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Apollo Documentary an Inspiring Look Back

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Contributed by: Leslie Nichols-Raith on 10/10/2007

I was ten years old and living in rural Vermont when Neil Armstrong took his historic "small step for man...giant leap for mankind." On summer break, I occupied myself by making a notebook of clippings about the Apollo 11 mission. I still have that notebook and have peeked through it a few times in the 38 years since....but I was still amazed at what I learned and how I felt watching the documentary "In the Shadow of the Moon."

Playing at Kimball's for a short pre-release engagement, "In the Shadow of the Moon" was directed by David Sington and presented by Ron Howard (Director of "Apollo 13" and producer of the TV miniseries "Earth to Moon"). This film won the grand prize at Boulder's International Film Festival and won audience prizes at the Sundance and Florida Film Festivals. Yet, undoubtedly the principals have been asked why do another Apollo movie? After seeing this film and watching the 40 or so other audience members' reactions, I think I can answer for them: a large percentage of our population was too young or not yet born when these feats of advanced science and daring were accomplished; today's technology allows for restoration and treatment of historic footage that lends itself beautifully to the big screen; the original astronauts are still around and able to provide thoughtful and often amusing commentary; and, lastly and I believe, most importantly, it is a wonderful reminder that in a time of national turmoil (race riots, free love, Vietnam), the Apollo missions gave Americans something to be proud of --- something to be respected for around the globe.

As a child, I had not realized that the Apollo 11 moonwalk had united countries besides our own. In "Shadow," the astronauts recall being greeted with "We did it!" as they were honored by foreign nations. Clips show Japanese, Russian and Indonesian streets packed with people raptly watching the moon landings and explorations.

Another point this film excellently makes, is just how experimental everything about the Apollo missions were. Those in charge were so unsure that the lunar module's one engine would successfully lift Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin off the moon's surface, that then President Nixon taped a message to be aired to the nation in the event of failure. I was awed by the bravery of the astronauts, their families and all those working on the project --- their involvement signified a leap of faith in their fellow scientists' expertise and abilities. I was even more astounded when I got home and dug out my yellowed Apollo notebook to read that Armstrong, the highest paid astronaut at the time, plunged into the universe for a mere $27,401.

Michael Collins, the third Apollo 11 crewmember, succinctly puts to rest the conspiracy theories that the moon missions were filmed in a studio by quipping, "Why do it so many times if it was just a hoax?" And, he continues on: "How could so many people possibly keep such a secret for all these years?"

Seeing the still shots and the restored footage of both the moon and our Earth, is breathtaking and, as the original astronauts point out, in keeping with mankind's age-old fascination with the heavens. Various Apollo veterans weigh in with their views on spirituality, and I am appreciative that the film's editors do not choose science over religion or vice versa. And they close with environmental concerns, letting the astronauts, the only men who have personally seen our planet from such a perspective, weigh in on the effects our lifestyles are having on Earth's atmosphere.

My only complaint about "In the Shadow of the Moon," is more of a visual annoyance: the ends of original canisters, with the scrawled numbers, play out for a few minutes on the screen; and, the audience is sometimes watching TVs turn to black as the old newscasts remind us of transmission limitations. I found these distracting and unnecessary after the first instance reminds us that we are watching restored originals.

The film's true strength lies in the affability, camaraderie and obvious intelligence of the Apollo astronauts. It is comforting to look back on a time when Americans obviously had the ability to pick heroes with the "Right Stuff."

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