‘in the Shadow of the Moon’ Sheds Light on Space Exploration
By GLENN WHIPP
It’s no secret that Americans have, for the most part, lost interest in space exploration. More than a decade ago, “The Simpsons” captured the vibe perfectly, having NASA, desperate for public support, put Homer on the space shuttle to give common folk a “blue-collar slob” rooting interest in the mission.
But even Homer Simpson might not object to the new documentary “In the Shadow of the Moon,” which looks back on the Apollo program with a freshness that makes you feel the excitement of the moon voyages anew.
The movie, directed by David Sington, features remastered footage from the NASA archives, much of it never seen, all of it astonishing.
Even better are the interviews with crew members of every Apollo mission that flew to the moon.
The astronauts — Buzz Aldrin, Jim Lovell and Michael Collins (but not Neil Armstrong) among them — speak of their experiences with a down-to-earth eloquence and candor, their words adding considerable weight to the images on the screen.
And it’s not all about awe. Aldrin proudly recalls being the first man to urinate on the moon; the accompanying footage may not capture the exact moment, but we do see Aldrin pausing before jumping from the lunar module to the moon’s surface.
Mostly, though, the astronauts recall how the experience gave them perspective.
“The overriding sensation I got was, ‘My God, that little thing is so fragile,’ ” Collins says of seeing Earth from space.
The movie ends with an environmental message. Less clearly pronounced is how the Apollo missions brought together people from all over the world.
Collins, who orbited the moon while Armstrong took that giant leap for mankind, recalls going around the world, meeting people who told him, “We did it!”
“It wasn’t, ‘You Americans did it,’ ” Collins says. “It was, ‘We, we humankind, the human race, we people, we did it.”
“In the Shadow of the Moon” stirringly relives the moment and points the way toward a future when the feeling could again be achieved.
Glenn Whipp, (818) 713-3672
glenn.whipp(at)dailynews.com
IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON – Three stars
>PG: mild language, brief violent images.
>Director: David Sington.
>Running time: 1 hr. 40 min.
>Playing: Arclight in Hollywood; Laemmle’s The Landmark in West Los Angeles. Expands to Encino, Pasadena and Claremont on Sept. 14.
>In a nutshell: Documentary recalls Apollo missions with new footage, fresh perspective and fantastic interviews.
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