Symptom 131: First Man
For our theme we have chosen to discuss Space Exploration films. I would say it is NASA November, but we are more than halfway through November. So it is really a series of films about NASA and the early Apollo program. We are starting with First Man, the 2018 film about the moon landing.
First Man is a fantastic historical documentary and biography. It pays painstaking attention to detail and recreates with reliable accuracy Neil Armstrong’s career and the the Apollo 11 flight and events leading up to it. It also provides a well researched and on point look at who Neil Armstrong was, without aggrandizing him into a caricature or fictionalized image. The film has breathtaking CGI and cinematography. As a historical documentary the film is first rate.
However as a movie it is lacking punch. This is unavoidable. The truth of Apollo 11 and the entire Apollo program is that it is the greatest adventure humankind has ever embarked upon and humanity’s greatest achievement. Unfortunately since we all know the outcome, Neil and Buzz walked on the moon and got home safely and that the flight went relatively smoothly without ever having the team seriously in jeopardy, there is no drama. Drama, conflict or emotional peril is essential for a film. Short of manufacturing one of these three from events that didn’t actual exist the film will lack the aforementioned punch. The result is a wonderful documentary but as a movie something that comes up short. That said the crew here loves this movie and gives it high marks and feels everyone should watch it…but any review of this film must honestly address the fact that it wasn’t a financial hit and so we have.