shadyspace
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Argo.
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The most historically "authentic" films of all time?
- Thread starter Speevy
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I am going to ahead and say gladiator does a decent job with the little things. Like when I was young I never understood why they call Maximus a spaniard. Stupid I know but my world history was laughable at that time. I love that he his a general and owns a nice villa because in order to even have a horse in the ancient roman army you had to be rich and so I like that they show his fancy villa.
Dude, no. And I like Gladiator, but no. Someone mentioned Rome earlier, and even that was way off, but Rome is much more accurate than Gladiator.
The one and best answer is Barry Lyndon. That movie is 18th century perfection. I can see where people are coming from with Master & Commander, that's another good answer, but Barry Lyndon is unbelievable in its authenticity.
I'll also mention The Seven Samurai. So damn good.
As far as WW2 goes, the most accurate movie ever made was Twelve O'Clock High with Gregory Peck. Band of Brothers takes it overall though if you include non-movies.
Saving Private Ryan has way too much BS to be a real contender. And again, I like SPR a lot.
Let's see... I'd like to think of other movies that fit the criteria... Oh! Mother loving Lincoln was fantastic in this regard. I don't see how anyone can say otherwise.
Also HBO John Adams does a great job.
I'm done now!
Yeah...Gladiator is pretty bad when it comes to accuracy, and Rome isn't even close to perfect either but I stand by it being the best in terms of what TV/Film have portrayed.
Truth is there is nothing out there that bothers to get all the details when it comes to the Romans correct.
Reverend Funk
Comfy Penetration
Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure
Screaming Meat
Unconfirmed Member
You say that, but I think TGTBATU was surprisingly accurate when it came to setting. Leone was a bit of history buff, as I recall.
While it's only set from 2002-2008, when it was made, it's a pretty great time capsule of that period and as we get further away from it, I think that will become more apparent.
...and Braveheart ...and Apollo 18! ;-D
King Tubby
Member
Eh...I think it's kind of cheating to use "unintentional period pieces." At that point you're just talking about old movies and TV shows that were set in their present day.
Gladiator is very, very far off. Tons of liberties and inaccuracies.
And Ridley Scott even admits a number of the inaccuracies are there because that's the "popular" view of them. Like he was going to have the gladiators shilling products for sponsors, as would be accurate, but didn't because he thought the audience would find it completely unbelievable, even though it's true.
John Dunbar
correct about everything
Kubrick actually got special lenses made for the Apollo moon landings so that he could accurately shoot scenes set in candlelight without using artificial light.
it's good to have connections to high places.
JohnTinker
Limbaugh Parrot
tv show - Peaky Blinders
DOWN
Banned
That's not such a good answer. Rome was scaled up and exaggerated to look more royal and godly. Lots of other liberties taken.
The Wire aimed to be a staunchly realistic depiction of Baltimore at the time. While it's true that it's "easier " to be accurate to the time it's made as opposed to a period peace, that kind of crime show rarely tries to be realistic or reflect the current times (something like CSI might as well be sci-fi).
CSI will always be a sci-fi nonsense show, The Wire will continue to be a snapshot of downtown Baltimore in 2002-2008 into the future. That's the difference.
Public Enemies?
Now that was just a good movie.
I keep bringing up Master and Commander lately, but it honestly is a movie that transports me back to a certain time and place. You just feel like you're in a British man-o-war from the 19th century.
Much of the movie concerns itself with giving an authentic account of what life would have been back then on a warship during the Napoleonic wars. It's especially fantastic at providing a proper sense of camaraderie among sailors and officers.
Now that was just a good movie.
Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku!
Member
Didn't Akira Kurosawa make his actors live in huts and shoot them with real arrows? I'm going with anything by Akira Kurosawa.
I keep bringing up Master and Commander lately, but it honestly is a movie that transports me back to a certain time and place. You just feel like you're in a British man-o-war from the 19th century.
Much of the movie concerns itself with giving an authentic account of what life would have been back then on a warship during the Napoleonic wars. It's especially fantastic at providing a proper sense of camaraderie among sailors and officers.
edit:
So sad we haven't seen a sequel, or really seen more done with the early navies of a lot of cultures. Trying to imagine what it was like is still really difficult for me. I imagine only submarine crew can really come close to it these days.
