For All Mankind

For All Mankind

1989, Science  -   87 Comments
8.79
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Ratings: 8.79/10 from 72 users.

For All MankindFor All Mankind tells the true story of the 24 men who travelled to the moon as the entire US watched in awe.

Sorting through nearly one hundred hours of film and sound recordings recovered from NASA - shot between December 1968 and November 1972, in the heyday of the space programme - director Al Rienart has pieced together a seamless documentary commemorating man's landing on the moon.

The film is a montage of images with voice-over interviews and comments from the participating astronauts of the moon landing. Brian Eno, famous for his ethereal music, provides the score.

For All Mankind presents an exhilarating portrait of an incredible human achievement, and was nominated for the Best Documentary Oscar in 1989.

During the Apollo lunar missions from 1968 to 1972, those onboard were given 16mm cameras and told to film anything and everything they could, in space, in orbit, and on the surface of the moon itself.

Two decades later, filmmaker Al Reinert went into the NASA vaults to create this extraordinary compendium of their journeys and experiences.

Assembled from hundreds of hours of the astronauts' own footage, with a soundtrack made up of their memories and a specially composed score by Brian Eno, the film takes the form of one journey to the moon and back again, building with elegant simplicity and exquisite construction to create an overpowering vision of human endeavour and miraculous experience.

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E-Vel
E-Vel
2 years ago

The original 'For All Mankind' story is exceptional! A fairly new Apple TV series about the same subject happens to have the same title. Why is that? None of the facts in the series are true. So what is the purpose of the series? Personally I don't like 'what if' stories. They waste my time. Still some people make lite of this series! Our children are being misinformed enough these days. This will confuse them, especially when there is no disclaimer or warning that this series is nothing but sci-fi drama. Americans were the first to set foot on the moon. We are the better for it, no matter how hard one trys to deny it!

Rick
Rick
3 years ago

I wouldn't pay attention to a hoax believer. The transmissions were tracked. Russia knew where astronauts were. There is no evidence of any hoax. There were six manned missions. Why fake it that many times and risk getting caught. Total nonsense. No amount of evidence can convince a skeptic anyway. Everything will be called "fake". Pictures, moonrocks, any evidence that contradicts their beliefs, is a lie. Very sad.

Hopeful Skeptic
Hopeful Skeptic
7 years ago

I've studied much of the moon landing conspiracies. But I've never heard anyone address the camera that filmed the first human setting foot on the moon. Was the camera extended from the arm of LEM ? How did the camera and film react to solar radiation ? Or was it Kubrick pre-staged lol.

DustUp
DustUp
7 years ago

"A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Moon" is a much better docu which may still be available on this website. If not, should be on youtube. Highly recommended.

Why would the earth look like a golf ball as one or two in the docu stated, when it is much larger than the moon? It should look large from the moon, compared to looking at the moon from the earth. The whole purpose of that was to plant in the listeners mind that they were very far away when they were not. Maybe 300-400miles or so. The reason a stencil was placed over the window to depict the earth much smaller with dark edge.

If no atmosphere on the moon, no soft soil. If "nothing" there, then no space between the soil particles. No foot prints. No tracks. If soil movable as depicted and there was some atmosphere, then the moon lander thrust should have caused a large crater (probably blackened) underneath the lander with dust all over the landing gear, likely black as well. This propaganda docu avoided that completely while other videos show the lander with no crater, no dust on landing gear, not even any discoloration under the lander. It is hilarious as is "the tour of the space station" once you see the expose' of that as well.

People who cannot handle all the evidence disputing the lunar landing simply cannot handle the implications of being fooled, about their govt and about themselves, yet cite scientific advancements... What about scientific principles of following the evidence to where it leads rather than deciding what you choose to believe, while denying facts and evidence?

