There’s a moment in “Apollo 11” where I almost understood believing in the conspiracy theory that the moon landing was staged. Director Todd Douglas Miller‘s documentary clearly communicates the complexity of the July 1969 mission to a degree I hadn’t seen before, leaving the audience in awe, and a little disbelief, at how this massive feat was actually completed. But instead of buying into the bunk, I was instead even more impressed by NASA’s achievement as well as that of the film itself.
Released for the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, “Apollo 11” needs not to gild the lily of the lunar mission with interviews, narration or impressive graphics; instead, Miller relies almost entirely on archival footage and audio to share a previously unseen look at that momentous endeavor. And it is absolutely jaw-dropping.
Miller, who also serves as his movie’s editor, had access to footage from NASA and the National Archives. However, it was the discovery of 65mm large-format footage that really sets “Apollo 11” apart. Coupled with only a portion of the 11,000 hours of audio recordings, the film offers a new look at an event that was the sole focus of the public’s attention and imagination at that time. You not only see the walk on the moon and hear Neil Armstrong‘s iconic words, but you also see and hear everything that went into that moment in the days leading up to it, as well as what happened next. “Apollo 11” features footage from astronauts Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins‘ journey, but it also includes extensive looks at Mission Control as well as captures the crowds camped out to witness history. Even knowing the outcome, there’s a sense of urgency throughout the documentary; Max Morton‘s score adds immediacy, and the restoration of the film into an absolutely pristine condition–even at IMAX scale–makes it feel like this event is happening in the present.
CNN Films is behind the documentary, and while this means that more people will be able to watch the film when the cable news network inevitably broadcasts it later this year, it’s a shame that they’ll miss out on the theatrical experience, particularly in IMAX. Seeing “Apollo 11” on the biggest screen possible is a transformative experience that does justice to the scope of the mission as well as the work of the team behind the movie. The large-format footage is astounding; a pre-launch scene from the top of the rocket activated my fear of heights, but it’s impossible to look away from the screen.
“Apollo 11” could feel like the type of dry IMAX film you watch on a school field trip at a museum–and hopefully it will have a second life with that kind of distribution in the coming years–but this is a film that should leave even rowdy school groups rapt. There’s a wonder in watching the mission, as well as the numerous people required to execute it back on earth and the way people around the globe united to witness it. This is a rousing, essential viewing experience that reminds us of exactly what humanity is capable of when we work together toward a single, world-changing goal. [A]