FabSwingers.com forum: Historical inaccuracies in fiction

By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

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?

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *rwhowhatwherewhyMan
over a year ago

Aylesbury

No, its fiction.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *partharmonyCouple
over a year ago

Ruislip

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.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *bi HaiveMan
Forum Mod
over a year ago

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.......

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *ighty_tightyMan
over a year ago

Norfolk/Suffolk

I'm more annoyed when books are made into films and things are conveniently added or removed from the plot

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

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.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

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 "

That's what ruined the Lotr films for me. Too much deviation from the books.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Only if it's a war movie and I'm sitting next to MrWho. Any historical weapon inaccuracy leads to a small rant.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

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........

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

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?

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *eneralKenobiMan
over a year ago

North Angus

Braveheart… it has misconstrued so many’s view of Scotland and it’s history. I’d say more so in places like America

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *icecouple561Couple
Forum Mod
over a year ago

East Sussex

I get annoyed. One of the films about Elizabeth the first had her meeting Mary Queen of Scots when in fact they never met.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *imon_hydeMan
over a year ago

Stockport

No it's a work of fiction, the author has full artistic license.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

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.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *jorkishMan
over a year ago

Seaforth

"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.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *nglishCharmMan
over a year ago

Midlands

War Horse the film was not told in the eyes/ mind of the horse as in the great book.. shame yet as previous post's it's down to the director and author x Connor

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *naswingdressWoman
over a year ago

Manchester (she/her)

If I'm in a good mood it's fine as long as it's within the general zeitgeist.

In a bad mood I will see everything and rant

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *partharmonyCouple
over a year ago

Ruislip

Marty McFly played a Gibson ES-335 in 1955 when he invented rock n roll, but that model was not made until 1958. I still think it's a great film.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *topthepressMan
over a year ago

MANCHESTER

Depends on the times I guess if you look at breakfast at Tiffany's in the book she's a prostitute in the movie a woman with lots of male friends in Lolita she's 15 in the book 19 in the film

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I liked Raquel Welch in her fur bikini in “One Million Years BC”, though

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *ickdasterdly51Man
over a year ago

Lingfield

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!

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *icecouple561Couple
Forum Mod
over a year ago

East Sussex

"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

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *jorkishMan
over a year ago

Seaforth

"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

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"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

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *icecouple561Couple
Forum Mod
over a year ago

East Sussex

"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

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *nebworthMan
over a year ago

Knebworth

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.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *NL Social SpurschickWoman
over a year ago

Social Zone

"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 !

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *ad NannaWoman
over a year ago

East London

Neanderthals fighting dinosaurs does my head in.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *nebworthMan
over a year ago

Knebworth

"Neanderthals fighting dinosaurs does my head in."

Sixty-five million years apart. Mind you, when I was at school Piltdown Man and Neanderthals were taught as being direct ancesters.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

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?

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

Interesting replies so far

Question came about after talking to a friend about the boy in the striped pyjamas and how inaccurate it was

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Not as most true story’s are exactly that 90% off true story movies have had things add or take away for dramatic offects

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *ealitybitesMan
over a year ago

Belfast

Usually any movie involving Irish history.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

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.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *topthepressMan
over a year ago

MANCHESTER

"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

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *pursChick aka ShortieWoman
over a year ago

On a mooch

"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.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *jorkishMan
over a year ago

Seaforth

"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

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

U-531 engima machine captured by the americans, except captured by the british before the americans entered the war

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *uminsiderMKMan
over a year ago

St Austell

"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!

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Braveheart. Got to be the most historically inaccurate movie of all time. Apart from dates of battles ect it's absolute nonsense.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *ollydoesWoman
over a year ago

Shangri-La

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

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *naswingdressWoman
over a year ago

Manchester (she/her)

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"

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *nebworthMan
over a year ago

Knebworth

"Braveheart. Got to be the most historically inaccurate movie of all time. Apart from dates of battles ect it's absolute nonsense. "

Kilts, not invented at that time.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *nebworthMan
over a year ago

Knebworth

"U-531 engima machine captured by the americans, except captured by the british before the americans entered the war"

U571?

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *ollydoesWoman
over a year ago

Shangri-La

"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.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Inglorious Basterds is a brilliant film and near enough all of that is factually incorrect.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *icecouple561Couple
Forum Mod
over a year ago

East Sussex

I guess that people like me should concentrate on the word 'fiction' and bear in mind that mostly films are 'based on' the story of.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *irty_DeedsMan
over a year ago

Teesside

"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.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

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......

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *yron69Man
over a year ago

Fareham

The helicopter in Where Eagles Dare.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

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.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

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

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *J GeminiTV/TS
over a year ago

Northumberland

The film Krakatoa East of Java.

Krakatoa was actually west of Java when it erupted, then it was no more!

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *yron69Man
over a year ago

Fareham

Spartacus with Kirk Douglas.

Wrong Roman armour and less battles than in reality.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

Post new Message to Thread