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Historical inaccuracies in fiction
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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If you are reading a book of fiction or watching a fictional movie where they may include historical events, does it take away your enjoyment if there are errors.
Some will say this is fictional licence but can it give misleading views of what happened? |
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It really depends on the case. In Darkest Hour, Winston Churchill did a vox pop on the tube, which was pretty silly but didn't really affect the whole film. There are other things I've seen which do put me off, but I can't think of one right now. |
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By *bi HaiveMan
over a year ago
Forum Mod Cheeseville, Somerset |
"If you are reading a book of fiction or watching a fictional movie where they may include historical events, does it take away your enjoyment if there are errors.
Some will say this is fictional licence but can it give misleading views of what happened? "
Yep. I was truly shocked that they tried to convince us that chariots were gas powered in 'Gladiator'.
Do I look that daft.......  
A |
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By *ihmMan
over a year ago
West Wales |
"If you are reading a book of fiction or watching a fictional movie where they may include historical events, does it take away your enjoyment if there are errors.
Some will say this is fictional licence but can it give misleading views of what happened? "
If it is a subject I have a reasonable amount of familiarity with it bothers me, if it is a film or telly programme someone is unfortunate enough to be watching with me I will invariably ruin it for them by picking the inaccuracies apart and going on about it ad nauseum!
For a brilliant blend of historical figures and events with fiction the Flashman papers can't be bettered in my humble opinion. |
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By *ihmMan
over a year ago
West Wales |
"I'm more annoyed when books are made into films and things are conveniently added or removed from the plot "
Don't get me started on this! Peter Jackson should be on trial somewhere for crimes against humanity........ |
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By *lynJMan
over a year ago
Morden |
"I'm more annoyed when books are made into films and things are conveniently added or removed from the plot
Don't get me started on this! Peter Jackson should be on trial somewhere for crimes against humanity........ "
Ruined Lotr for you too? |
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By *ihmMan
over a year ago
West Wales |
"I'm more annoyed when books are made into films and things are conveniently added or removed from the plot
Don't get me started on this! Peter Jackson should be on trial somewhere for crimes against humanity........
Ruined Lotr for you too?"
I grew up reading Lord of the Rings. It is such a cinematic book it didn't need butchering and mangling in the way it was, it could have been brilliant. Sadly it wasn't. |
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"I get annoyed. One of the films about Elizabeth the first had her meeting Mary Queen of Scots when in fact they never met. "
There are many rumours that they did indeed meet once. The accepted view is that they did not. Tbh I loved that film and their fictional meet I enjoyed even if I didnt believe it. |
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Being a bit of a train buff I hate it when they use the wrong engines or carriages for the period. I find myself shouting at the screen that they shouldn't be using a British Rail MK 2 carriage in a 1930s drama or a LNER engine carrying a train in the West county. It happens a lot. I'm a bit sad like that! |
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"I get annoyed. One of the films about Elizabeth the first had her meeting Mary Queen of Scots when in fact they never met.
There are many rumours that they did indeed meet once. The accepted view is that they did not. Tbh I loved that film and their fictional meet I enjoyed even if I didnt believe it. "
An historian I think it was Prof Alice Roberts, said that she didn't think it mattered too so those in the know are on your side  |
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"I get annoyed. One of the films about Elizabeth the first had her meeting Mary Queen of Scots when in fact they never met.
There are many rumours that they did indeed meet once. The accepted view is that they did not. Tbh I loved that film and their fictional meet I enjoyed even if I didnt believe it.
An historian I think it was Prof Alice Roberts, said that she didn't think it mattered too so those in the know are on your side "
Well let's face it neither of the actresses looked like the real queens lol by the time Mary met her demises she was not the great beauty people said she was and neither was Elizabeth |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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"Only if it's a war movie and I'm sitting next to MrWho. Any historical weapon inaccuracy leads to a small rant."
Have a friend like that. Fortunately he leaves it to after the film to educate me |
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"I get annoyed. One of the films about Elizabeth the first had her meeting Mary Queen of Scots when in fact they never met.
There are many rumours that they did indeed meet once. The accepted view is that they did not. Tbh I loved that film and their fictional meet I enjoyed even if I didnt believe it.
An historian I think it was Prof Alice Roberts, said that she didn't think it mattered too so those in the know are on your side
Well let's face it neither of the actresses looked like the real queens lol by the time Mary met her demises she was not the great beauty people said she was and neither was Elizabeth"
I know. I'm just an annoying pedant  |
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Although private aircraft have been landed by a passenger, no commercial aircraft have ever been landed by a passenger. There have been numerous fictional films on the topic. That is fine, but one film had the crew incapacitated and passengers dying - of radiation poisoning - because they had caught a virus that was man made, had a radioactive isotope as part of its structure, so everyone who has the virus was busy making the radiation that was killing them. Most poor. Anyone remember the film “The Thomas Crown Affair” with Pierce Brosnan? It won an award for being based on a fictional scientific principle that was so poorly thought out, Brosnan should have sung it to the audience. |
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By *irthandgirthMan
over a year ago
Camberley occasionally doncaster |
"I'm more annoyed when books are made into films and things are conveniently added or removed from the plot
Don't get me started on this! Peter Jackson should be on trial somewhere for crimes against humanity........
Ruined Lotr for you too?
I grew up reading Lord of the Rings. It is such a cinematic book it didn't need butchering and mangling in the way it was, it could have been brilliant. Sadly it wasn't."
