.
Sarcasm.
It would be funny if your country hadn’t done pretty much the same with much of it’s arab population a couple of years ago.
About 17% of the population of Israel is Arab. And, hey, Spain was late in expelling it’s Jewish population. England did it in 1290 and France in 1182.
And you’re cool with that, I suppose.
I mean, if I can’t complain, then you can’t either, right? Because I’d be cool with that.
Of course, I am always cool when people in the SBMD reduce historical circunstances to a shiny catch phrase like “Spain was until the 19 century just like a muslim fundamentalist country”.
After all, ignorance is a blessing.
19th Century is obviously bullshit. But 15th and 16th? You have to admit that Spain did some horrible things back then.
I just find it amusing that you feel the need to defend and deny the actions of your ancestors 500 years ago. Do you really believe they reflect on you in any way? Because it looks to me like you’re protesting a bit too much.
How about simply celebrating how much progress your country has made?
Hell, you can’t believe what some of my ancestors were doing even as late as the 19th Century. That doesn;t mean I am not proud of my heritage and history, mind you, just that some of those dudes were real rotters.
Spanish Armada period Spain is not one of the high points in our history, Estilicon. I say “our” as one of my GreatGrands was apparently a Hapsburg.
Just saw a documentary about this and even the name of the river was incorrect. But the script writer liked the sound of it better, so he changed that too.
It is so inaccurate, that the bridge itself didn’t come close to looking like the one in the film, any veteran POW interviewed for this documentary is still upset that it depicts such a different view of history, and the POW’s (and especially the British) were hardly the near collaborators that they appear to be, as depicted in the movie.
A great movie, but complete bullshit from what I gathered. Approximately 13,000 POW’s died during the construction, and that was a low-ball estimate. The Japanese never signed the Geneva Convention, so in their minds, they had no moral, ethical or legal obligation to follow any of the standards of POW treatment. They shot or stabbed with their bayonets at little or no provocation, and torture was a routine activity.
The bridge was actually made of steel, concrete and iron, and was basically functional throughout its completion to the end of the war. The raliway was completed, and was used for well over a year. Even though it didn’t move as much material as the Japanese were hoping, the railroad was completed and they used it.
The movie gave me such a different impression that I think they should redo it to reflect reality. If you ever get a chance to see the show (I believe it was on the History channel, but not positive) and your only exposure to this horrific slave labor/POW abuse was the movie, I urge you to see it. If you are a history buff like I am, it was very eye opening. The movie is such complete fiction, I can’t believe someone, somewhere didn’t try to do something about it. There was no whistling while you worked as the movie showed, and
From what I could tell, the only thing they got right in the movie was that the bridge was built by slave labor, supplied by both the allied POW’s and the locals (death toll well over 100,000), and the Japanese were their slave drivers.
One of my favorite WWII pictures, but I hate the inaccuracies about it so much that I’ll probably never watch it again. It’s an insult to anyone who had the misfortune of being a part of the building the bridge or any other part of the 250 mile rail line. I guess making a buck was much more important than telling the real story of how evil the Japanese really were in WWII.
If I find a link to the documentary I’ll post it.
I honestly didn’t realize River Kwai was at all based on a true story.
The Japanese had absolute contempt for anyone who would surrender. Five thousand Germans surrounded by ten thousand Allies- the whole lot would surrender, while twenty Japanese soldiers surrounded by a thousand Allies would more likely fight to the death. For several reasons it was largely this mindset that cost them the war.
Speaking of accuracy, there’s a wiki article on the Japanese “revisionist” history of the war.
Estilicon, Alessan, you both need to stop the personal attacks on each other and your respective heritages, which are not appropriate for a Cafe Society discussion about historical inaccuracy. If you disagree about the facts, provide cites – otherwise, knock it off.
This is a word to the wise, not a warning.
twickster, Cafe Society moderator
The Bridge on the River Kwai was based on a novel by French writer Pierre Boulle, the same guy who wrote Planet of the Apes. The author was a POW and based his novel on what he observed of the French officers conduct. He switched the characters to British officers in what, I’m sure, was a gesture of International Understanding and Goodwill. 
You are right of course. Please accept my apologies Alessan.
Only if you accept mine.
(Group hug!)
Kumbaya…
Thanks, guys.