Movies have the uncanny ability to transport the viewer from one world to another impacting his perception of things. Moreover, a great film can help open one’s eyes to the realities lived by people.
Historical movies are particularly adept at bringing better understanding of the bygone world and it is usually exciting to view them. Particularly the war movies have a special charm and strongly tickle the fancy of cinemagoers. Such films are a treat to watch.
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
From the costumes to the military tactics employed, just about everything in Saving Private Ryan hit the mark. In the opening scene, one can get to see the storming of Omaha beach.
It was actually so accurate that WWII vets had to be escorted out of the cinemas after seeing it. One has to admit, however, that there were inaccuracies in terms of the plot. For example, the character played by Tom Hanks did not exist.
The plot revolving around saving the mother’s son did not happen either. Even though this was the case, it is impressive to see how many facts they got right.
We Were Soldiers (2002)
We Were Soldiers is about a three-day Vietnam War conflict known as the Battle of Ia Drang. The film showcased military tactics such as firing several rounds of ammunition on a bush and flushing out enemies.
According to the director, the movie was based on a book written by a former U.S. Army General by the name of Hal Moore. Apparently, the retired general complained about how every damn Hollywood movie got it wrong.
This made director Randall Wallace work hard to get things right. In the end, Moore said that it was pretty close.
Black Hawk Down (2001)
Based on a non-fiction book, Black Hawk Down was about a journalist who was in Somalia during the Battle of Mogadishu. Even though many Hollywood war films stylize these projects, it chose to stick to a gritty and stripped-down style.
It was impressive to see how the film showcased the crash of the helicopter, as well as the tactics used by American soldiers when forced to undergo heavy fire. Even though the
film shied away from digging deeper into the story and its politics, it still adeptly paid tribute to all the soldiers that fought in this important battle.
Stalingrad (1993)
One must get it out of the way that there are two films with the same title. Instead of the 2013 Russian propaganda film, we want you to focus on the 1993 German film that has been dubbed one of the most accurate war films ever.
It showed the perspective of soldiers that failed on the mission to invade the titular Soviet city. The film did not hold back on showing violent scenes of corpses and the confusion of the
soldiers. A lot of people also praised Germany for showing the losing side of this battle.
Lone Survivor (2013)
Lone Survivor was also based on a book with the same name. Watching the film, one will learn about the story of four Navy SEALS who were posted in Afghanistan. After the Taliban attacked, the SEALs had to go through a life or death scenario.
Even though it might look like it was dramatised, one should keep in mind that everything in the film happened. They really had to go down to cliffs to get away from the gunfire, and Mike Murphy gave up his life. Even the part where friendly villagers helped Marcus Luttrell was true!
MASH (1970)
Even though this 1970 movie was slated to be a black comedy revolving around the terrors and trials of war, it went on to be one of the greatest war pieces out there.
This culturally significant project followed a medical unit posted in Korea although its subtext criticised the Vietnam War more than anything. It was understandable that it would have certain inaccuracies but it was largely accurate in terms of the daily antics and rituals that the unit got up to avoid losing their minds.
This only goes to show that a film does not need to be dramatic to stay true to the historical facts.
