The sad (or rather really annoying) thing about it is that many Australians now think that the Gallipoli film version of that campaign is the truth, leading to an awful lot of undeserved "Brit-bashing" around ANZAC day.
By the same token many Scots now believe that Sir William Wallace was a put-upon, wode-daubed Highland commoner rather than the knight he was.

If it's accuracy you want don't watch anything out of Hollywood.

Just about anything made during WWII and especially with John Wayne.

It would be a shorter list of the ones that most everything right.

And, unfortunately, those would mostly be documentaries.

Watching any war movie based on a real battle is hard. They try to do the best they can with what they have. Some movies come off better than others.

Yes, in 300 there were a good deal of omissions, but it was still a good movie. My wife who does nto like war movies actually liked 300 a good deal. In Saving Private Ryan they used Russian tanks with added metal to have them resemble German tanks. But in the end it was still a good movie. Braveheart totally rewrote the battle of Sterling Bridge.

Then you have the never did happen movies, like Kelly's Heros, or The Dirty Dozen. What about MASH or even Stripes?

I tend to be critial of all war movies and point out problems. But they are ment to be entertainment.

Midway, Memphis Belle, and Pearl Harbor are the first three to pop into my mind. If it's accuracy you want, stay away from those three and read a book instead.

quote:

Originally posted by USNVet940:
Pearl Harbor

*groans* I went to see that in theaters and I was expecting something totally awesome, not some sappy love story . I remember taking the lid of my drink and cramming my face into it in an attempt to drown myself, but I couldn't let that root beer go to waste.

quote:

Originally posted by Bladensburg:
The sad (or rather really annoying) thing about it is that many Australians now think that the Gallipoli film version of that campaign is the truth, leading to an awful lot of undeserved "Brit-bashing" around ANZAC day.
By the same token many Scots now believe that Sir William Wallace was a put-upon, wode-daubed Highland commoner rather than the knight he was.

Ho Humm! I think Brit bashing re Gallipoli is a valid occupation. Bit like Brit bashing re Singapore/Malaya WWII.

Kokoda hits the pile quite well also for a bad film.

quote:

Originally posted by thepoopgoblin:

quote:

Originally posted by USNVet940:
Pearl Harbor

*groans* I went to see that in theaters and I was expecting something totally awesome, not some sappy love story .

Same here. The only things that kept me from walking out in the middle of that train wreck was the CGI effects and the free refills on the popcorn.

Stripes was the whole reason I joined the Army--I wanted to volunteer before I was drafted.

I thought of a new one.

Cold Mountain.

The beginning was cool, but after that...

Let's re-cap the movie (not sure if this is in order)

Battle of The Crater at Petersburg

Guy runs away

Nicole Kidman performs some Pagan ritual involving a well

Some farmer has to cut a dead cow in half

Random sex scene

Old woman gets tortured on a fence

More sex

The worst part is, I watched this with my parents. You know how awkward it is when a character (and I think she said something like this) says, "You can ride me all the way to China." when your mom is sitting right behind you?

I hated that movie.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: thepoopgoblin,

Nobody mentioned Full Metal Jacket.

The boot camp part of the movie was fantastic, but the comabt part was a little strange. In the middle fo the Tet Offensive a platoon takes time out for a hooker!?!?!?! But, "She love you long time."

Fargo:

I agree

But stranger things have happened. My own experiences on the border were surreal, to say the least

quote:

Originally posted by TDR_AUST:

quote:

Originally posted by Bladensburg:
The sad (or rather really annoying) thing about it is that many Australians now think that the Gallipoli film version of that campaign is the truth, leading to an awful lot of undeserved "Brit-bashing" around ANZAC day.
By the same token many Scots now believe that Sir William Wallace was a put-upon, wode-daubed Highland commoner rather than the knight he was.

Ho Humm! I think Brit bashing re Gallipoli is a valid occupation. Bit like Brit bashing re Singapore/Malaya WWII.

Kokoda hits the pile quite well also for a bad film.

Ya, Kokoda was a let down, it could have been made better.So lets keep bashing Brits, Mite.
Steve
Old Cav bunny

Movies are ment to entertain. I watch Discovery or The History channel if I want to be informed. Or I do it the old fashined way, read a book.

I would agree almost 90% of all war movies have historical inaccurate moments in them. But there are those few that are very good and very correct, Das Boot I feel is one of those.

I just have to throw in Walt Disney's MIRACLE OF THE WHITE STALLIONS as one of the worst historical accounts in recent times.

For one, none of the Lipizzan stallions from the Spanish Riding School were even part of the rescue. They were all still in Austria. The horses rescued were the breeding mares and foals, a few of the Royal Hungarian Lipizzan stallions (which the Spanish Riding School wanted nothing to do with), many of the best Arabian and other prime horse stock from around Europe, and several hundred Russian horses.

Patton got all the credit for the rescue when all he did was OK the mission after it was conceived and planned out by the commander of the 2nd Cavalry Group, Col. Charles Reed, and his Staff, with the cooperation of the German soldiers holding the breeding farm and some captured German Intelligence Officers.

The movie has Patton visiting a special private showing of the stallions to intice him to rescue these fantastic animals, when in fact the mission had already taken place at the time of the showing and the war was already over in Europe.

Disney chose to omit the part (among many others) about Col. Reed allowing the captured German soldiers at the horse breeding farm to keep their weapons, and that these German POW's joined former Polish and American POW's liberated in the raid in defending the horse farm against counter-attack by SS troops in the area. These POW's and a reinforced Troop from the 2nd Cavalry Group held the breeding farm, far behind enemy lines in occupied Czechoslovakia, while the rest of the Group continued fighting the war elsewhere, until the war was over in Europe, and then they herded all the horses into Germany before the Russians could claim them, as the Russians were given Czechoslovakia at the end of the war.

to you mean any movie? I would have to put the "Rambo" movies at the top of my list. "Commando" with Ah-nold is another, "The Patriot", "Braveheart", just to name a few.
But as my wife once told me, If you want reality, don't watch a Hollywood movie."

The Enemy Below shows the skipper of a DE making the drop of Depth Charges on the U Boat. The Sonarman on the Recorder tells when to drop as he had the plot for it. At least the pings were near proper and doppler was fit

Behind enemy lines stands apart from all of these movies.

* Most Accurate War Movie ZULU and A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT

* Most inaccurate war movie THE GREEN BERETS


Jack E. Hammond