First Man: Damien Chazelle's exploration of the lunar mission inspires with caution

Damien Chazelle is a man known for his work on movies that portray the vibrancy of art. His Oscar-winning feature is a film that revolves around a star-crossed love story between two artists. The most recent film he made was a chronicle of the landscape of filmmaking from decades ago. He even debuted with a tense thriller about the cost of being great in an art form. These are all films that revolve around the pain and glory in the creation of art; immaculate portraits of the tumultuous journey one has to undergo to excel in fields unbeknownst to margins of success. In the midst of this rather unconventional filmography lies an even more bafflingly audacious entry. With First Man, Chazelle attempted to tell the story of the first man to make it to the moon: an engineer who defied all the bounds put on man to reach beyond the skies. A story so wrapped up in complex mathematics and quite literally, Rocket Science. This is a film that feels the farthest from the filmmaking language in which Chazelle is so fluent. Yet, this incredible film managed to defy all the shackles put on this artist to show what he is truly capable of. It made us all ask a question subconsciously: What is science if not the symphony of knowledge, education, and sheer brilliance? It suggests that it is art to be able to put perfectly together and maneuver aircrafts to make it to where no man has even thought of going. Science is an art form, and those that are brilliant at it are fueled by creative vision and unbreakable spirit, much like those of artists.

First and foremost, First Man is able to pull off a really complex task. It is able to humanize its main character without having to resort to showcasing his flaws. Human beings are complex, but it doesn't have to be their flaws that make them so. In this case, Neil's undying commitment to the success of the mission is a character trait that gets stronger as the film goes on. It is this very dedication that contributes to the detriment of his relationships. We watch the mission crumble with each passing minute and his resolve get stronger simultaneously. It hinders his ability to actively participate in any relationships in his life. This causes him to look like a real person rather than a portrait of a genius. His problems don't seem superficial but very acceptable and real. It is also these relationships that act as a catalyst for the human drama that evolves simultaneously alongside the main plot. These two aspects combine to make this a story about a man who made it to the moon rather than a distant story of a genius mapping the lunar journey.

Another incredible feat achieved by this film is its ability to make the known feel tense, taut, and thrilling. It is the stuff of genius to make a story as famous as the moon landing feel compelling for a long duration. The goal that all characters are aspiring to reach is to land on the moon, a mission whose success is almost textbook knowledge. To tell a tale of the minds that made history is tough because the narrative cannot build up to a tense climactic sequence as the outcome is known by many. Instead, First Man pitches the story's tension right in the making of the mission. It plants the story as a race against time and fate. We are to witness the horrible conditions in which they made the journey beyond the stars. The political pressure building up on the characters is a major addition to this feeling. The people witnessing the spend on resources required to make this trip feel like it is almost vanity. The sheer amount of mishaps cause panic and pandemonium. The viewers are almost asked to evaluate the price of failure, and it dramatically rises each time there is one. This take becomes interesting from that point on as it probes into the curiosity of the difficulty of the task that was achieved, rather than celebrating the victory that came through. Every single moment with complex jargon and lines of exposition feel earned with this constant feeling of fascination that the makers are able to imbibe in the viewers.

Ryan Gosling's portrayal of Neil Armstrong is also crucial to the film's successful storytelling. His stoic demeanor always lets the emotions peek through, almost giving us the feeling that he is actively trying to hide them. For a film that opens with the death of his child, the weight is carried throughout, and the hidden emotions make each passing scene feel heavier. His slow descent into obsession with success is treated with the complexity it deserves. It is never a glorified representation, and Gosling treats it as such. He brings the much-needed grit and determination while not trading it for subtlety and emotion. His portrayal is key to us understanding the man behind the genius, which is achieved through a multilayered performance that clearly portrays the arc behind it. The other standout performance is Claire Foy as Neil's wife Janet. It is through her character that we understand the cost of the emotional and physical distance being built between Neil and the people in his life. We see her fear for what is to come with each development as they are always rushed through tragedies. It is a performance that is meant to emphasize the toll taken by working on the mission, and Claire Foy's performance is able to do more than that. She brings glory to her character and justifies all the actions that she takes. Combined, these two actors put on a show that makes this story worth watching and experiencing even though the outcome is well known.

First Man is an incredibly inspiring and rousing cinematic piece about one of the hardest expeditions man has ever been through. It portrays all that it took to make it a successful mission and emphasizes the need for it. Its most distinguishing aspect is its ability to keep the narrative heavy and depressing to explicitly depict the weight that it took on those involved in it, while simultaneously being inspiring when they made it. It features jaw-droppingly stunning cinematography by Linus Sandgren. The camera is able to find beauty in science labs and closed rooms while also finding loneliness on the surface of the moon. It also shows us the tight spaces in which these astronauts have to reside to make it where they want to go. The score by Justin Hurwitz is all sorts of stunning. It uses various instruments to showcase both triumph and loss. A particular piece, "The Landing," is used alongside the aforementioned landing, and it accentuates the sequence multiple folds. First Man is a story about a great mind and an even greater voyage. To achieve a journey to the moon back in 1960 was no simple task, and First Man does more than a good job at showcasing what it took to make it. Watch it for a depiction of all that can be achieved through determination, while also keeping in mind the toll it takes. It is proof of the power of the human mind, and the storytelling is immaculate. Chazelle proves himself to be an extraordinary director with the capacity to make the mundane feel exciting. It is a contemporary piece that is a well-made document of the past and has to be seen for the same. If not for anything, watch it for the score by Justin Hurwitz and be stunned by what his work is able to do in the most ordinary of circumstances.