Films That Get History Wrong (1 Viewer)

[Jack Briggs]

Yes, a very definite yes in regard to JFK. Also, Apollo 13 got lots of facts wrong about the mission and the men who flew it.

Then there's Independence Day--you shouldn't believe for a moment any of that stuff happened! Los Angeles is still standing. I know.

 

[Matthew_Millheiser]

Now that I think about it, the sinking of that majestic White Line ship was not accurately portrayed in Bi-tanic.
Those revisionist bastards!!

 

[Ken Chan]

Most people could care less

Many people couldn't care less that the phrase is actually "couldn't care less"
It recently occurred to me that I think of the play/movie 1776 when I think of that period, and I wonder about its historical accuracy. But I'm not sure that qualifies as "blatant disregard".
//Ken

 

[Matt Stone]

Yah...I forgot about JFK...I love the film, one of my all-time favorites, but it's not very historically accurate.

 

[Steve Christou]

Come to think of it Jack, 2001 A Space Odyssey wasn't entirely accurate in predicting future history, no manned mission to Jupiter last year and that damn Monolith STILL hasn't been discovered on the Moon.

 

[Matt Stone]

 

[Patrick McCart]

Shadow of the Vampire.
While it's totally innacurate, it obviously doesn't take itself seriously. Max Shreck died of a heart attack nearly 14 years after Nosferatu was made, Fritz Wagner did cinematography for another 36 years, Albin Grou did art direction for one more film in 1923 (and died in 1942), and Greta Shroder made a few more films.
That being said, it's still a fun movie, but don't expect it to be a true account of the making of the film.

 

[Roberto Carlo]

Come to think of it Jack, 2001 A Space Odyssey wasn't entirely accurate in predicting future history, no manned mission to Jupiter last year and that damn Monolith STILL hasn't been discovered on the Moon.

Well, that's what they would have us believe, isn't it? :alien:

 

[Seth Paxton]

I often wonder how much films become a caricature of themselves. Meaning that someone does art direction for a period piece and establishes that as the look of the period for all future films, even if it's not historically accurate.

From westerns to the dark ages to Roman epics. How much of "Rome" is really from the original Ben-Hur depiction for example? Or perhaps from paintings, plays, and other non-accurate sources.

I wonder if films more often follow our expectations rather than accuracy.

 

[Roberto Carlo]

If this is out of line, please forgive me. Here's the test that I previously referred to. 81 percent of the elite college students who took it failed. If you're so inclined, give it a whirl. (Note to our European friends, be kind and try not to laugh too hard.)

1. When was the Civil War?
a. 1750-1800
b. 1800-1850
c. 1850-1900
d. 1900-1950
e. after 1950
f. Don't know

2. Who said, "Give me liberty or give me death?"

a. John Hancock
b. James Madison
c. Patrick Henry
d. Samuel Adams
e. Don't know

3. What is the Magna Carta?

a. The foundation of the British parliamentary system
b. The Great Seal of the monarchs of England
c. The French Declaration of the Rights of Man
d. The charter signed by the Pilgrims on the Mayflower
e. Don't know

4. The term Reconstruction refers to ...

a. Payment of European countries' debts to the United States after World War I
b. Repair of the physical damage caused by the Civil War
c. Readmission of the Confederate states to the Union and the protection of the rights of black citizens
d. Rebuilding of the transcontinental railroad and the canal system
e. Don't know

5. Who are Beavis and Butthead?

a. A radio show
b. Television cartoon characters
c. A musical group
d. Fictional soldiers
e. Don't know

6. The Scopes trial was about ...

a. Freedom of the press
b. Teaching evolution in the schools
c. Prayer in the schools
d. Education in private schools
e. Don't know

7. The Emancipation Proclamation issued by Abraham Lincoln stated that ...

a. Slaves were free in areas of the Confederate states not held by the Union
b. The slave trade was illegal
c. Slaves who fled to Canada would be protected
d. Slavery was abolished in the Union
e. Don't know

8. The purpose of the authors of The Federalist Papers was to ...

a. Establish a strong, free press in the colonies
b. Confirm George Washington's election as the first president
c. Win foreign approval for the Revolutionary War
d. Gain ratification of the U.S. Constitution
e. Don't know

9. Sputnik was the name given to the first ...

a. Telecommunications system
b. Animal to travel into space
c. Hydrogen bomb
d. Human-made satellite
e. Don't know

10. The Missouri Compromise was the act that ...

a. Funded the Lewis and Clark expedition on the upper Missouri River
b. Granted statehood to Missouri but denied the admission of any other states
c. Settled the boundary dispute between Missouri and Kansas
d. Admitted Maine into the Union as a free state and admitted Missouri as a slave state
e. Don't know

11. Which document established the division of powers between the states and the federal government?

a. The Marshall Plan
b. The Constitution
c. The Declaration of Independence
d. The Articles of Confederation
e. Don't know

