In as much as Hollywood is considered to be the oldest and dominant film industry, it has a habit of glorifying and exaggerating historical stories to make them more of a box office draw.
Did you know that there are many factual inaccuracies in major Hollywood productions?
Did Hollywood get it all wrong in their plot?
Forget about it being the forefront of sound-film development in the following decades, we are talking about facts.
Here, we will look at these glaring inaccuracies in the movies.
Pearl Harbor
In this film, fictional heroes Danny and Rafe, after surviving the bombing, are sent to Tokyo to bomb the city, but the truth is that no one was sent there.
The film additionally shows the Japanese planes firing on civilians and a hospital, this never happened.
What else was wrong ? – President Roosevelt standing up from his wheelchair to make a dramatic speech never occurred!
Amistad
This was based off Steven Spielberg’s true drama about a slave ship rebellion. The results here is the Supreme Court case, making John Quincy Adams (Anthony Hopkins), the 6th president of the United States, a hero.
However, his antislavery stances were less forceful than the film would suggest and the film seems to focus around the numerous white heroes.
What else was wrong ? – The movie omitted the part when 3,000 white people paid 12 cents to stare at the Africans while they were in jail awaiting the trial.
300
This film centres on the battle of Thermopylae that occurred in 480 BC between Spartan warriors and the Persian army.
In contrast with what was depicted, there were in reality about 7000 Spartans.
What else was inaccurate? – The Iranian Academy of the Arts put forward a formal complaint to UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) they said the film was “an attack on the historical identity of Iran.”
Pocahontas
Firstly, Her real name was Amonute and Pocahontas was her nickname, translating to “playful one”.
According to the Disney movie, Pocahontas meets and falls in love with English Captain John Smith, a settler with dreams of conquering the new world, striving to keep the peace between her tribe and the English.
In reality, Pocahontas was a child when Smith arrived, and she married another man before dying at the young age of only 22.
Alexander
Although, throughout the film, there are events that may have actually happened, but differently altogether.
The Battle of the Granicus, the Battle of Issus, and the Battle of Gaugamela were all mixed into one incredible battle for the film and angered historians.
Consequently – Since the film’s premiere in 2004, an incredible four Director’s Cuts have been released in an attempt to amend some of the movie’s inaccuracies.
Gladiator
Yes, this film won Best Picture at the Academy Awards, it is not short of inaccuracies.
First, the gladiator Maximus (Crowe) is entirely fictional.
What else ? The Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurelius, was not killed by his son Commodus but died of chickenpox.
