I agree. Why didn’t they just make a movie about code breaker “Alex Schmeering” and leave it at that?
The factual errors in The Imitation Game were absolutely horrendous.
This is because screenwriters use the same tropes in stories based on real life as they do original story. I haven’t seen Imitation Game, but it sounds like he’s a classic Insufferable Genius who you see in a lot of movies and TV shows. Imitation Game is actually listed on this page.
Now why this trope exists is another thing, it’s a strange trope to me, but it seems fairly common. It’s hard to think of any movies or TV shows, whether based on real people or not, that show genius people in accurate ways.
It’s a losing battle, folks. From the Jurassic Park thread:
But why should they have to? What difference does it make if they take liberty? Everyone with half a brain knows that a dramatization of true events is not an accurate depiction. People know that because life doesn’t follow the narative structure of a movie. Which is why, in a large majority of cases, “this a thing that happened” makes for a very shitty movie.
The Imitation Game was the story of a genius who served his country in war, but was still persecuted and vicariously murdered by the very society he saved. That was its message, that was its point, and I think it got that point across very well. I found it well acted, and engaging. I liked it a lot. If you couldn’t tell.
There are movies that are pure depictions of events - documentaries, generally - and even those hand pick and engineer moments to make a point. In art, the message is more important than the reality. Imagine if all paintings were done in the style of realism.
Sharknado was a touching story of how thousands of poor Chondrichthyes were ripped from their home by a natural disaster and struggled to stay alive in a world that was strange to them but full of stupid creatures made of tasty meat.
But it is not based on a true story.
He’s talking about a **Jurassic park **film, something which in no way purports to be “based on a true story”. :rolleyes:
Sorry, we can’t greenlight Albert Einstein, Atomic Warrior until you include a part for Jaden Smith.
“I go to movies to be entertained, not to study or learn about history.”
I knew someone would nitpick. Typical SD. Never lets me down.
You took his totally reasonable post completely out of context.
"Who cares? It’s fiction. " So he knows it isn’t a “based on a true story” film or a documentary.
“I go to movies to be entertained…” And what’s so wrong with choosing only entertaining films? Life is too fucking serious at times to be always doom and gloom. Why the fuck not choose one venue where you want lighthearted 100% entertainment? I totally agree. I go to movies to be entertained. If I want serious, there’s work or the news or …
For American Hustle I think they stated at the start “some of this really happened” , it was based on the ABSCAM events .
Sharks have eaten people in real life – close enough!
Out of context? I quoted it in its entirety.
You want context? OK let’s put his post in context. here is the post IT quoted for his reply:
And his reply:
He’s not talking about Jurassic World, but about a movie with zebras in the Crimean war. One preferably made with CGI and explosions. He’s denouncing historical accuracy. That’s what this thread is about! This is a thread about fictionalization in historically based movies.
Oh, you think you’re special because you “go to movies to be entertained”? What the fuck do you think the rest of us go to them for? The air conditioning? We just want to be entertained with movies that don’t insult us. See the OP of this thread.
I don’t think that movies or other fiction should have to stick strictly to reality. I’m a huge movie buff, watch tons of TV and read more than the average person; I want good stories to be made, whether based on reality or not.
But you can’t just say that of course people know that the story is fictionalized and people should watch a documentary or read a book if they want to know the real truth. Memory isn’t perfect, and people often have misattribution of memory. For some knowledge it is easy to remember the source, like if you think about Hitler being shot up in a theater that’s burning down, it’s easy to remember that was in Inglourious Basterds and not an actual historical event. But if you’re thinking about Turing being blackmailed by a Russian spy, you might remember believe it was true, because you remember it from a documentary you watched or from something you read about him, when it was actually from The Imitation Game and was fictionalized.
Reviving this one.
Last night I watched Tombstone for the first time (yes, I have a bit of a film backlog…)
After the movie, I read about the actual historical persons and events. The movie manages to get the majority of the details correct! Even little things I never knew really happened, things I would have thought were made up (Wyatt pistol whipping the guy before the fight, Wyatt charging Curly Bill’s hail of gunfire and not getting a scratch) are true.
Yes, the movie condensed time, combined or omitted characters, changed their ages. But the core story was accurate. More accurate than any other telling of the events at the OK Corral. Tombstone has to be considered very high on the list of historically-accurate movies. And they managed to make it a good, captivating, interesting and enjoyable movie to boot.
It can be done.
Good to hear, Just Asking Questions! That’s my point of view exactly…I think it’s possible for a movie based on historical events to be reasonably accurate about the history and still tell a really crackling good story. Maybe there needs to be a “Dogme 95” type movement for historically-based movies…
I have to admit, I don’t think I ever saw “Tombstone”-- I thought I did but then I realized I might be confusing it with “Wyatt Earp” which was about the same time. I remember Dennis Quaid in particular-- He did the “serious actor” thing where he lost a bunch of weight to portray the tubercular Doc Holliday, and his portrayal in general I believe got good reviews. I wonder how true to history that movie is. Might be a good idea for a Friday night double feature sometime 