A week later than I wanted to, I was finally able to make it to the artsy theatre two towns away to see ‘In the Shadow of the Moon’. Desperately in need of upgrades, it was the only location in the greater Hartford area that is showing the movie. The seats are torn and stained, the screen has seen better days and I don’t know what to make of the amazing mass of bacteria that call the floor their home.
At $10.00 a ticket, which is more than the local up-to-date cineplex just down the road, I was disappointed as I took my extremely worn place in the middle of the theater. Yet, when the lights went down, I could have been viewing this flick from the seventh level of hell and wouldn’t have cared.
I don’t think there has been a movie in which my jaw has remained plastered to the ground for the duration. This documentary was probably the best I’ve seen on any subject, period. You would think that showing video footage from the 1960’s would be a liability in these days of CGI and other special effects, but it was this original NASA footage that moved me more than any movie I have ever seen.
I can’t explain to you, the emotions that ran through my body as Apollo 11 lifted from the ground. From someone who would make her appearance on this heavenly body almost 8 years later, this film made it feel like I was transported back into a time where people actually cared about the space program. Through conception of the plan during the cold war with Russia, to the anticipated launch of the three astronauts; Collins, Armstrong and Aldrin, you can’t help but sit and stare at the screen with amazement.
In one scene taken purely from the NASA archives, the engines roar to life and liftoff is declared. Yet somehow, even almost 40 years later, the still cameras at the launch pad give you an amazing look into the beauty and sheer power of the spacecraft. Amidst the clouds of smoke, there is a swirling dance of fire and ice that your mind registers as impossible and yet completely enthralling. It’s the stuff made out of fantasy and science fiction novels and it takes a moment to register as ‘real’ in the back of your head.
It was truly a time when this nation, check that; when this world rallied behind this powerful symbol of bold moves and exploration of a completely alien world. It’s a shame that even after the 9 missions to the moon, that we have not had the courage (or budget) to return and continue to traverse the mineral rich lunar soil which still hold Neil Armstrong’s first steps.
If you can drag yourself to the movie theater to see one film this year, make it this one. I feel its power will be lost if you wait for DVD. Likewise, I hope this film is released to the better theaters in the future, including IMAX. If that happens, I will be in line to see it again, in all its proper glory.
This documentary has the right stuff to re-ignite our passion for a program that is not only a modern marvel full of rich history, but a necessity for the human race to survive in the turbulent times to come. I just pray this amazing piece of celluloid is not lost in the tide of Hollywood blockbusters, because frankly, its better than most everything you’ll see this year.
Here is a list of show times in your area.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLjj3FcTElo]
