Drama · History
American
1983 · Directed by Philip Kaufman · 193 min
From the sound-barrier flights over the California desert to the first American space missions, this film follows military test pilots and the seven men chosen as Mercury astronauts. It mixes awe, comedy, satire and hero-worship in a three-hour portrait of courage and publicity.
Why it matters in cinema history
A key American epic of the early 1980s, it reworked the national myth of the astronaut hero for a post-Vietnam, post-Watergate audience, balancing reverence with scepticism about image-making.
Watch with intention
Watch how the film keeps asking what courage looks like, and who gets to be seen as brave.
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