Review: 'Shadow' provides fascinating look into moon travel

Directed by: David Sington

Featuring: Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins, Jim Lovell, Alan Bean, Eugene Cernan, Edgar Mitchell, Dave Scott, John Young, Harrison Schmitt, Charlie Duke

Rated: PG

Aside from the people who thought John Travolta’s film “Battlefield Earth” had any redeeming value, possibly the most exclusive club in the history of civilization is the one made up of people who have been to the moon.

Twelve men have actually walked on the lunar surface and another dozen have made the trip into lunar orbit but did not touch down.

Astronaut Jim Lovell went twice and never got his walk on the moon. He was scheduled to do just that on his second trip but, if you’re old enough to remember the event or have seen Ron Howard’s “Apollo 13,” you know Lovell didn’t get the chance. But he and crewmates Jack Swigert and Fred Haise made it back to terra firma after what looked like a sure bet they would not. The events of that mission were a marvel of technological savvy and the power of the human spirit.

Lovell and nine other Apollo astronauts give fascinating interviews in director Dave Sington’s awe-inspiring documentary, “In the Shadow of the Moon.” The film is “presented” by Howard, a devoted “space nut.” Along with his “Apollo 13” and Philip Kaufman’s “The Right Stuff,” this piece will complete a marketing department’s dream DVD box set.

Besides the compelling subject matter, Sington’s style as a documentary director works perfectly for the presentation. The personalities of the 10 astronauts he interviews shine through. Michael Collins, who was riding solo in the command module when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to traverse the lunarscape, has the most screen time and there’s a twinkle in his eye that conveys something very special.

All of the astronauts are fascinating to listen to and they tell their stories with a surprising amount of humor. If a science fiction writer had written this as fiction – there was a mere 12 years between Sputnik 1, the first man-made object to orbit the Earth, and the first moon landing – it would not be taken seriously.

In today’s high-tech world, some of the technology and procedures the NASA people utilized to fly to the moon seems almost quaint, if not primitive. One disaster – the Apollo 1 mission resulted in the loss of the first three astronauts to die in the line of duty – might have derailed the entire program.

But the late 1960s were different times. America was involved in the Cold War, the Vietnam war, recovering from several assassinations and dealing with a great deal of social turmoil. The space program was one thing that we all could agree was a great thing.

Besides the recently filmed interviews, Sington utilizes never-before-seen NASA footage, which has been cleaned and transferred with today’s technology. But absolutely no special effects are used in the film. Knowing these shots are the real thing makes them all the more amazing.

The first man on the moon, Neil Armstrong, is very camera-shy and is not interviewed in the film. But he is well-represented. All of the other astronauts have stories to tell about him.

At 54, I’m smack in the middle of the baby boom generation. TV, baseball, rock and roll and the space program are the things I remember being really important to me as a kid. I choked up several times during “In the Shadow of the Moon.” I’m sure many others will, too. Younger viewers will get a great history lesson presented in a very enjoyable manner. It is truly a must-see film.

Be sure to watch the end credits. There are clips of the moon landing men giving their opinions of the conspiracy theorists’ theories. It’s pretty funny and very insightful.

Jim Wunderle owns Wunderle Sound Services and is a Springfield freelance writer and musician. He can be reached at info@wunderlesound.com.