Wettlauf zum Mond

This 4 parter is no less than excellent. Whether a student of history, a student of the reality of space flight or if you only have a passing interest in the subject you will be gripped. It is so well put together and played that even though the events are matter of history you find yourself holding your breath with anticipation as the events unfold and asking yourself "will they, won't they" even though you may already know the answer. I would thoroughly recommend this to anyone with any interest, it's the best series of it's genere (I dare to say, better "From the Earth to the Moon" which I have enjoyed many viewings).

Buy it, rent, catch it on a repeat but don't miss this outstanding piece of not just television but filmaking.

I watched the series on the European Arte channel and was really impressed. I am not a fan of the docu-series mixed with actors, but in this case the method played well by filling in the wholes in documentary coverage, and by telling much more and in a more expressive manner about the principal characters in the space race and their feelings and motivations.

Certainly, there are many details that were left out, and many of the Russian viewers on the different Web fora pointed out that the presentation lacks balance and accuracy. Yet, the documentary information was extremely valuable, as all the Soviet space program was so much covered by secrecy and deformed by propaganda that I realized that despite the fact that I was living in a Communist country by that time I knew almost nothing about it.

This is a film to watch, and hopefully more will be done on the same subject and throw more light on these exciting aspects of mankind recent history.

Shocking!

In 1965 I saw Jury Gagarin alive. He was sincere, unpretentious and kindly, he was at ease and looked like well-educated and intellectual person. In this movie I saw a clown! The actor looks like dummy with affected gestures and mimicry. They made a cartoon! The real Gagarin was someone else! Don't believe in this movie!

I saw this movie after the movies like "Taming of Fire" and "Apollo 13" and after reading books "Rockets and People" by Chertok and "Korolev: Myths and Facts" by Golovanov. I was shocked by tiresome scenario, poor acting and producing, and a lots of inexactitudes of "Space Race".

The movie is the tedious rendering of well-known in Russia historical facts. A lots of interesting known facts of the space projects was not demonstrated. Some facts and details were perverted. For example, in 1945 Korolev was already not a prisoner (liberated in 1944), and in 1940 he was already not in Kolyma prison gold mine, but in special prison design bureau. Korolev was the designer in prison design bureau and he was not buried the dead prisoners. But in the movie Korolev worked as grave digger after 1940 (because jailer have shoulder straps on uniform). IMHO, the authors of movie have no profound knowledge about this part of the history and they can't to make interesting movies.

This mini-series was so riveting, I had to watch it several times in it's entirety to catch everything. I certainly wish that there were more docudramas like this. The portrayal of Sergei Korolev was, for lack of a better word, amazing. All production values, in my opinion, went above and beyond anything that I have seen on television in years. Yet, it is such a shame that the series ended with the Apollo 11 moon landing. Though, it would be interesting to see the development of the Space Shuttle, MIR, The Voyager Missions, Viking, Spacelab, and the I.S.S. as well as other Soviet and current Russian spacecraft documented in a continuation of this series. I found Space Race to be inspiring as well as aspiring for future generations to know that we can do anything, if we dare to dream.

This television series is probably the best ever written about the 'Space Race' by the Soviets and the Americans. I never know the full history behind the Soviets designer, Sergei Korolev. And after watching this it gives you the whole background knowledge you need ever. This is a series I would really recommend watching whether you are interested in Space or not as either way it is fulfilling. I liked the way that the actors playing Werner Von Braun and Sergei Korolev were precise and really made you think that it was really them. Although when you first learn about Space history all you learn about is the first man on the moon and I don't think that the Soviets really get a big a mention as the Americans as it was the Soviets who first got into Space as a start.This series takes you through from the first satellite into outer space to the landing of the first man on the moon. Great series I recommend it to anyone.