What Does 'First Man' Get Right? | Ars Technica

Damien Chazelle's newest film, "First Man," is about the life of Neil Armstrong and his legendary journey to the moon. Ars Techinca's Sam Machkovech takes a closer look at the picture and focuses on the things the film does, and doesn't, tell us.

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What Does "First Man" Get Right? | Ars Technica

[cleverusername]

I just gotta air my one gripe with the commentary here (great video, btw) but I feel like it's inaccurate to say that Neil Armstrong was first and foremost a test pilot, I think he'd say first and foremost he was an engineer who happened to also be a great pilot

[TheGodEmperorOfMankind_]

Neil Armstrong in this movie is a real human bean and a real hero.

[TheWolfgangGrimmer]

Hollywood tends to be quite bad at "cradle to grave" type stories. Focusing on a smaller period of time was probably the wise decision.

[minilabyrinth]

The only thing wrong with this movie is how it insists on CONSTANT nonstop shaky cam footage technique, especially motion-sick inducing when it's extreme zoom-ins to the actors faces

[flywheelrecords]

They also left out his ejection from an F9F Panther jet as a fighter pilot in Korea. A situation that could have been a stand alone movie all by itself, completely left out of this story.

[mladenp]

Clear voice, easy narrative... Sam, you are great at videos! Much better then many, many popular YouTubers with their squeaky moments and scenarios jumping all over the place. Btw, red really suits you here! Can't imagine how would you look like in brighter lighting 😃

[daffidavit]

Guys, even the film made it clear that "Gemini" was pronounced "Gem en In proper parlance "Gem en eye" would be appropriate. But back in the day, the mission was pronounced "Gem en eee". Even Ryan Gosling makes this clear in one of his interviews in front of the VAB at the Cape. See time stamp 2:45 above.

[kdmigloo]

I saw the first movie in 1969, I was 8. I cant wait to see the remake. Remakes have a hard time equaling the original movie, wonder if there will be a third?

[tonybmw]

I thought it looked brilliant in terms of the visuals, set design and the feel, but I did feel let down by Goslings rather two dimensional portrayal of an incredibly complex and contradictory man. I felt the screenplay perhaps over simplified things just a little too much for my tastes. That said if it does not win an Oscar or two for the effects and production then it will have to be something very special to beat it. Looking forwards to seeing it again in Imax this time next week though.

[Pivmaxar]

Good Review.  At 5:15 you mentioned the films The Right Stuff & Apollo 11.  Did you mean to say Apollo 13?

[daffidavit]

It's now a month since I saw the movie on the day it came out, on IMAX as well. I have to give some credit to the way this movie was analyzed by Ars Technica. After thinking about the movie and watching and re-watching this analysis, I have to give due credit to this movie review. I'm going see this movie again after it is release from the movie theaters. Maybe I'll have learned something after watching it the first time. I usually do.

[Copain]

I feel like half this video is "why wasn't the film 15 hours long going over more info!?"

well..

[CloudCellC]

I was suprised when I saw this video in my subscription box.

[ChrisJS]

Did anyone notice that the panels in the various space craft looked filthy? As did the white room leading to the apollo capsules. Whenever I've seen documentary footage they always look pristine.

[sandyb]

You are so incorrect when it comes to Armstrong's first words on the moon. Armstrong has admitted that he did indeed leave out the "a". In fact, when admitting his error, he commented that he hoped history would give him a "pass" on this issue and realize that "a" was inferred.

[ratansingh]

I saw it yesterday, there are loopholes in this film, but still the visuals are very very realistic

[slordmo]

A pretty comprehensive review.... just my 2 cents, just saw the movie, in a local theatre, on it's way out, in the smallest theatre they have, but it was packed, I was shocked...so anyway, it's a 'different' film alright... maybe the director is 'trying' to be another 'Kubrick' just using visuals and virtually no dialogue... I will admit, most of the 'test flight' scenes seemed to be where Armstrong had some kind of problem....and made him seem like a error prone pilot.... (the ole 'moon hoaxers' probably like that).... but I think it was trying to show, that whatever happened to him, he could pull it out-of-the-fire with a cool head, and quick thinking. And I also think that's why he got the 1st actual try for the landing, (even though the standard NASA line is that they were all in the flight rotation) He and Buzz (being the Dr. Orbital Engineer)... would give the best chance to be successful... the 1st time. Can't say I liked the ending...but it was about Armstrong, not the flag, not the parade.... not the 'glory'....but a 'personal' glory.

[JohnLenardWalson]

amazing First Man - In Theaters October 12

[dannyh]

Well it got the difficulty planting the flag right! In fact, it was so difficult for the director he didnt show it! HAHAHAHA

[vancouveride]

Emotionless two dimensional portrayals. Can you imagine suiting up to go to the moon and not getting a little excited? The whole movie was like an extended funeral. Literally nothing for the astronauts to do other than stick handling on docking and landing. The rest of the time they sit silently staring off camera as if contemplating their imminent demise. Then the stupid squeaky Das Boot sounding doors to try and instil in us that the technology was poor, when in fact it was more than adequate to get to the Moon. Then the absurd amount of shaking in every flight sequence, even entering the upper atmosphere in the ultimate high wing load X-15 results in enough shaking to cause a brain bleed.

This movie says a lot about us in the 21st century. Apparently space flight is an impossible and deadly endeavour that should be avoided at all costs. We want to believe that's why we don't do space travel any more, not because we have collectively failed to live up to the generation before us like soft sad meek generation that we are.