Subject: A True History
Posted by: romeomikegolf
Date: Jan 22 12
Most of us have been brought up on history as portrayed by films. Most of that though is fiction, or distorted fact. What have you discovered to be the real history of a story on film that didn't tell the whole truth?
Posted by: romeomikegolf
Date: Jan 22 12
Most of us have been brought up on history as portrayed by films. Most of that though is fiction, or distorted fact. What have you discovered to be the real history of a story on film that didn't tell the whole truth?
36 replies. On page 1 of 2 pages. 1 2
Greatguggly
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Every Oliver Stone movie I've ever seen comes to mind, even "The Doors". Also, I doubt the munchkins were as cute and friendly as they were portrayed in "The Wizard of Oz". And who ever heard of a good witch? Reply #1. Jan 22 12, 1:44 PM |
houston1127
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Yeah, JFK doesn't exactly come with footnotes, does it? It was a good movie, though, despite Kevin Costner's horrible southern accent. That linguistic catastrophe, however, sounded absolutely Olivier-like compared to the nightmare that was his British accent in Robin Hood. Reply #2. Jan 22 12, 2:21 PM |
fontenilles 
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Y"eah, JFK doesn't exactly come with footnotes, does it? It was a good movie, though, despite Kevin Costner's horrible southern accent. That linguistic catastrophe, however, sounded absolutely Olivier-like compared to the nightmare that was his British accent in Robin Hood." I fancied Kevin Costner in Robin Hood and Dances With Wolfs so don't go dissing my man :) I'm not sure I've seen JFK Reply #3. Jan 22 12, 2:44 PM |
flopsymopsy
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I suppose the one which stands out a thousand miles for Brits is U-571, when a daring attack is made by an American submarine on a German submarine (U-571) to capture an Enigma machine. Oh the derring-do. Only it never happened. The Polish were responsible for the initial capture of an Enigma machine and breaking some of the code; they handed their results to the British and French just before the German invasion. The French in turn brought their work to Britain. There *was* a submarine capture of a machine and cipher books but it was a British submarine and no Americans were anywhere near as they weren't even in the war yet. HMS Bulldog was her name. I remember the outrage in the UK when that film was released. Questions were asked in Parliament about it and the makers were forced to include a written statement in the credits saying it was the Royal Navy that captured most Enigma machines and code books... but who reads the credits? Many of us boycotted that movie and I won't watch it even now if it's on television. But how many American kids grew up thinking their Navy saved the world by capturing Enigma? Quite a lot I imagine. Reply #4. Jan 22 12, 2:52 PM |
| fontenilles
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"I suppose the one which stands out a thousand miles for Brits is U-571, when a daring attack is made by an American submarine on a German submarine (U-571) to capture an Enigma machine. Oh the derring-do. Only it never happened." Flopsy, that was the film I was trying to remember to post here, but I've never seen it, so I got seduced into Kevin Costner!!! Turing? I think? built the machine that deciphered the Enigma machine? First computer really Reply #5. Jan 22 12, 3:04 PM |
| houston1127
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Didn't Turing head up the Enigma-effort at Blecheley Park? I think he built a machine called "The Bomb" to help decipher the Enigma intercepts. I'm not 100 percent sure, as I got my entire Turing education from the novel "Cryptonomicon." Speaking of The Bomb, I think Costner's great, just not his accents. "Field of Dreams" was super. Speaking of Kevin Costner, "The Untouchables" played a little fast and loose with the historical record, did it not? Although it had a great soundtrack, by the Italian gent who wrote "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" music. Reply #6. Jan 22 12, 3:44 PM |
| houston1127
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"But how many American kids grew up thinking their Navy saved the world by capturing Enigma?" Trick question, most American kids don't grow up thinking. But that's another thread entirely. Reply #7. Jan 22 12, 3:49 PM |
| Greatguggly
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The Bombe Reply #8. Jan 22 12, 3:49 PM |
| Greatguggly
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Sorry bout that Houston, didn't see your last two posts. I was busy not thinking. Reply #9. Jan 22 12, 3:51 PM |
| houston1127
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No problem. Apparently I wasn't either. I forgot the "E". Reply #10. Jan 22 12, 4:08 PM |
| flopsymopsy
