Historical movies, or movies that show some point of history from a fictional standpoint, are great since they can give a sort of glimpse back to a time when things were so much simpler and yet still so horrifyingly complex. They remind us of a past that some would like to forget but which everyone should learn to remember just so that we don’t make the same mistakes. But the issue with historical movies is that there are often many things that directors want to keep out of the movie or change to add to the drama or else to add to the movie so as to make it that much better. That’s great and all, but the problem is that with history buffs watching the films there’s a good chance that these movies will be dissected for their many inaccuracies that just can’t be forgiven.
Here are a few that you might be interested in.
5. Racquel Welch Poster – Shawshank Redemption
This one is pretty simple and mostly forgivable because it was a plot point that was there and gone until it was needed again during the explanation of how Andy escaped. The warden didn’t approve of his posters at all but was willing to give Andy some slack thanks to all the work he was doing. Unfortunately this poster didn’t really come out until a year after Andy was said to escape. Whoops.
4. Singapore – Pirates of the Caribbean
So at the time this movie was made it was still the mid 18th century. Singapore wasn’t colonized until around the beginning of the 19th century, so honestly it’s safe to say that Captain Jack has clearly never been to Singapore. In the time period in which this movie was set Singapore was still known a part of the Empire of Sultan Aluaddin Riayat Shah II.
3. 13th Amendment – Lincoln
This was drama just for the sake of drama and wasn’t historically correct at all. For the most part Lincoln was a great and well-directed movie. The acting was on point and the plot was such that anyone could follow it. But with such an important story that has to do with the history of our nation you would think that the director would know when to leave well enough alone.
2. Age Gap – Pocahontas
According to the histories that are believed to be accurate Pocahontas would have only been around 11 years old when John Smith and the other colonists strolled into her life. This would have made the meeting and subsequent love that she shared with then 27-year old John Smith a little creepy and too much for a Disney film to show. If you need to age up your character and defy history then there’s a good chance your movie is already bound for obscurity.
1. Standing Up – Pearl Harbor
Yes, FDR was known for giving impassioned speeches and yes, he was known for being a hard and stubborn man at times. What he was not known as was a personal healer or miracle worker. The man was paralyzed, not nursing a sprained ankle or a strained tendon. Standing up even with braces on would have been utterly impossible since his legs would have given out from under him. There’s no locking them into position when you have no control over your own muscles.
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