Ryan Gosling-starrer First Man, which follows the life of astronaut Neil Armstrong, sparked outrage among the audience for not focusing on the American Flag.

Ryan Gosling Once Starred In A Film That Was Slammed For Being ‘Unpatriotic,’ Here’s Why. (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Most of Ryan Gosling’s movies have been received well by the audience, and the actor has mostly been in the fans’ good books. However, a few years ago, one particular film was labelled ‘unpatriotic,’ which made the actor face the public’s wrath.

The film in question is First Man, which revolves around the life of Neil Armstrong, the first human to step foot on the moon. So, how did a film that showcased one of NASA’s most successful missions end up being called unpatriotic? Here is the story behind the controversy.

When Ryan Gosling’s First Man was Labeled Unpatriotic for Not Focussing on American Flag

Directed by Damien Chazelle of La La Land, First Man was released in theatres on October 12th, 2018. The film chronicled the personal and professional life of Neil Armstrong, played by Ryan Gosling, focusing on his journey to the moon. However, even before the film hit the theatres, there was chatter about it being unpatriotic.

As we all know, Armstrong planted the American flag on the moon during the moon landing. However, the makers chose to skip the event in the film’s moon landing sequence. While the flag was still shown in several shots, it was not explicitly portrayed as being planted on the moon’s surface.

This led to outrage among the public, who believed the filmmaker tried to undermine the achievement of the USA. Some politicians also joined in on the backlash, and the hashtag #BoycottFirstMan started trending on social media. Some called the film a ‘parody of America-hating Hollywood,’ while others termed it as ‘anti-American’ and ‘unpatriotic.’

Chazelle then had to clear the air and reveal that he wanted to focus more on Armstrong’s personal journey and showcase his feelings during those moments. That is why he chose not to concentrate on the ‘planting the flag’ scene.

“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.” the filmmaker said at the time.

Rosling also addressed the controversy before the release and said the film depicted the journey of Armstrong, who didn’t 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. I also 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,” the actor said in a press conference.

When First Man eventually arrived in cinemas, it gained critical acclaim and became a box office hit, collecting over $105 million. Gosling’s performance as the astronaut was highly praised, and the film earned the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.