There seems to be way too many people who prefer to believe their govt wouldn't fool them in such a way, they prefer not to consider themselves as fools. Yet which is worse? Being fooled or continuing to deny it in the face of all the evidence? The puppet masters continue to fool us regularly. They are doing it all the time with so many things. Do your own investigating. Don't depend on the major media which is owned and controlled by who? Certainly isn't anyone who cares about you.

A large part of propaganda is the limiting of information. More of it gets known as time goes on. Why keep yourself from that?

The excuses are endless... Russian would expose... Why would they without exposing their own lies?

Richard Neva
Richard Neva
10 years ago

I won't waste my time watching a hoax. America never made it to the moon. It was all done in a studio somewhere and stupid America believed it. Just goes to show you that you can sell anything to an American!

David Nightingale
David Nightingale
11 years ago

A wonderful historic documentary. The focus is on the language, fashion and music of the time of the Apollo project. Technicians and engineers may find this show disappointing in its lack of detail, while the general viewing audience may find it disappointing in its lack of script, resolution, purpose and plot. The footage is raw, real and life-like in its portrayal of the emotions of three combat-experienced fighter-pilots as they travel for three days in an automatically controlled spacecraft on their historic journey of a quarter of a millions miles on a scientific expedition to collect rocks.
The documentary makes no claim to being chronographically accurate, as a result, Apollo historians, and sixth grade science students, question the inclusion of footage of Gemini astronauts leaving the capsule without any adequate explanation.

This documentary has a wide target audience and as a result it fails to capture any one single target group.

Recommended viewing for an after-event report.

Phillip Watkins
Phillip Watkins
11 years ago

Wow there are still people that beleave in the moon landing!?! study a little

Dan Hill
Dan Hill
12 years ago

It's approx 240,000 miles to the moon one way. Is there a record of man traveling more than a thousand miles into space, besides the moon voyages?
If not... than why?

elidan1900
elidan1900
12 years ago

NASA should send a camera to the site of the landings and have it send back live footage of the stuff left on the moon. This should be a fraction of the cost it took to send men and equipment. Which they did 6 times... at times two landings in a single year! This will finally settle the matter... unless there is nothing up there but moon rocks. The inability of the Hubble telescope to spot the landing sites sound like excuses. They show these feel good achievement docs, or they do a television special on when we went to the moon... well wouldn't it be even more exhilarating if when they show these "moon landings remembered", they would have current footage of the flag on the moon... They could do it live like they did in 69. But they only show those images from 40 plus years ago. They want us to believe in the "then" not the "now". It doesn't work... I need present day proof.

Steve
Steve
12 years ago

If the Hubble telescope can show [cough] planet nurseries why can't we get a clear shot of the moon and all the equipment left behind? Why bother sending any other probes to any planet for that matter. Simply use Hubble to 'get a good shot' If it can see nursuries then it can see rivers and buildings on Mars right? Ooops, that would mean less money for NASA and maybe the truth getting out. Sorry, I didn't mean to break the fouth wall for anyone of those Easter Bunny and Santa Claus folks.

DeeJay Pickles
DeeJay Pickles
12 years ago

i believe the american government its not like they had anything to gain from winning the space race and appearing superior to Russia. and its not like the american government have ever lied they have a squeaky clean track record and would never fake such a thing................................................................................................................................................................................................NOT!

LIVEFROMLIMBO
LIVEFROMLIMBO
12 years ago

the doc "Apollo Zero" also found on this amazing site is a great one to watch.

Matt Kukowski
Matt Kukowski
13 years ago

UNBELIEVABLE... I can understand those that think all of this footage is fake. It is UNREAL, ALIEN ... just stupefying (as Richard Dawkins would say)... if you do not cry while watching this... in shear AWE and WONDER of it... then you simply do not understand the scope and beauty of it the Apollo Landing.

antogonist
antogonist
13 years ago

if you wish to live in a world of make belief then thats up to you, the sun in the apollo pictures is not the real sun so how can it be real footage?

Marian R.
Marian R.
13 years ago

You have pictures and actual footage. If that is not proof...what is?
I haven't seen one convincing argument against the moon landings or that hasn't been disproven.