12. When was Thomas Jefferson president?

a. 1780-1800
b. 1800-1820
c. 1820-1840
d. 1840-1860
e. 1860-1880
f. Don't know

13. What was the lowest point in American fortunes in the Revolutionary War?

a. Saratoga
b. Bunker Hill
c. Valley Forge
d. Fort Ticonderoga
e. Don't know

14. In his farewell address, President George Washington warned against the danger of ...

a. Expanding into territories beyond the Appalachian Mountains
b. Going to war with Spain over Mexico
c. Entering into permanent alliances with foreign governments
d. Building a standing army and strong navy
e. Don't know

15. The Monroe Doctrine declared that ...

a. The American blockade of Cuba was in accordance with international law
b. Europe should not acquire new territories in the Western Hemisphere
c. Trade with China should be open to all Western nations
d. The annexation of the Philippines was legitimate
e. Don't know

16. Who was the European who traveled in the United States and wrote down perceptive comments about what he saw in Democracy in America?

a. Lafayette
b. Tocqueville
c. Crèvecoeur
d. Napoléon
e. Don't know

17. Identify Snoop Doggy Dog.

a. A rap singer
b. A cartoon by Charles Schultz
c. A mystery series
d. A jazz pianist
e. Don't know

18. Abraham Lincoln was president between ...

a. 1780-1800
b. 1800-1820
c. 1820-1840
d. 1840-1860
e. 1860-1880
f. Don't know

19. Who was the American general at Yorktown?

a. William T. Sherman
b. Ulysses S. Grant
c. Douglas McArthur
d. George Washington
e. Don't know

20. John Marshall was the author of ...

a. Roe v. Wade
b. Dred Scott v. Kansas
c. Marbury v. Madison
d. Brown v. Board of Education
e. Don't know

21. Who was the "Father of the Constitution?"

a. George Washington
b. Thomas Jefferson
c. Benjamin Franklin
d. James Madison
e. Don't know

22. Who said "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country?"

a. John F. Kennedy
b. Benedict Arnold
c. John Brown
d. Nathan Hale
e. Don't know

23. What is the source of the phrase "Government of the people, by the people, for the people?"

a. The "I Have a Dream" speech
b. Declaration of Independence
c. U.S. Constitution
d. Gettysburg Address
e. Don't know

24. Who was the second president of the United States?

a. Thomas Jefferson
b. James Madison
c. John Adams
d. Benjamin Franklin
e. Don't know

25. Who was president when the United States purchased the Panama Canal?

a. Theodore Roosevelt
b. Jimmy Carter
c. Franklin D. Roosevelt
d. Woodrow Wilson
e. Don't know

26. Who was the leading advocate for U.S. entry into the League of Nations?

a. George C. Marshall
b. Woodrow Wilson
c. Henry Cabot Lodge
d. Eleanor Roosevelt
e. Don't know

27. Who said "Speak softly but carry a big stick?"

a. William T. Sherman
b. Sitting Bull
c. John D. Rockefeller
d. Theodore Roosevelt
e. Don't know

28. The Battle of the Bulge occurred during ...

a. The Vietnam War
b. World War II
c. World War I
d. The Civil War
e. Don't know

29. Which of the following was a prominent leader of the abolitionist movement?

a. Malcolm X
b. Martin Luther King Jr.
c. W.E.B. DuBois
d. Frederick Douglass
e. Don't know

30. Who was president of the United States at the beginning of the Korean War?

a. John F. Kennedy
b. Franklin D. Roosevelt
c. Dwight Eisenhower
d. Harry Truman
e. Don't know

31. When the United States entered World War II, which two major nations were allied with Germany?

a. Italy and Japan
b. Italy and Poland
c. Italy and Russia
d. Russia and Japan
e. Don't know

32. Social legislation passed under President Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society Program included ...

a. The Sherman Antitrust Act
b. The Voting Rights Act
c. The Tennessee Valley Authority
d. The Civilian Conservation Corps
e. Don't know

33. Who was "First in war, first in peace, first in the hearts of his countrymen?"

a. George Washington
b. Woodrow Wilson
c. Dwight Eisenhower
d. Abraham Lincoln
e. Don't know

34. Who was the leader of the Soviet Union when the United States entered World War II?

a. Peter Ustinov
b. Nikita Khrushchev
c. Marshal Tito
d. Joseph Stalin
e. Don't know

 

[David Dennison]

Why don't you provide answers in spoiler tag, although I don't really know what this has to do with the current thread.
I'll also comment on U-571 (great movie). It was not trying to depict a true story. It was supposed to represent a compilation of the many heroic recoveries of encryption devices that helped the Allies in WWII.
I like the Fargo nomination.

 

[Roberto Carlo]

Here it is.

