For All Mankind - Criterion Collection
 | Directed by Al Reinert Starring: Jim Lovell, Kenneth Mattingly, Russell Schweickart, Eugene Cernan, Michael Collins Criterion, 1989, DVD Customer Rating: 63 reviews Recommend |
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In July 1969, the space race ended when Apollo 11 fulfilled President Kennedy's challenge of "landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth." No one who witnessed the lunar landing will ever forget it. Breathtaking both in the scope of its vision and the exhilaration of the human emotions it captures, For All Mankind is the story of the 24 men who traveled to the Moon-told in their words, in their voices, using the images of their experiences. Criterion is proud to present Al Reinert's award-winning documentary in a new special edition.
And you thought Titanic was pricey — this dazzling documentary comes courtesy of the hundreds of millions of dollars NASA spent on moon shots, ethereally gorgeous footage that had never been seen until journalist Al Reinert, who had covered NASA for magazines prior to this film, got his hands on it. (Reinert subsequently coscripted Ron Howard's acclaimed Apollo 13.)
Reinert sifted through 6 million feet of film footage and 80 hours of interviews with astronauts, which serve as humble voice-overs for the lyrical imagery, and he assembled all this into a unique experience which was nominated for a Best Documentary Oscar. Brian Eno's lovely, atmospheric score evokes the sense of peace the astronauts say they felt while floating through space; the film's spiritual quality is as affecting as its breathtaking visuals. "There was a great deal of difficulty paying attention to what our job was," admits one astronaut, and you can see why.
A major caveat — while this is mind-blowing on the big screen, it may be less impressive on your TV. Or, you can simply sit up real close. Who would've guessed that NASA was also a training ground for cinematographers? — David Kronke
Title: For All Mankind - Criterion Collection
Sales Rank: 35371 in DVD
Actor: Jim Lovell, Kenneth Mattingly, Russell Schweickart, Eugene Cernan, Michael Collins
Director: Al Reinert
Studio: Criterion, 2000-02-15, Theatrical Release: 1989-11-01
Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Special Edition, NTSC, Acpect Ratio 1.33:1
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled)
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Region Code: 1
Running Time: 80 minutes
Package Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches, 0.2 pounds
- Into Space and Beyond!
- "For All Mankind" is a beautiful documentary about space exploration. Instead of the usual technical details,it's about the astronauts' spiritual experiences. It has the Gemini and Apollo missions. It's an inspiring movie.
"For All Mankind" takes on an otherworldly dimension with the music of Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. Its depiction of the lunar missions is surreal, dreamlike. Brian… More reviews
- Mismash of editing detracts from the film
- As far as must see's go, this is one of them, however, any student of Apollo will find the mixing and matching of audio to video distracting if not down right annoying. I understand the intent of trying to tell a story and wrap it all up, but the effect is to dumb down the history and I simply couldn't get past that. The worst is the… More reviews
- a really unique film
- This is a great piece of work in that it trancends the usual limitations of the documentary format. Rather than a dry linear presentation of the facts, we are given the images and the words of the participants. What is created is the impression of the greatness of the achievement. This is a work that leaves the viewer understanding why this was important in a way that none… More reviews
- Disjointed presentation was a disappointment
- I found this video to be a disappointment. It contains video clips from the Apollo missions. There are clips from inside the spacecraft, from spacecraft to spacecraft, on the surface of the moon, of the astronauts preparing to enter the spacecraft at Cape Canaveral and from the mission control center in Houston. The problem is that the clips are disjointed, unless you are… More reviews
- This is a must have
- If you have a collection of DVD's and you don't have this one, then your collection is incomplete. This is one of the best sudo documentaries ever made. Some of the footage is incorrect and the sequencing is wrong, but it doesn't matter. This is cinematic art at it's best. Capturing a feeling and conveying it to an audience.
I've watched it about 5 times and it still… More reviews
