Education
Director Damien Chazelle : Don't Use "First Man" to Rewrite History!
When Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin went to the moon, they did so as Americans with the support of the American government and the American people. When they got there, they planted an American flag.
Ryan Gosling's new movie, "First Man," profiles Neil Armstrong in the years leading up to the Apollo 11 mission. It shows the challenges he faced and the sacrifices he made to get to the moon. It's a uniquely American story.
Unfortunately, the movie producers have purposefully kept the American flag out of the moon landing scenes. This is an absurd attempt to rewrite history.
To Director Damien Chazelle:
The moon landing was "one giant leap for mankind." It has global significance, and it was led, researched, planned, funded, and executed by Americans. To neglect to show the American flag on the moon is akin to erasing history.
Movie studios naturally want their films to appeal to international audiences. The American flag won't deter moviegoers around the world. On the contrary, there is nothing more marketable than American greatness. This country has arguably never been more loved around the world than when it put a man on the moon.
The enduring image of the American flag on the moon is one that everyone - not only Americans - can celebrate. It is a lasting reminder of how far we have come as human beings. Less than 100 years from the invention of the airplane, humanity figured out how to launch a manned rocket to the moon and bring the astronauts home safely.
American greatness shouldn't be sanitized out of movies. Instead, it ought to be celebrated. Your movie should acknowledge the historical truth on which it is based: Americans went to the moon, planted their flag there, and made this country proud.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
