For All Mankind

I saw this film at a very, very young age and I suspect that it is the reason I developed a heavy interest in space exploration. I recently saw this again for the first time in many years since all I had was a vague recollection of it. And after watching many times since then I have no problem saying that this is one of the best documentaries ever made.

One must give the film's director, Al Reinert, at a ton of credit for his work. Who else could have come up with the brilliant notion behind this film? Who would have thought of taking footage from all of the Apollo missions (and a couple of the Gemini missions) and combining them with the words of the men who went where no one had (or has since) gone before? (Apologies for paraphrasing Star Trek) The genius of this film is that it shuns away from traditional documentary styling. Instead of compiling facts on one mission and having a well known actor/actress do the narration, the film lets those who went tell the story. Who else is better qualified? They might not be professional actors, but the astronauts don't need to be. It is the power of the events they describe that is the main reason for their presence. They are a powerful voice in this story.

In many reviews I have read, I have seen complaints about the mixing of footage or the use of footage out of its context (a Gemini reentry used for the TLI burn for example). Yes the mixing is nowhere near subtle and is, thus, blatantly obvious. But it is my feeling that this mixing was necessary. The only way to get across the story of Apollo's achievement to the average person was to mix the footage. Does it really matter in the end? I mean by that this: the film isn't about a single mission to the Moon. No, the power of Apollo lies not in each mission, but in the overall effect of the Apollo program. This film is about the journey of Apollo, the effect in had on the astronauts, and the effect it had on us all.

If there is one element of this film that really stayed with men it was the music. It is among the most beautiful and haunting things you will ever here. Brian Eno does a marvelous job of conveying the mystery and majesty of both space and the Moon. This is one of those scores who really have to hear to believe.

For All Mankind, perhaps better then anything else out there, demonstrates the power of humanity in space. For one to really appreciate this film it needs to be seen on a large screen in surround sound. Only then can one appreciate both the film and the power of the Apollo legacy. This is the first film I've seen that I recommend to everyone. This is a film that is truly "For All Mankind".

This film is a retelling of arguably one of the greatest achievements of the human race. In summer 1969, on a bright sunny morning, a group of astronauts led by commander Neil Armstrong climbed into the Saturn V rocket ready for its first flight. Not even 70 years had passed since planes had been invented. About 1 million people had gathered at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to witness the once in a lifetime event, and millions more watched the entire thing on television. This film attempts to recapture some of that excitement that must have been everywhere on that day. It features interviews with the people who were brave enough to leave Earth in order to visit a place that has always watched over humanity, quite literally. At some points, it feels almost like a horror movie because nobody in the rocket or back on Earth knew if the thing would just blow up in flight for no reason, and the inside of the rocket module looks incredibly small. One of the astronauts says how strange of an experience it was and how going to the moon isn't like travelling to any other place, because when you travel somewhere, you have various landmarks to tell how far you got. On the moon mission, he says you leave Earth, pass an unimaginably large area of absolutely nothing for a few days, and suddenly, you're at the moon. There is nothing in between. The fact that the moon is only about a quarter of a million miles from Earth while stars are so far away you couldn't reach them even if you travelled your whole life makes it even more daunting. After the module lands on the surface, Neil says his famous line, and we see more very impressive shots of what the surface of the moon looks like. It has a depressing feel to it because the only colors are gray and black, but at the same time, it has a triumphant feel. The moon has been waiting thousands of years for people to go there, and the men reflect this by saying even though they knew they might not come back, they felt at home there. The soundtrack for this movie also gives it a sad feel that makes you realize how vast and empty space is. They show many things that seem unbelievable, even to experienced astronauts, such as small dots of light on the African continent (they're actually fires started by tribes), and having their food float in zero gravity when they're trying to eat. This is something that everyone should see at least once, because it discusses one of humanity's biggest accomplishments. To this day it's strange to think it was done in the 60s. Not many people have been to space, so you will be amazed watching this.

Most of this NASA footage is not what you've been able to see on the news but footage that shows more of the humanity and introspective moments that happen in the midst of the spectacular. Extended moments of them approaching the moon before the Eagle lands and the astronauts describing what it's like walking on the moon and as they explore and try to take a moment stop and simply ponder being on the Moon. A must see for any space fan.

This was effective for this viewer. Usually what that means in cases like this is that it made me cry.

The hook is that it reviews its subject through the eyes of the astronauts. I was wary of this. I got involved in the program later, during the beginning of the shuttle era and even then the astronauts were pretty much there only to have been taken there. They were chosen — some of them — for how good they looked on newsprint.

The magic of the program and its heroes were a few visionaries and an army of competent engineers.

Yet it was effective because we see the story through the eyes of witnesses. There role here is simply as witness, and if you were alive during this time, you will be impressed at how it affects you.

There were all sorts of paths that could have been followed in this. The quest of man to explore; the mysteries of the unknown; the vast game being played by two enemies to demonstrate superiority of ideology; the hidden weapons programs.

They cover all these slightly except that last, and that's excusable because these witnesses saw none of that. But the story that dominates is the Kennedy one. Its hard to imagine today, but we loved our president and he deserved it. He was intelligent and articulate. His advisers came off not as louts or bullies, but men (and a few women) smart enough for difficult times. He was the Peace Corps president.

Kennedy promised to go to the moon and return without consulting anyone at NASA, and riding on the crest of a national enthusiasm for science and hardware. The nation really was engaged. And then he was killed, and with our rising self-doubt (Vietnam, race) we decided that as a people we owed it to him, or what he stood for. So when it happened, and the world watched, re affirmed the man and what he stood for. It was a good feeling, not pride as much as wonder about who we discovered ourselves to be.

This will evoke that same feeling again, the original tears, followed by tears of disappointment at the massive collapse of esteem which followed. A serious of botched opportunities to be worthy of the accomplishment.

Its an effective documentary in that regard, all the more so since everything was designed to be photographed, and was. If you really want to learn of this program, you need to go elsewhere, But this delivers on the promise.

Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.

I taped this off British TV in 1989 or 1990, and could never understand why nobody I speak to has ever heard of it! Even real space enthusiasts have not seen or heard of this wonderful film. Even today it remains unavailable on DVD except in the USA (buy an import from Amazon, well worth it!).

Quite simply there is no better way to tell the story of such a unique and special journey than in the words of those who undertook it. Here we have the live radio transmissions between the astronauts and Houston, reminiscences from the astronauts a decade or so after and no interference from any professional actor/narrator. There is footage even the most obsessed space enthusiast will not have seen, especially the 8mm film shot by the astronauts themselves.

This film presents, in a mere 80 minutes, the story of the Apollo missions from pre-launch preparations though the journey, their time on the surface of the moon to the take-off from the moon and safe return to earth. The views are as majestic as any on the earth, all accompanied by soft and appropriately ethereal music.

Why this hidden gem of a film is not constantly being broadcast on a documentary channel or even entertainment stations is totally beyond me - and also beyond those I have shared the DVD with. Seek out this film and watch it. As a friend said to me, "why is it we can walk into any shop and buy row upon row of rubbish and we cannot buy this, which shows a real achievement of mankind".