I take it you haven't heard about the upcoming Rings of Power series then? |
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By *lynJMan
over a year ago
Morden |
"I'm more annoyed when books are made into films and things are conveniently added or removed from the plot
Don't get me started on this! Peter Jackson should be on trial somewhere for crimes against humanity........
Ruined Lotr for you too?
I grew up reading Lord of the Rings. It is such a cinematic book it didn't need butchering and mangling in the way it was, it could have been brilliant. Sadly it wasn't."
Hear hear. I didn't/can't watch the Hobbit.  |
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"I'm more annoyed when books are made into films and things are conveniently added or removed from the plot
Or they change the endings ! "
sometimes they have to change it or the film will never be made |
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"I'm more annoyed when books are made into films and things are conveniently added or removed from the plot
Or they change the endings !
sometimes they have to change it or the film will never be made "
Maybe but the endings of the book are normally better than what they decide to do. Or in some cases a person who is dead already in the book survives to the end
I’ve learnt not to expect anything from a movie of a book I’ve already read, they are definitely two separate stories and treat them as such. |
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"I get annoyed. One of the films about Elizabeth the first had her meeting Mary Queen of Scots when in fact they never met.
There are many rumours that they did indeed meet once. The accepted view is that they did not. Tbh I loved that film and their fictional meet I enjoyed even if I didnt believe it.
An historian I think it was Prof Alice Roberts, said that she didn't think it mattered too so those in the know are on your side
Well let's face it neither of the actresses looked like the real queens lol by the time Mary met her demises she was not the great beauty people said she was and neither was Elizabeth
I know. I'm just an annoying pedant "
I take a lot of historical films with a pinch of salt |
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"Only if it's a war movie and I'm sitting next to MrWho. Any historical weapon inaccuracy leads to a small rant."
My wife won't watch war movies with me for the same reason!
And it's not just about weaponry either - 'The Imitation Game' and 'Darkest Hour' are a couple of examples where my comments on inaccuracies led to stony silences...
....we only recently watched 'Munich: The Edge of War' together under the proviso that I would refrain from remarking on anything which I perceived to be wrong! |
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I watched Gladiatir with my nan. She was Italian and before moving here after the war did a degree in greek mythology. All I heard when watching it was "they didnt do that they did this" "he is weraing the wrong clothes" "they were around till years later" on and on and on |
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I suppose next question is, what counts as an inaccuracy? There's a lot that's a best guess or we don't know. There might be a standard answer that the public are told but - yeah not so much.
I still struggle with periods I know things about - because quite often the inaccuracies are "that doesn't make any fucking sense, fuck off" |
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"I'm more annoyed when books are made into films and things are conveniently added or removed from the plot "
I have to read the book before I watch the film. I did it the wrong way round years ago and watched The bone collector as didnt know it was a book. The book is always better. |
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"I'm more annoyed when books are made into films and things are conveniently added or removed from the plot
Don't get me started on this! Peter Jackson should be on trial somewhere for crimes against humanity........
Ruined Lotr for you too?
I grew up reading Lord of the Rings. It is such a cinematic book it didn't need butchering and mangling in the way it was, it could have been brilliant. Sadly it wasn't.
Hear hear. I didn't/can't watch the Hobbit. "
I enjoy the LOTR books and films as a separate thing. No book turned to a film/TV show ever lives up to expectations. |
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By *ihmMan
over a year ago
West Wales |
"I'm more annoyed when books are made into films and things are conveniently added or removed from the plot
Don't get me started on this! Peter Jackson should be on trial somewhere for crimes against humanity........
Ruined Lotr for you too?
I grew up reading Lord of the Rings. It is such a cinematic book it didn't need butchering and mangling in the way it was, it could have been brilliant. Sadly it wasn't.
Hear hear. I didn't/can't watch the Hobbit. I enjoy the LOTR books and films as a separate thing. No book turned to a film/TV show ever lives up to expectations."
Wolf Hall did. Mark Rylance manages to make Bing almost watchable for me though, so maybe I am biased.
Suppose it has a lot to do with the quality of an adaptation of a book to film or television. The night manager was exceptional, but changed considerably from the book, but pulled it off. Omar Sharif and Julie Christie managed to carry Dr Zhivago in spite of not being very faithful to the original text. The remake was miscast and mediocre, so didn't get away with it. There is no excusing Lord of the Rings though...... |
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By *yron69Man
over a year ago
Fareham |
Titanic. Third class being locked below.
Third class were segregated due to US immigration and hygiene laws. They were not permitted on US soil until they were cleared in immigration.
On Titanic third class was simply not obviously connected to first or second and it was years before illuminated exit signs.
Plus when they boast it was built by Irish hands..
The Protestant workers of Harland and Wolff identified as British back then. |
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By *lynJMan
over a year ago
Morden |
"I'm more annoyed when books are made into films and things are conveniently added or removed from the plot
Don't get me started on this! Peter Jackson should be on trial somewhere for crimes against humanity........
Ruined Lotr for you too?
I grew up reading Lord of the Rings. It is such a cinematic book it didn't need butchering and mangling in the way it was, it could have been brilliant. Sadly it wasn't.
Hear hear. I didn't/can't watch the Hobbit. I enjoy the LOTR books and films as a separate thing. No book turned to a film/TV show ever lives up to expectations."
The Harry Potter movies do - IMHO |
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