Review of From the Earth to the Moon

I have seen this many times now, but it never fails to move me to tears. The passion and love that was put into the making of this series is evident in every single scene. The story isn't simple told; each episode invites the viewer into the story, using black and white photography, news reports, hand-held camera, grainy 60s style film, voice-over, music, SFX .. it exploits every film innovation possible. But even without that, it would still work perfectly, because each story is framed as a personal journey and told through human eyes. It reminds me of a quote in the series, about the reasons for sending a human being to the moon: "Only a man is capable of comprehending the moon in terms understandable to other men." This principle is applied to the series itself, allowing us to comprehend the reality of the journey by showing it to us through the eyes of other human beings. There are many awe-inspiring moments, but my favourite would have to be the end of '1968', the sequence starting from the astronauts seeing the earth rise over the moon to "You saved 1968." The first moon landing and leaving the moon for the last time are also very moving. Overall, it's incredible, from start to finish.