The greatest historical mistakes in movies...

[Stratego]

Now this should be a fun one...
You know those times when you have had high hopes for a historical movie on your favorite era ? You've waited months or years to see it in the theatres or to rent it, and when the moment finally comes up, you are disgusted because it is not historical correct or a feature is highly exaggerated?

I HATE WHEN THAT HAPPENS...

So tell us (and if possible-show us !), which movie disgusted and dissapointed you due to its historical inaccuracy or exaggeration ?

Make us frown or laugh...



Greets,
Stratego

[Hufflepuff44]

Unique thread, I likes it!!!

Let's see...I can't think of a single isolated inncuract that bothers me the most, but I can think of a film that bothers me because it is full of innaccuracies. The film I'm thinking of is Enemy at the Gates. Take a look here for info:

http://www.battlefield.ru/index.php?...lang=en&id=206

The film is well shot, but it is FULL of historical inaccuracies.

[Emil_G]

Originally Posted by Hufflepuff44

Unique thread, I likes it!!!

Let's see...I can't think of a single isolated inncuract that bothers me the most, but I can think of a film that bothers me because it is full of innaccuracies. The film I'm thinking of is Enemy at the Gates. Take a look here for info:

http://www.battlefield.ru/index.php?...lang=en&id=206

The film is well shot, but it is FULL of historical inaccuracies.

Haha I was just gonna post this link and say Enemy At The Gates - the whole movie!

[Miss Saigon]

Apparently there is very little that is correct in this film and the men who were there hate it.

[Emil_G]

Originally Posted by Miss.Saigon

Apparently there is very little that is correct in this film and the men who were there hate it.

It didn't show enough suffering.

[F4UCorsair]

There is a fine distinction we have to draw here. Some movies try to be quasi-historical and fail miserably ("Enemy at the Gates" is a fine example.) Some are not ment to be historical, but do quite well with historical detail ("Saving Private Ryan"). "Bridge On the River Kwai" is a great movie even though the history may be a total fabrication (IIRC, the real bridge isn't even on the Kwai).
Even some movies which are praised for accuracy have major flaws to make it at all "sellable" to the general public. Example: "The Great Escape". Very accurate sets, composites of real people. Yet Donald Plesance, who both acted in the film and had been a WWII POW, pointed out that some of the actions taken by the POWs in the movie would have gotten them shot before the escape, no questions asked. (How could Hollywood sell a movie in which Steve McQueen stands by as the guards shoot Ives trying to climb over the fence?)
When you take the name of a battle in the title ("The Battle of the Bulge"), or the name of a serious book associated with history ("Enemy at the Gates") there is an obligation to at least vaguely resemble the history. "Enemy at the Gates" does not. "The Battle of the Bulge" is right up there with it.

[Kittikhun]

Good choice on 'Enemy of The Gates'. Anyone that has read a book on the Eastern Front would be disgusted at its historical accuracy let alone the confusing English, German, Russian transitions e.g. why the hell would the German soldiers suddenly speak English and then German at the same place?

I also sort of felt let down by the final battle scene in 'Saving Private Ryan'. It was well done and very intense but had many inaccuracies e.g. Captain Miller shooting through the Tiger Tank's machine gun port and the idleness of the German tanks and half-tracks' machine guns when they were caught in the open.
'Black Hawk Down' was also very inaccurate but I guess it had to be since it had to fill a 2 hour time slot. Concluding you can't really make very movie as perfectly historical accurate. It's about the message that it sends and the way it is sent that in my opinion counts.

[Captain General]

John Wayne's version of The Alamo. The set was great but just about everything else was historically inaccurate.

I still like it for some strange reason though.

[Martok]

I would have posted Battle of the Buldge as well.

As for the link to Enemy at the Gates, did you actually read that article? What passes for English Grammar in that article is far worse than any historical flaw in the movie.

[Post Captain]

I would say the 'The Patriot' were do you start with the errors, a 'Carry on' film is more accurate than this rubbish.

[billscottmorri]

Originally Posted by Post Captain

I would say the 'The Patriot' were do you start with the errors, a 'Carry on' film is more accurate than this rubbish.

Surely some mistake? "The Patriot" is virtually an historical re-enactment of the highest caliber. Right up there with that Oscar winner "Braveheart".

Any film made about medieval warfare has to be a candidate for winner here. "The Vikings" where you can see a longship oarsman wearing a watch for example.

[Naffenea]

Originally Posted by Kittikhun

I also sort of felt let down by the final battle scene in 'Saving Private Ryan'. It was well done and very intense but had many inaccuracies e.g. Captain Miller shooting through the Tiger Tank's machine gun port and the idleness of the German tanks and half-tracks' machine guns when they were caught in the open.

Are you referring to when he was shooting his .45 at the tank and it blew up at the same time because the air support was the one that actually dropped the bomb on it?

[Emil_G]

Originally Posted by Martok

I would have posted Battle of the Buldge as well.

As for the link to Enemy at the Gates, did you actually read that article? What passes for English Grammar in that article is far worse than any historical flaw in the movie.

Yeah gee, the author is a Russian who doesn't speak native-like English, lets hold that against him....
How about this, you learn Russian and read the grammar-perfect original Russian version?

[Captain General]

Custer of the West with Robert Shaw is another horrible one.

[Captain General]

Maybe there's a trend with Robert Shaw since he's also in The Battle of the Bulge.