quietly powerful rumination on the nature of patriotism, heroism, and humanity.
In In The Shadow Of The Moon, director David Sington utilises a narrator-less structure which intercuts stunning stock footage with insightful commentary from the surviving astronauts who walked on the moon. There are no experts, no voiceovers, and no recreations; it's a style that works quite well, recalling the work of Errol Morris. While the space shots and behind-the-scenes footage of NASA operations are fascinating, the astronauts--including Buzz Aldrin, Dave Scott and Alan Bean--are a revelation. Variously witty, heartfelt, modest and humbled when discussing their journeys into space, it's easy to understand why these men were heroes to a generation. Perhaps the most powerful aspect of the documentary is the way in which the viewer is reminded of how genuinely stunning the Apollo mission was--not only for the United States, but for the whole world. One need not be reminded that 1969 was a tumultuous year for Earth, and that Neil Armstrong's famous one small step for man literally united the planet, giving true credence to the latter half of his famous statement. The Shadow Of The Moon expertly recreates that moon-landing moment, without a shred of excess patriotism, pretence or sentiment.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
78 of 78 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
It makes such a refreshing change to see a documentary that is not out to make a scandal, reveal a conspiracy, or trick people into making fools of themselves.
This is a real treat, to watch a straightforward telling of the conquest of the moon, not from the technical perspective but from a very human perspective, using a combination of NASA photography, period newsreels, and most crucially, interviews with the surviving Apollo astronauts, with the exception of the notoriously reclusive Neil Armstrong.
There are no tricks being used here in the telling of the tales - just fantastic lingering shots of the moon as seen by the astronauts, and their very personal memories, told with candour and warmth. We learn how human they felt - the `right stuff' persona is taken off for a moment, and we see just how in awe they were - and still are- of what they were part of. This is all put in perspective of not just the space race of the 60's, but the Vietnam war which some felt guilty to be exempted from.
On a lighter note, we learn who was the first astronaut to pee on the moon, and the nervous moment when the moon land speed record was broken in the lunar buggy - at a breakneck speed of 18 kmh...
It's hard not to be a little moved by the stories being told, and the iconic shots of earthrise and the surface of the moon will blow you away, as the unhurried pace draws you through the events leading up to and during the landings.
Highly recommended.
This is a real treat, to watch a straightforward telling of the conquest of the moon, not from the technical perspective but from a very human perspective, using a combination of NASA photography, period newsreels, and most crucially, interviews with the surviving Apollo astronauts, with the exception of the notoriously reclusive Neil Armstrong.
There are no tricks being used here in the telling of the tales - just fantastic lingering shots of the moon as seen by the astronauts, and their very personal memories, told with candour and warmth. We learn how human they felt - the `right stuff' persona is taken off for a moment, and we see just how in awe they were - and still are- of what they were part of. This is all put in perspective of not just the space race of the 60's, but the Vietnam war which some felt guilty to be exempted from.
On a lighter note, we learn who was the first astronaut to pee on the moon, and the nervous moment when the moon land speed record was broken in the lunar buggy - at a breakneck speed of 18 kmh...
It's hard not to be a little moved by the stories being told, and the iconic shots of earthrise and the surface of the moon will blow you away, as the unhurried pace draws you through the events leading up to and during the landings.
Highly recommended.
50 of 50 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This is a fantastic documentary, and possibly the most intriguing angle on the Apollo missions to the moon. Most films on this matter usually focus on all the technical aspects and acheivements but the real trick here is having the astronauts themselves explaining their part and their experiences for something that will never occur to all but the most fortunate of people. Although when read here the most menial of details, such as the astronauts being driven to a desserted launchpad in a van by a lone driver, seem so uninteresting at first they quite surprisingly add richly to the personal experiences of the astronauts and pull the viewer much closer to the story. Moments like these follow points of complete bravado with the almost cocky Gene Cernan telling how he dared the automatic flight controls of the Saturn V rocket to fail so that he could fly it manually.
One of the real treats of this film is how the experiences of the astronauts are complimented by it's visual flair. The detail of the footage is incredible with glorious views of the spacecraft, earth and moon. But what I found really pleasing is how they give some shots the time that they require in order to really demonstrate the richnesss of the exercise. The narration was at times put on hold to allow you to just feast on the visuals. An example being of the camera mounted on the discarded second stage when it broke away from the remaining rocket. By being patient, the director lets the command module fly slowly off in to deep space, with the bright blue of the earth eventually coming in to view. Coupled with the excellent musical score this image was quite spectacular. Another example is a pan back from a range of mountains on the moon have come in to view an atronaut some distance away standing alone.
