Oh Lord, this film (and The Right Stuff and From the Earth to The Moon) put a lump in my throat from the very beginning. It is an unashamed, reverential tribute to the Men who put personal safety aside to push the boundaries of scientific progress to their very limits, and of a World that looked on in awe and wonder. Whatever else you may say about the USA, it must be admitted that its people are patriotic, proud and positive. If something is to be done they get to it, rather than looking for reasons not to. President JF Kennedy made the promise to 'land a man on the Moon within this decade..' and it was done at breakneck speed, despite much of the required technology not even being invented yet. I was a sixteen year old lad at the time of Apollo 11, and I stayed up through the night to watch live coverage on the TV. I even made a tape recording of the landing. Gosh, what a time it was! Looking at the worldwide 'vox pop' comments in the film, it is amazing how supportive the other nations were - this in contrast to the divided, spiteful negativity against the USA we see today. When 'we' place a permanent base on the Moon or finally land on Mars, it will be the Americans that do it. This film proudly (and rightly) brings home to the world the importance of their achievements so far. An excellent 100 minutes.
Review of In the Shadow of the Moon