He didn't literally shoot them with real arrows, but yes, in one of his films he had a real troop of archers fire real arrows into the ground close to one of his actors to get a proper response of fear out of him.
Vulcano's assistant
Banned
That's not such a good answer. Rome was scaled up and exaggerated to look more royal and godly. Lots of other liberties taken.
this screen is a good example because that's the freaking Arch of Constantine, that won't be built for the next century and a half.
DOWN
Banned
Er, it actually specifically had controversy over its historical inaccuracy as it rewrote the nature of LBJ and his administration's positions and activity during the period to make it look like a film antagonist when in reality the administration was rather well-aligned with the direction of the peaceful movement.
dapperbandit
Banned
To all the Master and Commander fans in this thread, do yourself a favour and read the film's trivia page on IMDB. Some of the stuff in there is bonkers.
Russell Crowe learnt to play the violin just for that movie.
Russell Crowe learnt to play the violin just for that movie.
MickeyKnox
Member
Doesn't really get more authentic than that without being a straight documentary.
Well then. That's disappointing.
Anyways, you know what grinds my gears? The notion that 300 is a fucking historical film. I've met way too many people who genuinely believe it contains an accurate portrayal of Sparta. It even shows up when you Google "best historical movies" for Christ's sake. It's a Frank Miller comic book, people. Nothing short of ridiculous.
On a better note, while not really having do to with proper history, I think The Conjuring represents its era pretty well. It felt really 1971 to me, at least.
benjipwns
Banned
The Proposition cheated.
That's not such a good answer. Rome was scaled up and exaggerated to look more royal and godly. Lots of other liberties taken.
haha ok sorry i guess its not, but ive been reading a lot about rome and the equites were (atleast in the beginning) made up of the rich class. wasnt spain a roman province?
but yeah i didnt mean that its the best historical movie just that i like some details about it. the whole thing is a "best of' when it comes to ancient roman Romanticism
I don't know anything about Czech history, but Marketa Lazarová certainly feels like it's from another time. According to Criterion's blurb, "VláčilÂ’s approach was to re-create the textures and mentalities of a long-ago way of life, rather than to make a conventional historical drama."
That reminds me, Ti West captured that late 70s / early 80s vibe perfectly in The House of the Devil.
That reminds me, Ti West captured that late 70s / early 80s vibe perfectly in The House of the Devil.
A Fish Aficionado
I am going to make it through this year if it kills me
God, no. Totally inaccurate.
I watched this film last year.
Excellent movie!
However there is nothing wrong with having it in English, a story must and can be adapted for the audience it's used for.
Do subtitled movies sell less verses dubbed movies in the native language of an area?
Perfect Blue
Banned
TAJ
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Anything made immediately after the actual event pretty much beats everything that doesn't automatically.
Even applies to fiction. No way you're making a movie about the 80s breakdancing scene as authentic as an actual 80s breakdancing movie in terms of period accuracy.
Since a large percentage of movies take place in "present day" that basically means that the average movie is more period accurate than anything intended as a period piece.
Even applies to fiction. No way you're making a movie about the 80s breakdancing scene as authentic as an actual 80s breakdancing movie in terms of period accuracy.
Since a large percentage of movies take place in "present day" that basically means that the average movie is more period accurate than anything intended as a period piece.
John Kowalski
Banned
Kubrick actually got special lenses made for the Apollo moon landings so that he could accurately shoot scenes set in candlelight without using artificial light.
you can actually rent these lenses nowadays, though i think only two are actually available
they look like pure porn
Agree. Dazed and confused is similar in that regard but late 70's.
adamsappel
Member
I've yet to see a movie that really captures hippies accurately. The actors and sets are always too clean.
I like that the window glass in Unforgiven is wavy and of poor quality. Too many westerns have perfect windows.
I like that the window glass in Unforgiven is wavy and of poor quality. Too many westerns have perfect windows.
The director commentary for Ravenous is very interesting. Uncooperative weather really screwed that production over.
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