‘First Man’ Director Damien Chazelle Defends Film Amid American Flag Controversy

Damien Chazelle probably had no clue that his upcoming film “First Man” would find itself embattled in controversy before the general public even got a chance to see it. After generally rave reviews coming out of the world premiere in Venice, “First Man” became the subject of a ridiculous amount of debate, as media outlets began reporting the fact that the film doesn’t actually show Neil Armstrong planting the American flag on the surface of the Moon.

READ MORE: Damien Chazelle’s ‘First Man’ Is An Immaculately Crafted, Old-Fashioned Epic [Venice Review]

As you might imagine, given today’s political climate, social media was ablaze with people calling Chazelle’s film “anti-American” and a “falsification of history.” We wrote about how much of that is just kneejerk reactions to a film that 99% of people have yet to see. But regardless, the controversy lives on.

So, over the weekend, the filmmaker decided to release his own statement about “First Man” and the infamous flag-planting moment not seen. And as Chazelle explains, it’s not that he had any political motivations, he just wanted to tell a story about Armstrong, and not necessarily replicate the Moon landing.

READ MORE:  Neil Armstrong’s Sons Say ‘First Man’ Isn’t “Anti-American In The Slightest”

“In ‘First Man’ I show the American flag standing on the lunar surface, but the flag being physically planted into the surface is one of several moments of the Apollo 11 lunar EVA that I chose not to focus upon,” says the filmmaker.

He continues, “My goal with this movie was to share with audiences the unseen, unknown aspects of America’s mission to the moon — particularly Neil Armstrong’s personal saga and what he may have been thinking and feeling during those famous few hours.”

“I wanted the primary focus in that scene to be on Neil’s solitary moments on the moon — his point of view as he first exited the LEM, his time spent at Little West Crater, the memories that may have crossed his mind during his lunar EVA,” says Chazelle.

Again, as we’ve said before, this whole situation seems to be much ado about nothing. “First Man” isn’t a documentary. It isn’t even a retelling of the Moon landing. What it is, and what Chazelle always intended it to be, is a story about a man, his family, and the saga of becoming the first man to do something incredible.

Hopefully, when the film comes out, the narrative will change. Because if our review is any indication, “First Man” looks to be a pretty great film from one of the best new filmmakers working today.

Here’s the Chazelle statement (via Variety):

“In ‘First Man’ I show the American flag standing on the lunar surface, but the flag being physically planted into the surface is one of several moments of the Apollo 11 lunar EVA that I chose not to focus upon. To address the question of whether this was a political statement, the answer is no. My goal with this movie was to share with audiences the unseen, unknown aspects of America’s mission to the moon — particularly Neil Armstrong’s personal saga and what he may have been thinking and feeling during those famous few hours.”

“I wanted the primary focus in that scene to be on Neil’s solitary moments on the moon — his point of view as he first exited the LEM, his time spent at Little West Crater, the memories that may have crossed his mind during his lunar EVA. This was a feat beyond imagination; it was truly a giant leap for mankind. This film is about one of the most extraordinary accomplishments not only in American history, but in human history. My hope is that by digging under the surface and humanizing the icon, we can better understand just how difficult, audacious and heroic this moment really was.”

Check out all our coverage from the 2018 Venice Film Festival here.