First Man: Perspective ✨
I’m frantically typing this on an 11.30 PM ride through London in order to not forget any of my thoughts on the film after my second viewing.
(This is not a review, analysis or synopsis; I just want to talk about this particular section in Neil Armstrong’s life told through my favourite medium.)
I loved First Man at my initial viewing but upon watching it again, I adored it in a different way.
It includes three elements that I’m a major fan and supporter of; space, Damien Chazelle and Ryan Gosling. I can easily say that Chazelle’s third feature is once again a 10 out of 10 for me and is definitely going in my second The Favourites list. Gosling’s quiet and intense demeanour returns and well, if you know me, anything to do with space I’m pretty much interested.
So, some thoughts.
The reason why I stated I adored this film in a different way the second time round is because I was emotional and anxious. My head was spinning more this time for some reason and I was genuinely nauseous (FYI I was already feeling this way before getting to the cinema).
I absolutely love Thrillers and complex storylines to the point that I sometimes forget realistic dramas can be just as effective. First Man forced me to enjoy the film for what it was rather than looking for a twist and hidden themes. This is just a really good depiction and perspective of a real life story — a viewpoint if you will. I found it tense and strong in a similar style to Dunkirk (another film I surprisedly enjoyed very much).
It is intimate in an invasive manner with plenty of extreme close ups and over the shoulder shots — I felt claustrophobic in the family scenes as well as inside the rocket. You are constantly shown parts, whether it was Armstrong’s hands or the rocket’s confusing machinery; the subtle details are necessary. The handheld camera look and feel suited the direction because it aided the disorientating nature of the lives in the film and us watching it as observers. It wasn’t like a documentary but more like we were one of the background characters following people around and always close to what was going on. The camera lens constantly switching in and out of focus was a choice that I believe made the film more organic. Alternatively when it came to the space scenery, the imagery was precise, perfect and sharp. I have always found this bewildering because I am used to seeing a stylistic grain or detail in everything but space has to have its own visual language (especially in a film like this) to be accurate — anything floating in nothingness will look peculiar to us at first but its a contrast that exists. That perfection accompanied by piercing silence after an overwhelming sound near the end of the film was a fascinating occasion I found difficult to comprehend but it did move me; I literally felt like the film sucked me in at that point.
Visually aside from the technical framing, darkness, shadows and silhouettes take over the majority of the picture. It is not only a theme but also a reality of what is going on in the story. With a blueish greyscale for Armstrong’s workplace but a faint warmth when at home I don’t immediately recognise a strict colour palette because naturally, the colours interchange.
From the very little that I know, I think it can be hard to make a captivating film for mass audiences that is based on a true story without adding a fictional touch. This is when the director’s role may be highlighted even more with pressure and responsibility. Chazelle wrote and directed Whiplash and La La Land but with First Man, I believe he had to approach the task at a different and interesting angle to his previous features however I sensed rather than physically saw a lot of similarities within this film e.g the slight jazz/romantic soundtrack was one of them which I really appreciated but also, the last scenes standing out on their own in a phenomenal or important character arc way. This is where all my emotions kind of became overwhelming and I was memorised therefore on each occasion left humbled yet feeling adventurous. In the world we currently live in, space is a common location amongst our entertainment so we can forget how bizarre, terrifying and difficult it is to actually embark on such a task and to be honest how wild it is.
So watch the film in the cinema if you can. Learn something. Appreciate the artistry on all levels. Immerse yourself.
When you have been given a mission, normality becomes distant.
🚀
