Title: In The Shadow of the Moon Director: David Sington, Christopher Riley Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Studio: Think Film Genre(s): Documentary Rated:       (For mild language, brief violent images and incidental smoking)   Buy From Amazon.com: DVD / Soundtrack /

CONSUMER ADVICE

Parents, there is nothing in here that would be offensive for children. Recommended for all ages.

They say the sixties was the period of American innocense. However I like to consider it as the period of imagination. A time when people dared to dream the impossible. A time where everyone dreamed of what wonders the future holds, and what was above the sky seemed out of reach. “In The Shadow of the Moon” is a documentary that does what few documentaries do these days: It effectively brings us back to that time of innocense and wonder. Only nine men have ever walked on the moon, and fewer are alive to talk about it. Instead of doing a bunch of research and hiring a popular actor to narrate the historical event that was the first trip to the moon, “In The Shadow of the Moon” instead finds many of the astronauts who served on Apollo missions to share their views on what it was like to be on top of the world for a few pivotal years in history.

As one astronaut points out, “politically going to space was about beating the Russians. Personally going to space was about being part of something bigger then yourself. Something special.” And for two hours, the audience is part of that special something these men are talking about. Listening to these old men is a fascinating experience in itself. While I’ve heard scientists and analysts talk about the moon, its shape, it’s effects it has on Earth, and all that other crap, there is something different about listening to a man talk about actually taking his first steps on the moon. To hear an astronaut say with excitement “the moon has powder on it” is like a personal glimpse of something we may never touch in our lives. After watching “In The Shadow of the Moon” I got lost in my thoughts on the way home.

When I was younger I wanted to be an astronaut. That’s never going to work out now, but the point is I was very interested in space at one time in my life. I have much respect for NASA, but the sad reality of the fact is that no one really pays attention to NASA’s achievements anymore (unless there is a disaster of course). It seems people don’t really care about the moon much anymore. Or space. Or the possibility of reaching farther then you’ve ever reached before. What do we concern ourselves with more? What new conveniences the internet will bring us? Please. I also want to point out that while a trip to the moon may sound trivial to people today, back when we first landed on the moon the country was all with us. It was not the American’s who landed on the moon, or the American’s that succeeded, but mankind succeeded in this wonderful thing.

We get glimpses of people in Japan, Mexico, Africa, Canada, everyone in the world was watching Lance Armstrong take his first steps on the moon and say one of histories most famous lines ever. The landing on the moon was so historic, that even baseball games were interrupted to announce that we had successfully landed on the moon. It was the last moment in time where it felt like the world was united as one. The last time the imagination of the world had flown so high. It was the last time we were so innocent. This movie is presented by Ron Howard, the man who brought us “Apollo 13,” one of the best movies about space travel. Like the aforementioned film, it’s our blessing that he made this film. This is one of the best films of the year.