As NASA astronaut and Navy Captain Eugene “Gene” Cernan left the final footprints of the great space race on the surface of the Moon in December 1972 his legacy was crystalised in the amber of human achievements. An epic tale of perseverance, pride and personal sacrifice, The Last Man on the Moon follows Cernan’s journey from youth, to the Navy, NASA, the Moon and beyond.
Utilising a balance of original footage, digital reconstructions and contemporary interviews with former astronauts and NASA directors, director Mark Craig tells this uniquely fascinating account of a man who has done what only eleven other people have managed in the history of our civilization. There’s poetry to Cernan’s recollection of his time among the heavens, and a bittersweet realization that lives were lost in man’s pursuit of staking its claim on our solitary satellite.
Adding to the emotional resonance of this documentary is a striking score from film and video game composer Lorne Balfe. His use of powerful motifs along with the otherworldly sound design and remarkable cinematography make for an immersive aesthetic. Whereas 2007 doc The Wonder Of It All gave a wider narrative from the Apollo Programme, and Ron Howard’s feature Apollo 13 showed a Hollywood-style dramatization of an infamous misadventure, here we are given a far more intimate exposure of a man who fulfilled the fantasy of every wide-eyed, would-be explorer who’s looked up to the night sky and pondered.
Director Mark Craig captures wonderful moments as the contemplative Cernan recounts his life’s peaks and troughs. This is clearly a man who has spent the majority of his life since his career as an astronaut, as an orator. His tone and patter are amiable, grounding and humanizing a figure that, in his twilight years, remains an ambassador for those of us who truly dream big.
Between 1968 and 1972, twelve people journeyed to the Moon. The United States went to great lengths in order to accomplish what seemed like the impossible only moments earlier. After the romanticized accounts in this documentary it boggles the mind that we haven’t returned since.
****
The Last Man on the Moon is in cinemas from 8 April with a special Nationwide Live Q&A with Captain Eugene Cernan on 11 April only.
http://thelastmanonthemoon.com
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