Armstrong movie furore over US flag on moon
A SMALL detail in Hollywood’s new depiction of the moon landing is the latest giant leap in America’s everescalating ideological war, this time using the nation’s revered flag as fuel for the fire.
Weeks before its official release, First Man — which tells the story of 1969’s Apollo 11 mission through astronaut Neil Armstrong’s eyes — is at the centre of fevered debate.
Oscar winning filmmaker Damien Chazelle and star Ryan Gosling stand accused of “pernicious falsification of history” and “total lunacy” for not focusing enough on the American flag in a key moment of the film.
The backlash started when reviewers at the Cannes Film Festival, which the movie opened, referred to the fact that iconic imagery of the flag being planted on the moon’s surface did not make the cut.
Although there are reportedly many cutaways to the flag during the film — which has otherwise received high critical praise — this omission sparked a seething response from some quarters.
US Republican Senator Marco Rubio derided the fact that it appeared there was not enough focus on the flag as: “total lunacy. And a disservice at a time when our people need reminders of what we can achieve when we work together.”
“The American people paid for that mission, on rockets built by Americans, with American technology & carrying American astronauts,” he said in a tweet.
Conservative commentator Bill Kristol tweeted: “Maybe Universal Pictures should hear from Americans about this foolish and pernicious falsification of history?”
Armstrong’s co pilot, Buzz Aldrin, also appeared to subtly weigh into the drama, tweeting a photo of the pair planting the flag during the Apollo 11 mission.
The controversy appears to be based on the erroneous conclusion that America’s leading role in the moon landing has been erased.
Not so, said the family of Armstrong, who backed the film in a joint statement with First Man author James R. Hansen.
“Although Neil didn’t see himself that way, he was an American hero. He was also an engineer and a pilot, a father and a friend, a man who suffered privately through great tragedies with incredible grace,” said Rick and Mark Armstrong, the sons of Neil Armstrong, who died in 2012.
“This is why, though there are numerous shots of the American flag on the moon, the filmmakers chose to focus on Neil looking back at the earth, his walk to Little West Crater, his unique, personal experience of completing this journey, a journey that has seen so many incredible highs and devastating lows.
“This is a film that focuses on what you don’t know about Neil Armstrong … It’s a very personal movie about our dad’s journey, seen through his eyes.
“Of course, it celebrates an America achievement. It also celebrates an achievement ‘for all mankind’, as it says on the plaque Neil and Buzz left on the moon. It is a story about an ordinary man who makes profound sacrifices and suffers through intense loss in order to achieve the impossible.”