I sat riveted watching David Sington's "In the Shadow of the Moon," a documentary where 10 astronauts recall a time and era that made America, and the world, proud.
In the Shadow of the Moon (2007)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:107
Fresh:101
Rotten:6
Average Rating:7.9/10
Consensus: Director David Sington poetically interwove 20th Century's cosmonautic history with its effect on the public's view of their country, their heroes and their future.
Rated: U [See Full Rating] mild language, brief violent images and incidental smoking.
Runtime: 1 hr 40 mins
Genre: Education/General Interest
Theatrical Release:02-11-2007
Synopsis: Between 1968 and 1972, nine American spacecraft voyaged to the Moon, and 12 men walked upon its surface. They remain the only human beings to have stood on another world. IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON... Between 1968 and 1972, nine American spacecraft voyaged to the Moon, and 12 men walked upon its surface. They remain the only human beings to have stood on another world. IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON brings together for the first, and possibly the last, time surviving crew members from every single Apollo mission that flew to the Moon, and allows them to tell their story in their own words. This riveting first-hand testimony is interwoven with visually stunning archival material which has been re-mastered from the original NASA film footage – much of it never used before. The result is an intimate epic that vividly communicates the daring, the danger, the pride, and the promise of this extraordinary era in history when the whole world literally looked up at America. The participating astronauts include Jim Lovell (Apollo 8 and 13), Dave Scott (Apollo 9 and 15), John Young (Apollo 10 and 16), Gene Cernan (Apollo 10 and 17), Mike Collins (Apollo 11), Buzz Aldrin (Apollo 11), Alan Bean (Apollo 12), Edgar Mitchell (Apollo 14), Charlie Duke (Apollo 16) and Harrison Schmitt (Apollo 17). Beautifully shot by Clive North in High Definition video, the astronauts talk directly to camera. They emerge as surprisingly eloquent, witty, emotional and very human. The producers Duncan Copp and Chris Riley spent many weeks in the NASA film library examining cans of film some of which had not been opened for over 30 years. This search uncovered many gems, astonishing space shots which have been re-mastered from the original film rolls to reveal the Apollo program with a visual clarity and impact it has never had before. The mute 16mm rolls shot in Mission Control have been laboriously lip-synced with the 16-track audio recordings of the mission controllers’ voice loop to re-unite the pictures and sound of many historic moments for the first time, lending a striking immediacy to many dramatic scenes. Editor David Fairhead and director David Sington have woven this material together with a beautiful orchestral score from composer Philip Sheppard to create a moving, nostalgic and inspiring cinematic experience. --© THINKFilm [More]
Starring: Jim Lovell, Buzz Aldrin
Starring: Jim Lovell, Buzz Aldrin
Director: David Sington
Director: David Sington
Producer: Duncan Copp
Composer: Philip Sheppard
Studio: ThinkFilm
Reviews for In the Shadow of the Moon
By 2020, when NASA's Orion lunar spacecraft is scheduled to launch, it's unlikely that any Apollo veterans will still be alive. Sington has done us a service in helping preserve their memories.
The real selling point is an astonishing wealth of footage from the NASA warehouses.
Seeing 'In the Shadow of the Moon' brought back all of the excitement I remember experiencing in 1969 when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took those first steps on the moon. What a fabulous achievement that was ---- for them and for all of us!
If you can appreciate the incredible bravery and intelligence exhibited by these talented men, and if you want to see some glorious shots of our planet from 240,000 miles away, this is your ticket.
For all its swelling soundtrack and magnificent imagery, it leaves its most compelling story unexplored.
A researcher for this production spent years screening NASA footage that was still, in many cases, in its original film cans and had never been seen. The film was cleaned up and restored, the color refreshed, and the result is beautiful and moving.
Now, finally, we know what it was like to walk on the moon: unbelievably cool. Amazing. Fantastic. Scary.
It has the air of an officially sanctioned tribute rather than a probing study, but it's stirring all the same.
Poignant but never sappy, Moon is also very timely, documenting universal achievements at a time when America isn't exactly seen as a team player.
It has taken a British director, David Sington, to do what nobody has done before: sit down with surviving Apollo astronauts and get them to talk us through what was, in retrospect, the happiest public event of an unhappy century.
Documentaries these days tend toward doom and gloom, so Moon is a welcome relief.
I came out giddy, feeling lighter -- by about five-sixths -- than I did when I went in.
A beautiful, exhilarating, and sometimes deeply moving documentary about those long-ago Apollo missions of the late 1960s and early 1970s.
These are old stories told with minimal artistry, and the film lacks the vision that might separate it from a crowded field.
David Sington's stunning documentary sweeps away the layers of cynicism and familiarity, giving nine men who were there the opportunity to tell their riveting stories.
One small documentary for a filmmaker and one giant leap in inspiration for audiences.
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