I've also noticed that biologists are rude to creationists or geologists to flat earthers ....it's really a mistery.

antogonist
antogonist
13 years ago

I can't believe how many people do not look at the evidence properly, I think a lot of people think they have to believe it as if the world will end if it's not true, I've noticed believers are very rude to people who dont believe yet they cant explain the evidence provided by NASA, in fact they dont even acknowledge it, it's a lot like christians believing every word of the bible, jesus might be real but the bible isnt 100% true, man might have walked on the moon but no one has seen real footage of it happening and that is what we all really want.

Marian R.
Marian R.
13 years ago

uh...geez
We went to the moon and it's final.
If you think about it it's not even such a big achievement.
I think this issue is similar to the invention of the A-Bomb in the 40's without computers.The only difference is that Japan is a lot of a heck closer and easier to travel to. If you look through history a lot of implausable things happened, but there they are...

antogonist
antogonist
13 years ago

I rethink my last statement it is obvious to me that all the footage from man walking on the moon is fake, why would they fake walking on the moon if they really did it? The sun is fake. Look at a link I will put onto the a funny thing happened on the way to the moon

antogonist
antogonist
13 years ago

part 7 6m 40s did the flag move or what? I guess everyone wants to believe that man didnt go to the moon because maybe it means that it was a pointless waiste of time since we havnt been to mars yet or we havnt invented the warp drive yet or something maybe, maybe ppl just dont like being lied too who knows so we look for things which are wrong with what we are told, I cant get over why they dont mention anything about the stars, they only mention the cold blackness of space and I know the explanation for this but its still makes no sense why they dont mention anything about stars however there is a video which would kind of prove that it is possible to go through the van halen belt unless its a fake,however I also have to ask where the stars are in this video since the reason we are given that there is no stars on the moon is because of the brightness of the light reflecting of the surface of the moon. At the same time I'm beginning to believe that maybe ppl did walk on the moon.

Backslider
Backslider
13 years ago

Dannyboy, I agree with you on 99% of what you're saying. I do however believe we went to the moon. There are some undeniable facts that can be independently verified to prove as much.

Look into the Lunar Laser Ranging device, you can also research the MOON ROCKS that we brought back. I won't spell it out for you, if you're really that interested in denying it should be no problem for you to do a little research on your own.

The US Government is corrupt as hell, but we have made a few trips to the moon. The key to being a respected conspiracy theorist is being able to research and find out what holds clout and what doesn't. The moon conspiracy is repeated by a bunch of quacks and holds no water. It's sad that people cross conspiracy borders so easily once they're interested because it takes away credibility for those conspiracies which are true and deserve the public's attention.

Think for yourself, question authority.

ReligionIsntAllBad
ReligionIsntAllBad
13 years ago

I think dannyboy2225 took off his tinfoil hat too long, and the Aliens used their ESP on him o_O

Reasons Voice
Reasons Voice
13 years ago

Reasons Voice is just blinking vacantly at Dannyboys comment. Wonders when the next agent orange air strike will be. Hopefully it will save me raking all these flippin leaves.

dannyboy2225
dannyboy2225
13 years ago

Hey ez2b12 and backslide... i think the us gov. [the same gov. who manages the illegal heroin/cocaine bus.] used tax dollars to make a bad tv mini series... "88 ez steps to the moon".... the same gov.who could spray agent orange,and still does on its own citizenry, commit genocide,leach the soil dry, so nothing will grow, pollute vast stretches of soil and water, create a global drug empire by making diversionary WAR wherever needed, [o yeh break a few eggs]... didn't bring prima materia back to prima terra.... whatever lies are or are not believed... the masonic trick was accomplished...

Johannes_wl
Johannes_wl
13 years ago

Wow, totally worth seeing. One of the best documentaries I've ever seen! beautiful, just beautiful!

ez2b12
ez2b12
13 years ago

@ Jono

You said: "He was probably the last real President you had..."

