Susan Granger’s review of “Apollo 11” (Neon/CNN Films)
Meticulously assembled by director Todd Douglas Miller and a team of archivists/editors, this new documentary delves into the details of space exploration and NASA.
Tracing the Apollo 11 mission from launch to splashdown, it recaptures the suspense, excitement and drama of Neil Armstrong’s “giant leap for mankind” a half-century ago.
Beginning with the crawler-transporter hauling the massive Saturn V rocket from the Vehicle Assembly Building to the Cape Kennedy launch pad, it details the complicated tasks the team had to execute in order to succeed in their historic eight-day mission, inspired by John F. Kennedy’s rousing 1961 challenge:
“I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon – and returning him safely to Earth.”
Never-before-seen material reveals the three astronauts donning their spacesuits, the 500 men and one woman (JoAnn Morgan) in Mission Control and the subsequent 18-day quarantine when they returned to Earth.
As Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin move around the lunar surface, they attempt to describe what they’re seeing and experiencing, so there’s a remarkably effective “You are there” feeling.
“(This) is a way to see it as I still see it in my memories,” notes Aldrin.
Todd Douglas Miller utilizes stunning 65-mm found-footage and excerpts from 11,000 hours of uncatalogued Mission Control audio recordings that were discovered in the National Archives, employing split-screens and countdown clocks, set to Matt Morton’s background score.
“The film quality was so good, we didn’t have to do much to it,” Miller noted after analyzing the 165 Panavision reels. Surviving Mission Control participants, along with astronauts Michael Collins and Aldrin, served as consultants.
It’s also an excellent adjunct to Damien Chazelle’s “First Man,” the 2018 Armstrong bio-pic, starring Ryan Gosling, depicting the astronauts’ inherent risk and personal sacrifice.
FYI: The 40-minute IMAX version will be released to museums on May 17, and CNN will broadcast “Apollo 11” in July.
On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Apollo 11” is an awe-inspiring 8, an immersive cinematic achievement marking its 50th Anniversary.
