Apollo 11 - Review Thread

The success of the Apollo 11 mission is obviously an event that's highly ingrained in the brains of most people, whether they know it or not. The Moon landing in July of 1969 captured the world's attention and imagination and paved the way for subsequent explorations of space. It's a moment that's been depicted in both documentary and fictional form on several occasions, even as recently as Damien Chazelle's Neil Armstrong biopic from last year, First Man. In fact it's been done so many times that the thought of another film exploring the momentous achievement may initially pose the question of what else can be covered and how can revisiting the moon landing feel fresh at this point? Well director Todd Douglas Miller might not have blown the hair back on anyone or presented thought provoking new insight with his documentary film Apollo 11, but he has constructed a meticulously thoughtful and unique telling of the mission that does manage to feel like a new perspective on the event. He's assembled a collection of footage that entails home movies, NASA cameras, newsreels, and the feed from the moon itself to provide a different look at a familiar story. Miller elects not to go with narration or bog the viewer down with technical jargon, but rather lets images of people gathering outside the Kennedy Space Center to watch the launch, the literal manpower fueling the NASA control rooms, and life onboard the Apollo 11 itself sink the audience into a voyeuristic time capsule that emphasizes the world changing achievement taking place while also balancing it with a comfortable awe of being there and soaking in all the fun. We're so used to the NASA and Apollo/Moon footage that seeing the waves of people camping out at their cars to watch the rocket launch is one of many unique perspectives that Miller brings to the documentary that feels far removed from the constant tension and peril that permeated First Man. Apollo 11 on the other hand is presented as pure celebration of the mission and the people behind its success, and it's easy to get caught up in the bliss.

Miller has introduced a lot of footage and audio that's never been seen before, and while again it doesn't necessarily add crucial information to the well told story, it does at the least provide the legitimacy for the project existing. We get some funny exchanges between the crew and NASA, a phone call from the White House from Richard Nixon, shots of the several rows of NASA technicians working tirelessly to make this a success, and even some neat footage of the Moon itself taken from the craft. None of what Miller has put together here ever feels in the slightest bit manipulative or weighty, instead electing to showcase the role everyone played in making the Moon landing happen and them subsequently basking in their well deserved successes. It's a documentary that celebrates the human spirit and perseverance without trumpeting itself as ever doing so. It's a film that goes for quiet, subtle moments rather than showy ones, even using some of the most simplistic graphics you'll see in 2019 to depict the Apollo 11's procedure in getting to the Moon. Apollo 11 is not a film that will lend much new information to even people with just basic knowledge of the Moon landing, not will it offer the most spectacular footage of the event or the beautiful vastness of space that we've grown accustomed to. But what director Todd Douglas Miller does achieve with the new footage and audio clips is presenting the event as an invitation to a celebration that we can all understand and admire. In a crowded field of films on the subject, Apollo 11 succeeds at finding its voice and style to present the Moon landing in a unique way that truly places the viewer in July 1969.

8/10