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Alan Turing indeed. He worked on the coding analysis and machine - the Bombe - which broke Enigma. After the war he worked, amongst other places, at Manchester University; the man who took over from Turing at Manchester was Tony Brooker who devised the world's first high level computing language. Some years later, Tony Brooker taught me programming. So I'm only two steps away from Turing... However, Turing wasn't responsible for the world's first programmable electronic computer, that feat belongs to another Brit - Tommy Flowers, who built Colossus to decipher the Lorenz codes. They've rebuilt a Colossus at Bletchley, well worth a visit should you be passing and like watching valves flicker on and off. :) Reply #11. Jan 22 12, 5:15 PM |
boxjaw
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As to post#4. It's a movie. It's entertainment. That's all it was. "U-571" was a pretty bad movie even by the standards of '60s WWII movies. But to boycott it just for british pride? Believe me when I say this. I've said it before. Your island nation would not be boycotting anything without the U.S. Navy. Regardless of the fact that the French and Poles recovered enigma machines. Just let that bad movie be bad. No need to have a special little tag in the credits. :^P Outrage? Please. Reply #12. Jan 24 12, 1:35 PM |
| Greatguggly
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And in the blue corner, in the white briefs, weighing in at 500 virtual pounds....BoxJaw! That's the first time I've seen you defend the good ol' US of A. Not saying you haven't, I just haven't seen it. WTG, brother. Just remember, that LEFT hook can be wicked. Bob, weave, duck and jab...Bob, weave, duck and jab. Reply #13. Jan 24 12, 2:02 PM |
daver852
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From a historical standpoint, "Braveheart" has to be one of the worst movies of all time. There are so many historical inaccuracies in that film that it would take all day to list them! For one thing, 13th Century Scots did not wear kilts or tartan, nor did they paint their faces blue when going into battle; Edward I never introduced "prima nocte" into Scotland; Robert the Bruce had nothing to do with Wallace's capture by the English; Wallace did not support the Bruce's claim as King of Scotland - he supported John Balliol; and Wallace was certainly not the father of Edward III, nor was he Isabella's lover. She was ten years old when he died. Still a good movie, but I don't think it was necessary to take so many liberties with the historical record. Reply #14. Jan 24 12, 3:39 PM |
REDVIKING57
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I don't think William Wallace was Australian,either. And neither was Robin Hood - with or without a poor Irish accent! If the mythical King Arthur was based on a real character,he sure as hell wasn't a left-over Roman Legionaire,either! Reply #15. Jan 24 12, 5:14 PM |
trojan11
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I think that you're right about Wallace, RV, but what about Bruce? A tad Bondi Beach, that. Weighing at a virtual 500lbs, GG? C'mon, hombre! You're about talking a North American; is he on a diet - or what? Very disconcerting, 'tho, all this. I might even start to believe that Audie Murphy wasn't really Billy the Kid. Reply #16. Jan 24 12, 7:38 PM |
george48
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I blame it all on the words 'Based on a True Story'. That statement alone leads most people to believe that it's ALL TRUE. Personally i don't care if it's based on a true story or the product of a fertile imagination,when watching a movie,i check my brains at the door and wait to be entertained. That's all. Reply #17. Jan 24 12, 8:22 PM |
| BxBarracuda
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I agree George. I recently saw the movie "We Bought a Zoo", a decent movie, but nothing like the true story that I think there is a good documentary on, which takes place in England not California and that is just for starters from what I can tell, it was the slimmest of threads that was used to call this based on a true story. I think I wrote in some interesting information out in quizzyland somewhere, that Ramses gets a bad rap from "The Ten Commandments", odds are highly likely he wasn't alive at the same time as Moses, and generatoins of a major religion believe Ramses looked like Yul Bryner and was one of the all time bad guys. When it comes to Hollywood and other movie making meccas the list goes on and on with historical inaccuracies. I think the Marvel comics I read growing up stayed truer to history and anchient mythology then movies and T.V. Reply #18. Jan 24 12, 9:48 PM |
C30
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Hollywood can't even get American history right, so no chance of them getting anyone else's right! As has been said, "The truth should never stand in the way of a good film", and we all know WW2 was won by the good ol' US of A, as Hollywood has shown many times over! Lol Reply #19. Jan 25 12, 1:26 AM |
| Greatguggly
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Yes, I'd say all of that is true. The war ended a long time ago. The good guys won. Almost 80 years later and people still get bent out of shape about who did what. Obviously the United States entering the war turned the tide. I think to say that we won the war single-handedly (which I've never heard anyone say in a non-sarcastic way), would do a huge disservice to the memory of millions of brave people from many different countries. Reply #20. Jan 25 12, 11:31 AM |
36 replies. On page 1 of 2 pages. 1 2
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