1. c
2. c
3. a
4. c
5. b
6. b
7. a
8. d
9. d
10. d
11. b
12. b
13. c
14. c
15. b
16. b
17. a
18. e
19. d
20. c
21. d
22. d
23. d
24. c
25. a
26. b
27. d
28. b
29. d
30. d
31. a
32. b
33. a
34. d

 

[Greg_S_H]

:frowning: That's what they failed? That should be an easy 100 for any American over a certain age (though, to be honest, I learned many of those facts on my own, outside of school).
Also, I'll put up a moderate defense of The Patriot. As a student of the Revolution, it is not as inaccurate as is widely stated. Sure, if you take Gibson to be Marion and Isaacs to be Tarleton, it's off. But, that's why they are fictional characters. I still haven't quite figured out the timeline, and there are little quirks here and there ("It's a free country. Well, it will be"). Still, it's not a bad entry into a woefully under-represented time period.
Hmm. I wonder how that upcoming Dark Eagle movie will be. It kind of depresses me, as I was kicking around the idea of writing a Benedict Arnold script. :frowning: Eh, like that would have really happened.

 

[Brian E]

Unfortunately I can believe most people would not know these answers. And I agree with Greg any American adult should be able to answer atleast 90 if not 100% of those questions.

 

[Phil Florian]

"Son, there ain't no draft any more."
"There was one?"
Anyhoo, maybe another important question is what movies are aiming to do? Educate, entertain, edutain (Did Homer Simpson coin "Edutainment" or just parody it?), or what? For example, it is obvious "1776" isn't an accurate portrayal of the times around the signing of the Declaration of Independence and for my money, Jefferson would be a bass/baritone and not some whiney tenor. That said, it obviously wasn't trying to portray actual events, only skim over some of the important sentiments (even those were a bit muffed...Jefferson didn't free his slaves in 1776 as he said in the play/movie, etc.). Obviously there were a few more Congressmen than depicted in the play/movie. Etc. etc. etc.
But, some of the dialogue was lifted directly from letters written during the time by the characters (G. Washington, the Adams letters (which are wonderful if you get a chance to read more of them), etc.). Also, some of the major themes were there, such as the arguments over what would and wouldn't be included.
But who can argue the logic behind the great opening line: "One useless man is a disgrace, two useless men are called a lawfirm and three or more are called a Congress. Good God!"
Regarding Braveheart, I saw the same episode of "Hollywood vs. History" and it was great. I cannot see why they didn't do the Sterling Bridge battle...as they drew it on paper, it would have been an amazing scene and just as brilliant.
They did say Wallace used the whole long-pole technique to break a charge, but it was a technique that, while newer to the time, wasn't unheard of.
Oh well...here's hoping I don't get drafted. There was one?
Phil

 

[Steve_Ch]

>>It was not trying to depict a true story. It was supposed to represent a compilation of the many heroic recoveries of encryption devices that helped the Allies in WWII.

 

[Greg_S_H]

Anyhoo, maybe another important question is what movies are aiming to do? Educate, entertain, edutain (Did Homer Simpson coin "Edutainment" or just parody it?), or what?

There should be an attempt at accuracy (at least, that's my preference; some would say since it's an artform, it's up to the writer and director if they want to be accurate or not), but movies should raise interest in the learning process, not be the sole source of information. If you watch Braveheart and think you now know the history, you're doing it wrong. You should say, "Hey, great movie! Now, I want to read about that!"

 

[Ken Chan]

That should be an easy 100 for any American over a certain age

And after a certain older age, you start to forget Some of them, like who was in the Axis in WWII, you don't, but some are more obscure.
So is 50% failing? I suppose more students got the Beavis and Snoop questions right?
//Ken

 

[Greg_S_H]

Yeah, that was a bit harsh, Ken. Passing should be enough, without expecting perfection.

 

[CharlesD]

That's like saying the Brits make a movie on how the brave Royal Marines singlehandedly took Iwo Jima and raised a Union Jack, with a disclaimer saying: it's not supposed to be a real story but a drama on the heroic amphibian warfare that help won the War of the Pacific, you think us Americans (especially the VFW) will buy that ???

Absolutely. Turn the tables, and depict some other country's heros doing some feat where US servicemen gave their lives (as the British did in the real story behind U-571) and there would be an uproar.
As far as accuracy vs. "art" goes I agree with both sides! I value historical accuracy in a movie, and I see the need to change history to tell a story. It really depends on the movie where on the continuum between the two the story should fall. This does not excuse completely anachronistic/out-of-character events, however (e.g. The British acting like WWII Nazis and the glossing over of slavery in The Patriot (did Washington ever offer freedom for slaves who fought with the Continental Army? I doubt it.))
Personally I value the accurate-as-possible approach right down to every minutiae of everything seen on screen being as accurate as possible, but of course real life events are not as simplistic or as easy to define as Hollywood would generally like to portray. And the grime and squalor of everyday life for most people in times gone by is not very cinematic either.