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The story is usually airbrushed to remove a character who has lost favor with a dictatorship or to hide an episode of national shame. Let Hollywood erase from a national triumph its most iconic moment.
The new film "First Man", a biopic about Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong, fails to plant the American flag during his historic walk on the surface of the moon.
Ryan Gosling, who plays Armstrong in the film, tried to explain the strange editing of his moonwalk: "In the end, it was widely considered a human achievement. I do not think Neil considered himself an American hero. Armstrong was a reluctant man, but he certainly considered himself an American, and everyone else considered him a hero. ("You are a hero whether you like it or not," warned a newspaper.)
Gosling added that Armstrong 's walk "transcended countries and borders," which is literally true, since it occurred at 238,900 miles from Earth, though it "s noticeable. Armstrong arrived there on an American rocket,
Apollo 11 was undoubtedly an extraordinary human achievement. Armstrong's famous words descending the ladder to the moon were appropriate: "A small step for man, a big step for humanity". A plaque left behind: "HERE ARE THE MEN OF THE EARTH FIRST We have come in peace for all men.
But it was a national effort that depended on American derring-do, sacrifice, and treasure. It was a chapter of a race to space between the United States and the Soviet Union that implied national prestige and the perceived value of our respective economic and political systems. The Apollo program did not concern human fraternity, but rather the achievement of a national goal before a hated and feared opponent.
The Soviet launch of the Sputnik satellite was at first a profound political and psychological shock. The United States felt it had to take up the challenge. As Vice President Lyndon Johnson said: "Do not master the space, it's to be the best in all areas, in the crucial arena of our world of war cold. In the eyes of the world first in the space means first, the period; the second in space is the second in all.
The mission of Apollo 11 was, rightly, imbued with American symbolism. The lunar module called Eagle and the Columbia control module. It was considered to set up an American flag, but it was taped – it would be an American flag and only an American flag.
The video of Armstrong and his partner, Buzz Aldrin, working carefully to set up the flag – fully extend it and push the pole firmly enough into the lunar surface to make it stand – after their breathtaking journey has lost none of its power.
There may be a rude commercial motive in this omission – the Chinese, whose market is so important to big films, might not like the American patriotic fanfare. Neither of our cultural elite. They may prefer not to plant the flag – but the Apollo 11 heroes did not have that kind of compilation.
Rich Lowry is editor of the national journal.
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