I could not agree more. you should read the whole thread before commenting. If you had of you would have seen I said the same thing earlier in this thread. I also talked about how shameful it was that the government was at the least incompetent and possibly involved. I get upset because earlier in the thread someone wanted to bash all Americans and did so by throwing this pop culutre fiction, this speach was in the movie but never occurred in reality, in our face- as if to say "Look at the dumb Americans that buy thier governments propaganda." In reality we did not buy this fiction about Oswald acting alone and this assassination is very close to hearts and hurts when someone wants to throw it around to make petty points about some documentary.

That said, this place has turned into home for American bashing, In fact for criticizing the entire western world lately. All I hear is how evil and conceded the white Europeans are. One guy on another thread is upset because he thinks that Darwin only get credit for coming up with evolution because he is fomr Europe. (LOL) He actually thinks the half monkey half human god of some eastern religion means they came up with evolution first, its just insane. There is plenty of guilt to go around for east and west, no one race, culture, religion, sex is to blame for all the evils in the world or even the majority.

But I have no right to say you guys can't bash whom ever you want. Maybe one day all this will stop. Until then I will simply refrain from commenting any further on these threads that hold this as thier theme. From what i have seen on here latley that means I will not be posting much at all, but thats fine. The conversations as of late have been repetetive and dumbed down anyway, I'm sure this is just a normal cycle for a site of this kind. I am not upset with you at all Jono, you have a good day.

esmuziq
esmuziq
13 years ago

horrible sound damn

jono
jono
13 years ago

Not sure if JustinLee was trolling there, it is probably the single most ironclad evidence ever to be denied by "experts" in the government employ.

It was actually the very first thing to pop into my mind when JFK was mentioned earlier.

He was probably the last real President you had, please be aware that this is only my own humble opinion.

ez2b12
ez2b12
13 years ago

Well thats just trolling, so have your fun Justin. You look very informed repeating pop culture fiction. One day something will be close to your heart and someone will make lite of it, remember this sad episode when that happens.

Now lets get on with the actuall discussion of this documentary, I have yet to watch it all but I will. If it is as good as a lot of you guys have suggested I am sure I will enjoy it.

JustinLee
JustinLee
13 years ago

Yes Danny,

Back and to the left, back and to the left

john
john
13 years ago

a tribute to a greatest endavour undertaken by the bravest men who ever lived. do you conspiracy nuts really think the russians would have been silent all this time if the moon landings had not occured, i think not. the lunar mapping sattelite in orbit is sending back images of all the apollo landing sites as well as those of the russian luna sites.

Randy
Randy
13 years ago

@Achems

Yes, sir!

Achems Razor
Achems Razor
13 years ago

@Randy:

Another classic movie..."The People verses Larry Flint:

Judge Mantke's clerk...To Larry Flint, Do you swear to tell the truth, and nothing but the truth so help you God?...Larry Flint,"NO!"

Judge Thomas Alva Mantke, NO??

Larry Flint, your honour, I'm an atheist. I can't very well, uh, swear to a God I don't believe exists!!

Bible was disregarded!

Randy
Randy
13 years ago

Whenever I had testify in court, @RV, I would be sworn in, like you do...

But they would always bring a bible to me, to swear upion...

I would turn to the Judge and say... "Listen, do you have a copy of the Constitution of the United States? Because that is the only Holy Book I recognize. If you allow me to swear on that, you know I will always tell the truth! The bible? I couldn't care less about it... I will lie through my teeth swearing on that sh*ts..."

Etc...

The sad thing is? Most of our courts do NOT have a copy of the Constitution on hand...

Owners' manual for the whole country... Why would you need it in a court of law?

