Gagarine: First in Space

Good biopic.

The story of Yuri Gagarin, the first person in space. Told by concentrating on his historic flight, interspersed with flashbacks to his youth, Air Force training, cosmonaut training, his relationships and family life.

Very well made. The special effects for Gagarin's journey into space and back are superb. The story around the flight is also well told - the director creates genuine tension regarding his safety, even before he goes into space. As you can imagine there would have been - nobody had done it before, and the technology was fairly primitive.

The personal side is kind of schmaltzy though. There are also some other scenes that don't seem to add much to the movie.

A good story on a very brave man.