But the real star of the show is Michael Collins, command module pilot on Apollo 11. He adds the most human element, explaining how he felt to not be down there on the moon and to be orbiting the earth alone further than any human had ever been from anyone else. Very warm, very interesting, and at times very amusing.
Thoroughly recommended.
One of the real treats of this film is how the experiences of the astronauts are complimented by it's visual flair. The detail of the footage is incredible with glorious views of the spacecraft, earth and moon. But what I found really pleasing is how they give some shots the time that they require in order to really demonstrate the richnesss of the exercise. The narration was at times put on hold to allow you to just feast on the visuals. An example being of the camera mounted on the discarded second stage when it broke away from the remaining rocket. By being patient, the director lets the command module fly slowly off in to deep space, with the bright blue of the earth eventually coming in to view. Coupled with the excellent musical score this image was quite spectacular. Another example is a pan back from a range of mountains on the moon have come in to view an atronaut some distance away standing alone.
But the real star of the show is Michael Collins, command module pilot on Apollo 11. He adds the most human element, explaining how he felt to not be down there on the moon and to be orbiting the earth alone further than any human had ever been from anyone else. Very warm, very interesting, and at times very amusing.
Thoroughly recommended.
35 of 36 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I thought this documentary was a wonderful introduction to the Apollo moon landings, really showing the human side of the experience and providing a great general overview of the achievements. I saw it on the movie screen and highly recommend it.
I also really liked the book of the same title, by C. Burgess and F. French, that not only covers the early Apollo flights, but also delves into the preceding flights, and what the Soviets were up to at that time. In the book, I learned about the early lives and early flights of these astronauts, and what it was like to be in the moment of flying the missions. In the movie, I learned what these guys look like today, and how they feel reflecting back on their experiences. Both film and book were perfect for their medium, and great accompaniments to each other.
Highly recommend both book and movie, and suggest experiencing both!!!!!
I also really liked the book of the same title, by C. Burgess and F. French, that not only covers the early Apollo flights, but also delves into the preceding flights, and what the Soviets were up to at that time. In the book, I learned about the early lives and early flights of these astronauts, and what it was like to be in the moment of flying the missions. In the movie, I learned what these guys look like today, and how they feel reflecting back on their experiences. Both film and book were perfect for their medium, and great accompaniments to each other.
Highly recommend both book and movie, and suggest experiencing both!!!!!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Getting away from it all
Made in the style of Band of Brothers this documentary film is both a record of historical importance and an overview of personal reflection on my part. Read more
Published 3 months ago by W. Rodick
Very good documentary
I really enjoyed watching this documentary and I feel it was worth every penny.
I highly recommend this to anybody who wants to know more about the Apollo Moon Landing.
I highly recommend this to anybody who wants to know more about the Apollo Moon Landing.
Published 3 months ago by Peter Murray
great
like red stuff dvd, i was impressed by dedication and courage of space men.
focused mainly on apollo program.good pic and sound. Read more
focused mainly on apollo program.good pic and sound. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Allan R. Crook
Over the moon
I enjoyed hearing the personal experiences of the astronauts but felt it could have gone a bit deeper into the moon walks. That said, I would watch it again.
Published 11 months ago by JJ Diamond
Visually Stunning
This move contains some amazing footage from the space race. Along side it there is an amazing sountrack that helps to build excitement and the awesomeness of the achievements they... Read more
Published 14 months ago by greig mackenzie
Great soundtrack, great visuals, great story
This documentary works at many levels. It sets the context in which the Apollo program was conceived and developed. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Marty
A Very Good Documentary
In the Shadow of the Moon is a very good documentary about the American Apollo project to land on the Moon. Read more
Published 16 months ago by HBH
The engineering marvel that was Apollo
This is a beautiful narrative of how fierce, yet robust was the engineering in the Apollo missions. We cannot help but admire the niche piloting skills of the crew and their... Read more
Published 17 months ago by Smita Shekar
Entertaining but not informative
I did like the movie but I would have liked some more detail about the rockets and the backgrounds of the programme. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Matthias Mandl
The emotion of history recollected in tranquillity by those who made...
Having been transfixed at the time by the events depicted in this documentary, the passage of time has clouded what I remember, but this film brought back all the sheer wonder at... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Emplawyer
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