*sigh*

Reasons Voice
Reasons Voice
13 years ago

@Randy; I love The States. Will not deny the corruption of government, But the people and the ideal as well as the environment is amazing. Ahh well it is a lonely world for me as an American who has love for his land.

ez2b12
ez2b12
13 years ago

@ Randy

Yes, I loved the movie. I just hate all these young people growing up with the historical inaccuracies protrayed within. I also hate to see someone throw it around as if it holds no weight or is not sugnificant to people. To me JFK's assassanation was a huge factor in the way Americans operate and think about thier government today. Besides, my mom and dad were deeply involved in his campaign and i have been told about him all my life.

He was a great man and it is a permanent pox on our American culture that he was killed so overtly, and still our government managed to get away with thier incompetence at the least and possibly thier own involvement. JFK is one of my idols and always will be, rest his soul. They even killed his brother, in my opinion it was prbably the same bunch. Anyone that got in the way of the covert immoral actions of our intelligence community at the time, somehow ended up silenced at the least and dead in many cases. Things will never be the same in America, it was the beginning of the fall.

DaveandConfused
DaveandConfused
13 years ago

@Randy
I fully agree with that comment randy:) I think we did drop the ball. It's a shame for me a live in canada. We didn't have such a good start:(

Randy
Randy
13 years ago

@RV

The U.S. doesn't suck. Our leadership has sucked for many years, that I grant you.

But, our Founding Fathers, our Framers of the Constitution of the United States, tried really hard to make a better life for us...

We done f*cked that up, though.

Randy
Randy
13 years ago

@Achems

Indeed. Laws of intertia.

Achems Razor
Achems Razor
13 years ago

@David:

No, they do not need enormous fuel capacity, once they break free of the Earth gravity, it is coasting, motors off! maintaining the same speed all the way to the moon, all that was already done on another moon doc here on TDF
Forget which doc. but am not going to repeat myself anymore.

DaveandConfused
DaveandConfused
13 years ago

the secret service got drunk? WHO knew just the time to take advantage of that, Randy?

Randy
Randy
13 years ago

Well, @Jono, it is well documented that the Secret Service spent all night drinking at Ruby's Dallas Texas bar, "Live Evil" a name of a Ronnie James Dio/Black Sabbath album, by the way

That is not allowed by the Secret Service. You can't drink all night and protect a client!

They were all hung over... they let many things slip. All of the crazy killing afterwards was simply to cover up their incompetence...

"Ted! Why did you just kill that guy? What the hell man! Now, I have to put YOU in a trunk... Oh JEEZE..."

Etc... Just a bunch of incompetence.

Don't get me wrong! There are many, many super-intellects in the Secret Service... they just fell down that horrible day...

Backslider
Backslider
13 years ago

To those citing radiation as a reason we couldn't have possibly visited the moon -

In the area surrounding Chernobyl in the Ukraine, there are a large number of people that illegally returned to their homes just after the shell was constructed over the reactor. Radiation readings from this area are between 3 and 50 times higher than what is considered safe - and people are still alive there today. Granted, there is a lot of thyroid cancer, birth defects, etc.. but it's proven that people can live in a highly radioactive area for a long period of time.

There is a tour guide who visits the Chernobyl site multiple times a week, and he gets within 500 feet of blown reactor. The soil, water and plants here are HIGHLY radioactive, and he's still alive and apparently healthy.

One thing to consider, as Reasons Voice mentioned above, is that the type of isotope has a lot to do with how damaging it is to a cellular structure. Certain isotopes are not as easily absorbed into organic matter and are therefore much safer to be exposed to. I am somewhat of a conspiracy nut, and I've yet to hear something about the moon landings that hasn't been completely and thoroughly debunked by reputable sources.

jono
jono
13 years ago

@RV "the U.S. sucks…just because” and stick your tongues out."

Made me wet myself, best thing I've read in ages ^^

@Randy
"It is much more likely that the Secret Service f^cked up and allowed a sitting American President to be killed… thereby embarassing themselves. Hence the cover-up."

You wouldn't say that without reason. I have a lot of issues with this one, do you have an angle I am missing, if so tell please.

