Ryan Gosling is that megastar of Hollywood who has proved his versatility in his work time and again. One of his best projects to date is a 2018 film, First Man. It’s a biographical film based on Neil Armstrong, the first human to walk on the moon.
Apart from everything else, the best thing about the film is that it was directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Damien Chazelle. During an interview, the director discussed his vision of his space epic. The film was a massive hit, both commercially and critically.
What persuaded Damien Chazelle to make a space film
The 2018 film, First Man featuring Ryan Gosling narrated the story of Neil Armstrong, who created history by being the first person to step onto the moon. Directed by Damien Chazelle, the film depicted an epic space journey, that reflected on the intricacies of Armstrong’s landing on the moon. During an interview with Indie Wire, Chazelle shared what coaxed him to make a space film.
Considering Chazelle’s resume, it can be said that he is a diverse filmmaker who has almost covered every genre. Among his various incredible films, his 2018 film was called a masterpiece for its ultimate cinematic space experience.
Interestingly, Chazelle wasn’t always inclined to make a space film, but with films like Apollo 13 and The Right Stuff, he was intrigued to try his hands on a space flick. During an interview with Indie Wire Chazelle said that previous space films never explained “how fragile and precarious and dangerous this was.” The director further explained his vision of the film. He said,
“I imagined putting myself on top of a missile waiting for launch. I wanted to try to capture that. This is a story of extremes: going to the moon, as far as any human has gone from Earth, the biggest cosmic journey in history, and then they’re making breakfast for their kids, figuring out how to make dinner for their friends, doing jigsaw puzzles, little family details that I found poignant.
They tried to balance normalcy with most unnormal things ever. They didn’t think of themselves as walking around making history. In a way, it became routine in this little bubble of Houston. For me at least, it’s unfathomable almost how that could become routine. I wanted the launches to be as a scary as they could be, and wanted the family life to be micro and textured.”
It was Chazelle’s vivid vision and dedication to his craft that he was able to do justice to an incredible biography.
Ryan Gosling’s space film was a great epic, thanks to its director’s impressive vision
During another interview with The Guardian, Damien Chazelle talked about his film in detail and what inspired him the most throughout the film. First Man is a biographical space drama film, based on the 2005 book of the same name by James R. Hansen.
Since the film is based on the narrative of Neil Armstrong’s life and his journey to the moon, the filmmaker’s primary source of inspiration was the moon itself. In the interview, he shared,
“We talked a lot about death, we have very morbid conversations, I mean I liked to think of the moon as very much you know sort when we were shooting it and thinking about how to shoot it and we talked a lot about the sort of you know imagery throughout history.”
Chazelle further explained that he was fascinated by the distance between the moon and the earth. He said,
“This idea of someone ‘it’s such a magnitude of distance the moon from the earth you know so this idea of mortals going beyond where mortals are supposed to go.”
The film featured Ryan Gosling in the titular role, where he undeniably delivered an impeccable performance.
Source: The Guardian
