APOLLO 11: A Visually Outstanding Piece Of Filmmaking

Apollo 11 is directed by famed documentarian Todd Douglas Miller, known for his enlightening and critically acclaimed documentary features of Dinosaur 13 and The Last Steps, released in 2014 and 2016 respectively. Apollo 11 – Miller’s latest – follows the three famed American NASA astronauts Micheal Collins, Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong in their preparation, execution and return quest in the monumental expedition of landing on the moon, in the pulsating story of the Apollo 11 space flight on July 16th 1969.

Director Todd Douglas Miller is no stranger to the extraordinary achievement of space exploration. The Last Steps, his previous entry, follows the final lunar mission launched by NASA in 1972, so what a more poignant and cyclical narrative in its fiftieth anniversary than to explore in staggering detail where it all started in the dawn of American space exploration.

Apollo 11 is a visually outstanding and remarkably visceral piece of filmmaking that pieces the much fragmented and daunting narrative together with beautifully restored footage from the expedition, ultimately crafting a compelling timeline of events during, before and after the colossal defining mission to the moon with a resulting picture that is an utterly majestic and breathtaking piece of exceptional absorbing cinema.

A Vibrant Vivid Eye

What makes Apollo 11 so compelling and captivating is the sheer magnitude and scale caught in this gargantuan, daunting voyage to the moon courtesy of NASA and CNN who supply such immense material. The remarkable footage captured with numerous cameras set up that range from a slow tension kindled build up of the launch pad being constructed, with the packed out crowds to the breathtaking in-camera footage captured by the trio of Astronauts Armstrong, Aldrin and Michael Collins. All three are credited with their glorious use of the camera inside the capsule and eventually the stunning lunar surface that rivals that of Damien Chazelle’s First Man pitching an exceptional double bill of mankind’s proud achievement of landing man on the moon.

The sheer scope caught in the break-a-way of the shuttle, for example, is quite frankly astonishing to watch occur. You’re watching something so fantastic and unbelievable you slowly begin to doubt and ignore you’re watching a documented narrative, questioning if what you’re seeing is even reality on a highly documented event in the history of mankind. That’s how cinematic and astonishing this picture is crafted – it’s utterly unbelievable to comprehend the instances of seismic images presented in such clarity and restoration. Utilised to convey a truly mind-blowing experience from start to finish.

The sheer amount of astonishing footage available to take in and absorb is often far too overwhelming to consume to the simple naive eye. It takes your breath away in a matter of seconds and undoubtedly is a feature that needs multiple re-watches to truly absorb and appreciate the staggering events that occur. However, this NEEDS to be witnessed in glorious IMAX format at your local cineplex. The 1.90:1 composition is staggering to see on screen. It commands your total complete attention and devotion with superb orchestrated framing to display such visceral abstract imagery in mammoth stunning quality.

A Thunderous Score

Apollo 11 manages to match a phenomenal score by Matt Morton with a perfect evocative edit from Todd Douglas Miller, resulting in an atmospheric tension that is cataclysmic in scope with weighted poignant benevolence. The score is thunderous with electronic tones. A superb blend of echoing science fiction with a pulsating techno underbelly that results in a compelling piece of cinematic embellishment to the footage it overplays. The emotion it evokes is almost traumatising to the viewer. It encapsulates such a sense of triumph as well as nervous energy with a staggeringly overpowering conviction.

The sound by Eric Milano is perfectly synched to harness its audience’s heartbeat, subconsciously or not it takes you on this daunting journey in perfect synch to your disposition and when this picture ramps up to showcase the intensity it has hidden, be prepared to stay afloat in a pool of your own sweat.

The edit by Todd Douglas Miller is the centrepiece of what makes Apollo 11 that more captivating and exceptional from your average compelling and informative documentary. It has a melding of perfect pace ranging from frantic, stoic to poignant resonation in an instance. It is exemplary and transcends the narrative into something so engulfing and mesmerizing it is hard to articulate a clear and resounding response to how awe-inspiring and jaw-dropping, exhilarating this journey is.

The sheer amount of footage, as stated above, is in abundance and the urge to skim through it and make a montage of sorts would’ve been a virtue so easily probed but the restraint and patience Miller showcases here is nothing short of masterful. The ability to sidestep indulgence and weight patience into the film to allow the audience to absorb is a potent attribute that allows the hypnotic story to take centre stage with a level headed approach, to simply glide it to its destination and soak up its own stunning achievement.

Apollo 11: A Colossal Picture

As the seconds to lift off slip away into the abyss and the time comes for fear to be reserved and defied, life hastens in small fragments of time leading up to this defining moment absorbed in a fleeting montage of responsibility and acceptance. It’s only then that history can be conquered and the weight of what approaches beckons. For ninety minutes Todd Douglas Miller puts you in that claustrophobic suit. In the intense control room at Kennedy Space Centre. On the scorching Merrit Island watching liftoff. Inside the cramped Saturn V. On the wide-reaching grey sea of tranquillity where no man has stepped before.

To be a welder, an engineer or a designer and see that craft what you built with your bare hands travel to the furthest corners of man for eight long days. To see that tiny blue dot of what we call home so far away in the distance and make us feel so insignificant yet the weight of an achievement promised eight years previously by President John F. Kennedy of mastering an achievement that will define our species for the rest of eternity.

Have you seen Apollo 11 yet? Does it capture the wonder and awe us such a remarkable historical achievement? Let us know in the comments below!

Apollo 11 was released in US theaters on March 8, 2019. For all international release dates, see here.