Peace

Reasons Voice
Reasons Voice
13 years ago

Also look into the SR71 blackbird and other extreme altitude jets that are in use today. They fly nearly high enough to break through the earths atmosphere. Check their sizes they are not flying superdomes. The fuel consuption theory has been debunked more often than can be counted. I swear it would save all of us reading time if people like you would just say "the U.S. sucks...just because" and stick your tongues out.

Reasons Voice
Reasons Voice
13 years ago

So david you are basically saying that Von Braun has stated that they did not go? Please provide source.

David
David
13 years ago

In order to get to the moon the way Nasa described their route/path, it would take a rocket the size of Empire state building... The fuel capacity required to go directly to the moon is simply that enormous. This was stated by Von Braun, the man that basically made the rocket that supposedly acomplished such an astoning feat. Too bad it was all a lie for political supremacy but oh well, that's the way USA worked for years.

Reasons Voice
Reasons Voice
13 years ago

Ok looked deeper into VanAllen radiation values. I found documentation that satelites, which pass through the inner belt which is the more high energy of the belt, Recieve an anual dosage of 2500REM per year. That is with a standard 1/8th inch thick alluminum shielding. The CSM was insulated with a radiation shielding that reduced exposure to .3 RAD per hr at 2" from source. The CSM passed through the belt in less than 3 hours. the total dosage to the astronauts was .16 to 1.14 total Rads. There is much more involved in this and I will post link to the documentation next post.
Anual exposure to man per year from terestrial radiation sources is on average .1 Rad. So therefore at maximum the appolo astronauts recieve just over 11 years worth of average terestrial dosage during their mission. All of the radiation data from the apollo missions were monitored and reported using dosemetry devices installed in the CSM.

Randy
Randy
13 years ago

@EZ

Oh "JFK" was a good movie, but really innacurate.

You are right, Jim Garrison was mostly absent for the actual trial, and he was mostly drunk and a fairly incompetant lawyer...

BUT, the movie was great! Joe Pesci? Yeah, baby!

John Candy! Yeah, baby!

It is much more likely that the Secret Service f^cked up and allowed a sitting American President to be killed... thereby embarassing themselves. Hence the cover-up.

Reasons Voice
Reasons Voice
13 years ago

I find on most of these threads a common issue. It is in regards to the VanAllen belt and radiation. EZ made a statement about this on the myth buster doc. thread that covered most of the issue. All I can add to his statement is that it all has to do with the type of radiation. I believe that the radiation of the VanAllen belt is of larger particulate value and longer wavelength. It is, by nature, the opposite of Chernoble or Attomic bomb type radiation. Longer wavelength large particulat radiation while more damageing is much easier to shield against.
What was mentione on this thread was the concept of film exposure speckleing caused by the radiation. That is true that can and does happen (my career depends on it). However the capsule was radiation shielded, Most likely the storage compartment housing the instruments and gear was radiation shielded, and the camera itself was radiation shielded. A tripple redundant radiation shielding agains broad wavelength particle radiation would have been more than sufficient to block the vast majority of incident radiation from contact with the film.

Backslider
Backslider
13 years ago

@dannyboy,

Trashing up the moon? Well, we left a landing module, an American flag and a laser reflector there...

Waste of taxpayer dollars? I disagree. I would much rather spend trillions of dollars on exploring space, colonizing another floating rock, ensuring the survival of the Human Species, than I would waging war against our fellow Earthlings. Look at the things we waste trillions of dollars on and re-think your statements. This might be the one true great thing Americans ever did.

When I watch this, I'm filled with pride, hope, a sense of accomplishment, a feeling of being small and insignificant in the grand scheme of things... I don't understand how someone could witness such acts of bravery and have nothing but negative things to say. It's inspiring. Yes, it was perhaps reckless and premature to go to the moon at this time, but I think it filled Americans, and Earthlings in general with a sense of wonder and unity. As the men and women who've left Earth will tell you, once you see it from space you realize that the borders of our states and nations and continents are nothing in comparison with the borders we face in space. We should stop arguing amongst ourselves. =]