One Giant Leap

The opening scenes of First Man immediately throw the audience into the cockpit with Neil Armstrong and his fellow test pilots, as they break record after record – hurtling beyond the stratosphere in shaky metal prototypes that can barely take the strain.

Each time they take off they risk death, which bonds them in a camaraderie that can be both noble and steely. Such highs were standard procedure for Armstrong – and the movie, released this month, is a biopic about the adventures and life of one of America’s greatest heroes, from his entry into NASA’s astronaut programme in 1961 to his epoch-making walk on the moon eight years later, with Buzz Aldrin and Mike Collins aboard Apollo 11.

The film is based on James R. Hansen’s book, has been adapted for the big screen by Academy Awardwinning screenwriter Josh Singer, and is directed by Oscar-winning director Damien Chazelle. Enter Ryan Gosling – the actor worked with Chazelle on La La Land, and is tasked with portraying the iconic astronaut.

Just as it took a skilled team to get Armstrong to the moon, Gosling had a support system aiding his navigation – the late astronaut’s friends, colleagues and family supplied the actor with anecdotes and guidance, helping him to secure an accurate portrayal.

Gosling says that Armstrong’s sons Mark and Rick were valuable to his research. “I think the greatest challenge of this movie, and there were many, was that they were going to see the film when this was over. I thought about that often,” he laughs.

“But they were just extremely helpful and supportive and always available to answer questions. Also, I was able to meet Neil’s sister June and his wife Janet – I was very honoured to spend time with her in her home, [and] we got to spend time at the farm where Neil grew up. Between family, friends and colleagues of Neil – as well as Jim’s thoroughly researched book and him constantly being on set – I’d never had more help on a film.” A

t home, Armstrong maintained the taciturn logic that kept him alive as a pilot, but it tore at his relationship with his wife and sons. Going into the role, did Gosling feel the weight of expectation – given that the 1969 Moon Walk transpired 11 years before the Canadian actor was even born?

“As soon as I learned what the moon was I learned that a man named Neil Armstrong walked on it, so he was always synonymous with the moon,” he says.

“But, like the moon, I knew very little about him. And when I met with the director, he told me that he wanted to sort of uncover the man behind the myth. Once I started to learn about Neil and his wife Janet, I realised that this incredible life was really deserving of the tribute that Damien wanted to pay to it. It was an incredible opportunity, but it was an enormous responsibility.”

While the movie spotlights these lesser-known Armstrong moments, it also touches on the morepronounced: such as Gosling uttering the infamous statement – “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” – which crackled over transmission to an estimated 500 million expectant Earthlings.

“It’s arguably one of the most famous things that’s ever been said. It was a huge responsibility, we felt, to get it right. Not just sonically or to parrot it, but I feel like that line says so much about what I admire about Neil, which was his ability to see everything in broader terms; that he could see a giant leap in one small step, that he could see himself as a man both representing his country and a human being representing mankind,” Gosling details.

“It’s such a profound thing to say and it always fascinated me what type of person would say that; who is the person that could make this heroic moment not about themselves, but about everything, and put it so eloquently, so beautifully? It was honour to be able to say it and to get to understand the man that would say something like that.”

There some particularly gruelling mission sequences in First Man, where Gosling admits to the crew being confined – “Just sat there for hours,” he laughs. But they remained grounded, he reveals.

“When we were shooting the mission sequences there was always somebody who had been directly involved with that mission in some way. For instance, when we shot the X-15 sequence, Joe Engle [the last living X-15 pilot] was there. We had prominent figures there to ensure the accuracy – but I think they were also there to ensure that it was impossible to complain, because they had really experienced it all. You would see them you’d think, ‘Oh yeah [they went through this]’. It was immediate perspective.”

Gosling deems the film an important testament to the inspiring feats Armstrong and his peers endured.

“I think that it’s an extraordinary story, it’s an extraordinary accomplishment and they are extraordinary people. They also were a family making great sacrifices and it’s a story of hope, overwhelming hope to make this possible. It’s an unparalleled achievement and in a lot of ways it’s an unparalleled story.”

One senses that, despite his seasoned career, Gosling enjoyed the ‘process’ of this particular project. “You could really feel how much love everyone had for Neil and Janet and their legacy and wanted to make sure they gave us every bit of information they could so that if something wasn’t accurate it wasn’t because they left it out,” he enthuses.

Gosling and Claire Foy (who plays Janet Armstrong) “Had to try and imagine certain moments behind closed doors that may have happened between Neil and Janet and we did the best that we could. We had the blessing of Rick and Mark, and the legacy of their parents is so important to them, I felt how important it was that we get it right. I really admired how fiercely they guarded their parent’s legacy.”

Gosling serves up a gentle reminder not to equate the actor with the real life person they portray when asked if he would ever want to go to the moon, responding with a laugh, “No, I’d be too scared”.

He does possess a dose of that Armstrong humility though, downplaying the inevitable chatter surrounding his Oscar buzz. “I would be doing Neil a disservice to make this moment about me. I appreciate being asked but it’s probably better to talk about Neil and his programme,” he buffers. “The honour was to be involved with this film, and to make a great film.”

I admire his ability to see in broader terms, seeing himself as representing both his country and mankind

INTERVIEW: JENNY DAVIS ADDITIONAL WORDS: CHRIS UJMA