Apollo 11 is about as pure cinema as you can get. This is an experience movie, something that taps into the feeling of seeing images edited together to give you a sweeping wave of emotion. It works like music, it’s less a story about the Apollo 11 moon landing, than it is about the visceral look at what it took to get there. This is an opera of the moving image, constructed by footage of real events that took place, and the effect is awe inspiring.
By now, it’s safe to say most people know of the first moon landing by heart. We know of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, stepping onto the lunar surface with Armstrong saying the iconic words: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”.
For those who have had the chance to see Damien Chazelle’s terrific Armstrong biopic First Man which came out last year, the story is probably fresher in your heads. So in that way, Apollo 11 is serving us a familiar story, but that’s not what is important. Instead the story is used as a catalyst for a collage of images and sounds that wows our senses and takes us on a journey.
To be clear, this isn’t a straight forward documentary about what happened leading up to the mission. There are no interviews of people who were there. There are no talking heads offering up analysis or deep dives into what had to be done to make it happen. Instead, what director/editor Todd Douglas Miller does by putting together previously unreleased footage, is plant you right into the historic event. In a way the film plays out like a series of musical movements.
The first movement is all about the pre-launch. With the astronauts and mission control technicians making final preparations as the crowd of spectators take their spot to watch the take off. The second would be the lift off itself as it goes into orbit and begins its mission towards the moon. Then there is the actual lunar landing itself as we see Armstrong and Aldrin walking on the surface. Followed by the journey back to Earth once their mission is accomplished.
Throughout the film, we see tense moments, such as astronaut Michael Collins docking with the Lunar module while in orbit. Also there is Armstrong’s rather harrowing moon landing. With the screen showing just how close he was to running out of fuel the closer he was getting to touching down. Along with these taut scenes, we are also subject to moments of supreme majesty that are utterly breathtaking. Such as the launch itself with cameras focusing directly underneath the rocket as we see the jet engines ignite in a pillar of fire.
We then seeing the giant behemoth ship break away from the launching pad and rise up into the air, which could be described as a ballet of movement. The film jumps from the close-up of the rocket to the spectators who are witnessing the same thing from miles away. Seeing it like a bright far away torch making its way further from the Earth’s atmosphere. It’s a stark contrast in point of view yet each one is a soaring site giving us a sense of wonder and adrenaline.
Much of the footage remains grainy, yet it creates a very tactile look of authenticity unlike anything you would see from a Hollywood movie. We are privy to private moments with the astronauts in their confined quarters of the space shuttle, sporting unshaven faces, and disheveled hair that sheds their larger than life image and turns them into ordinary men, men who just happen to be on the adventure of a lifetime.
The film makes very good use of split screens. And how it’s able to show the astronauts working in unison with the people at mission control. Sometimes it would cut to diagrams of the science behind the flight. Like when it explains how the shuttle boomerangs from around the Earth in order to make the Moon’s trajectory. A wonderful example of showing not telling. Yet despite these little explanations given to us, we are not taken of sheer grandeur of the film. The editing is so fluid and runs at such a brisk pace, it never slows down the momentum.
The images of the moon are breathtaking. Giving us glimpses into the more candid moments between Armstrong and Aldren walking around. With all the clear imprints of their footsteps being shown across the powdery surface. Perhaps the most intimate moment, is when we stay with Armstrong as he makes his historic first steps, being able to see what he sees. There is a feeling of anticipation and excitement being with him as he makes his way down from the module knowing what is about to happen. It’s as if the film itself is at a standstill, taking a breath with us keeping it a communal experience.
What pulls the film along, working with the editing and images in unison, is the music by Matt Morton. There are times when the speakers seem to blare out the full orchestral tempo creating with it. A harmonious melding of picture and sound that draws you into each shot like a chorus from the heavens. Reminding us that this is one of mankind’s greatest accomplishments.
I was priveleged enough to see Apollo 11 on an IMAX screen – which is where it deserves to be seen. After seeing the restoration of 2001: A Space Odyssey as well as First Man in the same theatre, I can only come to the conclusion that outer space looks spectacular in IMAX. But this film feels more like the real thing. It’s easy to see this on a small screen and look at the pretty pictures, but this has more ambition. And a grandiose vision which complements perhaps the greatest technical feat of the 20th century. The scope of this film would be lost even on a smaller movie screen so it’s worth the experience to seek out an IMAX theatre near you.
Make no mistake, Apollo 11 is very much an American film. It’s a reminder of how great the country can be when it sets its sights on new horizons. The American flag that Armstrong and Aldren plant on the surface of the moon is very prominent. And the film ends with President John F. Kennedy making his declaration that America will be the first nation to reach the moon.
But the film makes a strong case for this type of patriotism. Enough to justify the ticker tape parade which greeted the astronauts when they got home. Although the patriotic imagery is there, it never becomes heavy handed. The filmmaking is far too preoccupied to give you an out of this world experience.
If I were to compare Apollo 11 to anything else like it, the closest film I could think of might be Woodstock. That was also a documentary about a special cultural event in the 1960s. But it was more about putting the viewer in the audience to make you feel like you were right there. Being a part of that special time and place.
When the first moon landing happened, my parents hadn’t even met, so I was barely a speck in God’s eye. But after watching Apollo 11, I can fully admit that I have never felt so close to a moment in human history that came before my time. It’s a film that feels tangible and real, and it’s an experience I won’t soon forget.
