'First Man' actor Jason Clarke quashes flag criticism

Amid accusations that Damien Chazelle's 'First Man' is less patriotic,film actor Jason Clarke has dismissed the criticism by calling it "nonsense".

Senator Marco Rubio attacked the film for not depicting the planting of the American flag on the moon, reported The Hollywood Reporter.

Clarke, who stars as Edward Higgins White--the first American man to walk in space, responded to criticism surrounding the film.

The 49-year-old star said, "It's nonsense, it's just nonsense. The film itself can be interpreted as patriotic," speaking at the Deauville Film Festival where he was accepting a career honour.

"It's just silly and naive I think. Of course it celebrates one of the greatest acts of America and Americans and humanity and mankind," the actor further added.

The controversy happened due to the press conference, wherein the film's lead actor Ryan Gosling had said he believed Neil Armstrong's moonwalk was widely regarded not as an American, but as a human achievement.

The comments had spread on social media before Rubio slammed the film for not depicting the American flag being planted on the moon. Rubio tweeted, "The American people paid for that mission, on rockets built by Americans, with American technology & carrying American astronauts. It wasn't a UN mission.