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Four decades ago, while a war raged in Vietnam and protesters took to the streets to fight for civil rights, the US was in the midst of another battle—the race to send a man into space.
In the Shadow of the Moon recounts the story of the Apollo moon missions of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s—as told by the astronauts who participated in them. There’s no celebrity narrator. No reenactments. No CGI. Just the sometimes grainy, sometimes blurry original footage, along with interviews with a number of the men who had the opportunity to see the moon up-close.
The astronauts walk viewers through every part of the process. They talk about the early days of the program—about the preparations and about the country’s (and the world’s) reactions. But, mostly, they talk about the journey itself. They talk about the excitement, the nervousness, and the fear. They discuss how it felt to take off—and how exciting it was to see Earth from space. And, of course, they talk about the moon itself—about landing on it, walking on it, and then leaving it.
In the Shadow of the Moon is truly awe-inspiring. It’s a fascinating and informative documentary—but it’s also incredibly moving. Director David Sington managed to get up close and personal with each of the astronauts he worked with—in more ways than one. Not only did he get them to open up about their experiences and their feelings, but he also brought the camera right in on their faces—so the audience can look right into the eyes of these seventy-something-year-old astronauts, who have seen things that no one else has seen. It makes you feel as though you’re having a personal, one-on-one conversation with each one. And these are no crotchety old guys. They’re fascinating storytellers, full of life and energy and humor—and the men themselves are every bit as interesting as their story.
They’re so interesting, in fact, that you’ll hardly notice that the film is missing one key member of their exclusive club. Neil Armstrong, the first man to set foot on the moon, wasn’t one of the men who were interviewed—because the somewhat reclusive astronaut rarely agrees to appear on-screen.
There’s just nothing like hearing the story told by the men who lived it—and I could have listened to these guys all day. They add life and personality to the story like no narrator ever could. And the footage, while old and sometimes grainy, is breathtaking nonetheless. Together, the sights and the personalities and the captivating stories make for one powerful film—and I couldn’t recommend it more highly.
