The crowd-pleaser has enough ambition to pitch a one-size-fits-all philosophy based on the Apollo crew's revelation that looking down from space, our problems seem trivial.
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
It seems more like a television program one would see on the Discovery Channel than a movie.
The movie fills us with wonder, and pride, and a tugging sense of loss.
Successfully recaptures the feeling of what made the Apollo missions so special.
A fascinating, surprisingly funny and extremely moving new documentary about the Apollo space program that really does have the right stuff.
The documentary would play well in a double feature with something on the four food groups.
A rousing achievement that makes us wish we could once again reach for -- and touch -- the stars.
...an entertaining and informative film that reveals so much about an event you think you already know about.
A stunning artifact, a reminder of a time when Americans of all stripes could look up to the sky and feel uncynically patriotic.
It's a satisfying and heartening reminder of what a glorious thing a small group of men once contrived to do.
The film is a history lesson, certainly, but history as seen through the eyes of the men who made it.
The contrast between the near-surreal space footage and the down-to-earth men who were actually in those spacesuits is awe-inspiring.
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