One Small Misstep

When right-wing snowflakes start squealing about a film, it is usually because they want it banned or cut; so the righteous indignation at First Man's leaving something out makes for a refreshing change. The omitted scene depicts the moment when Neil Armstrong placed the Stars and Stripes on the surface of the moon: a moment neatly pre-satirised by Franklin Schaffner, Rod Serling and Charlton Heston in the original Planet of the Apes film the previous year. Apparently the sacred act was removed from First Man because the film-makers wished to show that this expensive if inconclusive bit of Cold War showmanship was a giant leap for everyone; doubtless including those uppity gooks whom the US government was doing everything it could to persuade that they, or at least their countries' resources, belonged to America first.