Apollo 11 (2019)

Directed by: Todd Douglas Miller | 93 minutes | documentary, history | Starring: Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, Buzz Aldrin, Deke Slayton, Clifford E. Charlesworth, Bruce McCandless II, H. David Reed, Charles Duke, Gene Kranz, Bill Anders, Jim Lovell, John F. Kennedy, Janet Armstrong, Patricia Mary Finnegan, Andy Aldrin

On July 20, 1969, man set foot on the moon for the first time. Millions of people around the world sympathized with the Apollo 11 mission of astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins. Fifty years later, we can relive this ‘small step for mankind, but a great leap forward for mankind’ in the documentary ‘Apollo 11’. The heart of the film is formed by previously unseen images and sound recordings from the US National Archives. The material was in the possession of NASA for many years, but was transferred to the National Archives over the years. Here it remained largely unused on the shelf for a long time.

‘Apollo 11’ is actually a chronologically edited display of the restored archive images. The focus is exclusively on reliving the mission. This means that no scientists or historians come along to provide context for the images that pass before the viewer’s eye. The character of the images also lends itself to this approach. Because much of the original footage was shot in 70mm (the widest there is) format, the level of detail and sharpness is astounding. This, combined with the high resolution of the restored images, enhances the sense of being a viewer sitting in the middle of the immense NASA control room or standing next to the astronauts as they don their spacesuits. The colors also give the film an extra dimension. They are not inferior to the quality that a good camera of modern manufacture delivers. In terms of richness and appearance, the color tones are reminiscent of original Kodachrome.

“Apollo 11” doesn’t focus exclusively on the fortunes of the three astronauts and the technicalities of the mission, but also features images of the crowds of Americans who gathered in parking lots or beaches during the moon mission to watch the launch of the Apollo 11 behold. This provides a beautiful image of the time (note the sunglasses, for example) of the sixties of the twentieth century. Also the exciting mission moments, such as connecting the lunar lander The Eagle and the spacecraft columbia, are beautifully conjured up from the old box on the modern screen.

Although ‘Apollo 11’ is a thorough reconstruction of a historical milestone, the film stirs few emotions. That’s due to director Todd Douglas Miller’s clinical approach. Because the film is mainly a sequence of events without further artistic interpretation, a feeling of dryness, ratio and distance sometimes dominates. The amazement, for example, which astronaut Aldrin expresses with his description ‘magnificent desolation’ when contemplating the lunar surface, is largely missing, especially because ‘Apollo 11’ is ultimately mainly a summary of factual events supported by unique images.

‘Apollo 11’ is an impeccable and visually appealing period document that beautifully highlights various facets of the American moon landing. However, the emphasis on processes and technique means that the human aspect in this film about a unique human achievement is somewhat overlooked.