When Damien Chazelle said that she would make a film different from the story of astronaut Neil Armstrong, she was not joking. First Man is arguably the least exciting exploration of space films. We are very little shown by how cool the sophistication of technology is that is able to catapult humans into space. Not because he did not succeed, but because he did not try to do it. On the other hand, Chazelle succeeded in presenting an interesting new point of view from a story that we both knew finally.
Yep, Chazelle has succeeded in making us tensed to death even though we have been spoiled by History Lessons.
Astronaut activities may indeed be more sensational when viewed from the perspective of outsiders; massive-sized rockets, spectacular launches, then their splendor through the horizon has an extraordinary feel that is almost dreamlike. But sitting in the cockpit of the rocket in question, it turns out it's not as cool as it seems. What we will see are only panels, indicators, valves, knobs, etc., as well as a little gap in the glass where the light enters. But that does not mean that the experience felt less thrilling. It all feels more crazy. First Man shows a trip to outer space is not a spectacular event, but a tense action that risks life.
Chazelle made the film feel more real by cramming us into the dark and narrow cockpit with the astronauts. We are forced to see and feel what astronauts see and feel. The flashing lights, the rattling of the iron frame, and the great shock of the rocket's body made us almost suffer a heart attack. Almost all actions are restricted from inside the cockpit. We must use imagination, pay attention to the indicator lights, and listen to communication lines so we can know what is happening outside. The dangerous sensation feels more personal.
Not to mention the fact that these astronauts know their lives can fly anytime. Neil (Ryan Gosling) knows this better. The monumental moment of the moon landing in 1969 was obtained from a long process that sacrificed sweat, blood, and tears. Not a spoiler when I said that the Apollo 1 trial killed several of his colleagues, namely Ed White (Jason Clarke), Gus Grissom (Shea Whigham), and Roger B. Chaffee (Corey Michael Smith). That is a thing that is often forgotten because it is less boisterous to make memento. First Man thickens, circles, underlines, and gives him highlighter.
Neil himself has struggled with death since before becoming an astronaut. When he just registered with NASA, he just lost the princess because of the tumor. His first mission into space, almost drove him to Rahmatulloh. Then came the disaster that struck Apollo 1, which of course made Neil's wife, Janet (Claire Foy) furious. Janet was not opposed to what Neil was doing - he realized that it was the duty of the state - but he knew that this mission was very dangerous apart from any kind of NASA preparation.
This is Chazelle's third studio film, after stamping Oscar with Whiplash and then winning the cup two years later with La La Land. The film, in which he collaborated with Oscar-winning writer Josh Singer, showed his discipline. Chazelle chose one narrative perspective and consistently used that perspective to the end. There are several other issues that are also delicious to fry, such as first-time competitions with Russia or public and government rejection, but Chazelle is not tempted. In fact, he also seemed to have no intention of satisfying the audience who expected the space spectacle.
Make no mistake, the sequence of Apollo 11's departure and his landing on the moon are very unsightly. The selection of the shot was magnificent and made me gasp for a moment. But the main point remains an emotional journey. Ahead of the release of the film in general, there is controversy which is a matter of the absence of the moment of the American flag stuck on the moon. The real reason, according to Buzz Aldrin, is because this moment is not as dramatic and as realistic as we think (you can read the full article here). Chazelle's reason, I think, is because this film is not a matter of celebrating this great achievement, but rather a contemplation of sacrifice to achieve this great achievement.
"Well, with all the praise above, why do I only give a score of 3.5?" you might ask. For those who are familiar with me, of course I know that the rating that I gave is not a good quality of the film (yeah, I'm still too dregs to judge the film), but the degree of how excited I recommend it to you. I can imagine there are many spectators who will be disappointed to wait for the peak moment when Neil walks on the moon and utters a popular sentence, "One small step of man, one big leap for humanity".
Neil Armstrong is not a typical main star. What is really that is Buzz Aldrin (Corey Stoll) who is charismatic and very outspoken. Armstrong is a quiet man who prefers to harbor emotions, as well played by Ryan Gosling. In real life, after returning from the Apollo 11 mission, Armstrong chose to stay away from publication by living in solitude. This characteristic makes it difficult to understand. We know what motivates Neil, but his emotional tone is too restrained. This film gave us a chance to peek a little more about Neil's personal matter, but in the end I still didn't know Neil more deeply.
I admire how the First Person who chose to take an intimate approach, focused on the human aspect of busy presenting the frenzy outside his space (there are films that are superior in that regard, for example Apollo 13 and Gravity). I would rather enjoy digesting the ideas it offers than enjoying watching the film itself. I, I know this is very suitable to know how many levels can be done by Neil Armstrong et al through this film. And for that, I feel a little guilty.