'Total Lunacy.' People Are Freaking Out Over How Neil Armstrong Biopic First Man Handles the American Flag on the Moon
The Neil Armstrong biopic First Man premiered at the Venice Film Festival on Thursday, but it’s the film’s omission of Armstrong’s historic planting of the American flag on the moon has many outraged.
While most people associate Armstrong with the iconic moment when he placed the American flag on the moon, director Damien Chazzell chose to cut out the moment for the biopic based on James Hansen’s biography of Armstrong’s life. Ryan Gosling, who plays the first man to walk on the moon, gave an explanation for the decision that has caused some outraged. Gosling told reporters at the Venice Film Festival that the astronaut’s accomplishments “transcend countries and borders” and that he believes Armstrong did not view himself as an American hero.
“I think this was widely regarded in the end as a human achievement and that’s how we chose to view it,” Gosling said, according to The Telegraph. “Also I think Neil was extremely humble, as were many of these astronauts, and time and time again he deferred the focus from himself to the 400,000 people who made the mission possible.”
Gosling’s comments did not sit well with many, with the hashtag #boycottfirstman trending on twitter Friday morning. Senator Marco Rubio called the movies choice “total lunacy.”
This is 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. It wasn’t a UN mission. https://t.co/eGwBq7hj8C
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) August 31, 2018
I was going to go watch this but not now I remember the and what it felt like to accomplish this over Russia. This was an American success, put the flag back in #boycottfirstman
— Jeanne Thompson (@RphotosJeanne) August 30, 2018
Some critics at Venice from outlets including Vanity Fair and the Daily Beast said that First Man does show the American flag on the moon.
I've seen FIRST MAN and you see the American flag on the moon in several shots. Maybe wait to actually see something before feigning outrage. These quotes were taken out of context by BI.
Also it's a *movie*. Worry about more important shit. https://t.co/cKKtHVdLoo— Marlow Stern (@MarlowNYC) August 31, 2018
Don't believe there's anyone from BI here in Venice, where FIRST MAN premiered, so this is aggregated. And again, this piece takes quotes Gosling made out of context -- he was responding to Q's about playing Neil Armstrong as a Canadian dude.
— Marlow Stern (@MarlowNYC) August 31, 2018
