October 29, 2024 | Jane O'Shea

11 "Historical" Films With Glaring Inaccuracies


Historical Movies That Twisted The Truth

Making a historical film is tedious work that requires in-depth research. Sometimes mistakes creep into the storyline, and sometimes writers make wild decisions to rewrite history.

Historical Film

Are The Plot Twists Intentional?

Historical movies are an entertaining way to learn about occurrences that have laid the foundation for modern society. However, it takes serious storytelling skills to engage audiences while staying true to the past. While minor inaccuracies can be excused, some films twist the truth outrageously.

King Edward Longshanks factsBraveheart, Paramount Pictures

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Braveheart

To kick things off is a Mel Gibson film that has gained notoriety for its historical inaccuracies. As many critics have pointed out, the film takes plenty of liberties with respect to distorting facts for dramatization. Even the title of the film is off.

Screenshot from the film Braveheart (1995)Twentieth Century, Braveheart (1995)

Braveheart (Cont.)

Braveheart refers to Robert the Bruce, not William Wallace, whose role in Scottish history is documented by the movie. Other aspects of the film, such as the blue warpaint and Wallace’s relationship with Princess Isabella, are entirely made-up. Wallace’s backstory is also modified to erase his lesser nobility heritage.

Screenshot from the movie Braveheart (1995)Twentieth Century, Braveheart (1995)

JFK

For what should have been a historical movie, JFK integrated a bunch of government conspiracy theories and unsupported claims that did not sit well with critics. The most glaring misdemeanor of all is the confession by David Ferrie, which was portrayed in the movie.

Screenshot from the movie JFK (1991)Warner Bros., JFK (1991)

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JFK (Cont.)

In reality, this did not happen at all, with Ferrie maintaining his innocence until death. They also messed up the seating arrangement, a crucial factor in the assassination. In the film, John Connally is seen seated directly in front of Kennedy while he is actually positioned further inside the vehicle.

JFK Assassination factsFlickr

Apocalypto

Prepare yourself to see the name Mel Gibson a few times because a couple of his films have made the list. One of these is Apocalypto, a historical thriller intended to depict the Mayan civilization. It’s generally viewed as problematic, and here’s why.

Screenshot from the movie Apocalypto (2006)Touchstone, Apocalypto (2006)

Apocalypto (Cont.)

For one, the timeline is skewed. The Spanish conquistadors, who arrived at the end of the movie during the collapse of Mayan society, only really showed up around 400 years later. Additionally, the mass human sacrifices shown in the movie were more characteristic of the Aztecs.

Screenshot from the movie Apocalypto (2006)Touchstone, Apocalypto (2006)

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Apocalypto (Cont.)

Overall, it is seen as an almost offensive misrepresentation of the Mayan culture, especially since the violence that is central to the film has no evidence rooted in history. The Mayans were relatively peaceful dwellers, unlike the barbaric society the movie painted them to be.

Apocalypto Cont.Apocalypto - HD (Trailer) by AMBI Distribution

The Imitation Game

A tribute to the genius Alan Turing, who played a climactic role in cracking the German enigma code during WW2, The Imitation Game does have a good number of inaccuracies that derail its excellence. Some characters in the storyline, like Robert Nock, are fictional altogether.

Benedict Cumberbatch FactsThe Imitation Game (2014), Black Bear Pictures

The Imitation Game (Cont.)

Other characters, like John Cairncross, are based on real people but are unlikely to have even met Turing in his lifetime. The details of Turing’s arrest and chemical castration are also manipulated, resulting in a skewed perception of Alan Turing’s personal life and motivations.

Screenshot from the movie The Imitation Game (2014)Black Bear, The Imitation Game (2014)

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Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor has infamously received negative reviews from not only critics but also stakeholders like the veterans who were involved in the attack. This can be attributed to the factual inaccuracies that plague the film, which made everyone wonder why.

scene from the film Pearl HarborTouchstone Pictures, Pearl Harbor (2001)

Pearl Harbor (Cont.)

Apart from the anachronisms and timeline mistakes throughout the film, one major event that became controversial was the Japanese hospital attack. What was shown was far from the truth, as the Japanese pilots were ordered not to attack civilian targets.

Screenshot from the movie Pearl Harbor (2001)Touchstone, Pearl Harbor (2001)

Marie Antoinette

This is a fun one, as the inaccuracies and anachronisms present in the movie are intentional choices made by the director, Sofia Coppola. Despite its title, Marie Antoinette can be labeled as more of an artistic representation than a historical film.

Gabrielle De Polastron FactsMarie Antoinette (2006), Columbia Pictures

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Marie Antoinette (Cont.)

Notably, the Converse sneakers that Antoinette is seen wearing are meant to metaphorically represent her rebellious reign as Queen of France. Other minor errors include the circumstances of Antoinette’s marriage to King Louis XVI, which, contrary to the movie, took place on a stormy night.

Marie Antoinette (2006 film)Columbia, Marie Antoinette (2006)

The Patriot

Another historical movie with repercussions of agitation upon its release, The Patriot, received backlash for multiple acts of creative wrongdoing. Of these, the primary offenses are the film’s watered-down depiction of slavery during the period and the villainization of the British soldiers.

Heath Ledger The PatriotColumbia, The Patriot

The Patriot (Cont.)

As if that were not enough, the protagonist, Benjamin Martin, is a mixed character based on multiple historical personalities. One of these is Francis Marion, but unlike Martin, Marion persecuted indigenous communities and mistreated his slaves. Oh, before we forget, this is a Mel Gibson film.

Screenshot from the movie The Patriot (2000)Columbia, The Patriot (2000)

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U-571

A historical film that comes closest to being classified as fiction is probably U-571. The film revolves around an imaginary narrative in which the first German enigma machine was captured by American forces. In reality, the British naval forces captured one of these devices months before America entered the war.

Screenshot from the movie U-571 (2000)Universal, U-571 (2000)

U-571 (Cont.)

Ignoring the obvious, the movie has misreported many technical nuances of the machinery used during the war. It also downplays British accomplishments while negatively characterizing German U-boat crews with atrocities that are entirely fabricated.

U-571U-571 (2000) - Ending Scene by kinobscura

Cool Runnings

This sports comedy chronicles the Jamaican Olympic bobsled team that contested in the 1988 Winter Olympics. It’s a charming film beloved by audiences but contains a plethora of factual errors. The team was originally formed of members from the Jamaican army, not disqualified athletes from the Summer Olympic trials.

Screenshot :John Candy wearing brown jacket and red scurf is looking at side - from Cool Runnings (1993)Walt Disney, Cool Runnings (1993)

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Cool Runnings (Cont.)

They were also well-received at the Olympic Village, unlike the circumstances painted by the film. Besides, the crash that occurred was not a result of mechanical failure but rather of driver inexperience and excessive speed that led to instability of the bobsled.

Screenshot :John Candy wearing black jacket and colorful scarf is looking at front - from Cool Runnings (1993)Walt Disney, Cool Runnings (1993)

Kingdom Of Heaven

For all its artistic big-screen worth, the Kingdom Of Heaven contains rather shallow portrayals of the conflicts that drove the Crusades and the events surrounding them. The film oversimplified the Siege of Jerusalem, in particular, while it was meant to be more thrilling.

Ghassan Massoud	 as Saladin in Kingdom of HeavenTwentieth Century, Kingdom of Heaven (2005)

Kingdom Of Heaven (Cont.)

The renowned figures the film is known for have also been misrepresented. Saladin’s characterization and Bailan of Ibelin’s lineage are examples of this. Bailan was a legitimate child who was married to Maria Comnena, and Saladin was more of a ruthless military leader than a philosopher.

Iain Glen FactsKingdom of Heaven (2005), 20th Century Fox

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Bohemian Rhapsody

Real fans of the rock band Queen will notice the discrepancies that speckle the biographical film Bohemian Rhapsody. From an imaginary period of estrangement amongst the bandmates to fictionalized individuals, the film contains a few sneaky errors.

Freddie Mercury FactsBohemian Rhapsody (2018), Twentieth Century Fox

Bohemian Rhapsody (Cont.)

Ray Foster, an EMI executive, is a composite character rather than a specific person Queen was involved with. Paul Pretner’s character is also villainized for dramatic effect. Apart from some additional timeline inaccuracies, the movie seems to imply estrangement amongst the bandmates for a period of time, which never happened.

Sacha Baron Cohen factsBohemian Rhapsody (2018), Twentieth Century Fox


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