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Rewriting History
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Hello it's me again..
Just want to know if anyone has any examples where the facts of history have been effectively rewritten, perhaps by Hollywood films or media coverage.
What do you think about this?
I am being really lazy as I have an essay to do over Christmas on this topic, so far my main example is of Schindlers List, but I need more examples and ideas.
I think it's an interesting topic anyway, and I would really appreciate any suggestions/ideas.
Thank you and Merry Christmas
Katy
xxx
Just want to know if anyone has any examples where the facts of history have been effectively rewritten, perhaps by Hollywood films or media coverage.
What do you think about this?
I am being really lazy as I have an essay to do over Christmas on this topic, so far my main example is of Schindlers List, but I need more examples and ideas.
I think it's an interesting topic anyway, and I would really appreciate any suggestions/ideas.
Thank you and Merry Christmas
Katy
xxx
0
Comments
U-571
Pearl Harbour
The patriot
U571=crap because it was the British who caught Enigma, not the Yanks
Pearl Harbour=Full of inaccuracies, the jap pilots wouldnt have warned a couple of school kids before the attack, there weren't as many casualties, and most of America's fleet was out at sea anyway.
The patriot=The British were never that ruthless, it is well known the Mel Gibson's character was a ruthless land owner with hundreds of slaves. The British commander hated him for that and freed and slaves they came across.
Schindlers list was, I believe, said to be true to the letter which means it was rewriting history if there was anything wrong with it...(What was wrong with it KT? Ive not seen it in years)
Films make a big impression on people and maybe kids in the future will think Pearl Harbour is an accurate representation of the war-I don't know.
The more you think about it the less you can be sure of what you actually *know* about the past.
Diesel
88888888 <IMG alt="image" src="http://bestanimations.com/Holidays/Christmas/Sled-01.gif">
How many teens know that many of the films from Hollywood, showing all american heroes, were based on British exploits? Colditz for example, Americans were never imprisoned at Colditz, but for some reason Hollywood decided to make a movie about American prisoners escaping from it. It pisses me off.
It's all well and good saying the victors write the history books Diesel, but at the end of the day Britain won as well, and we suffered a lot more in the process than the "good ol' US of A.
The other stories are fictional, true, but because few people arse themselves to read history books, generations of people will grow up thinnking the USA does everything right, and they always win everything. fair enough making the USA like that in completely fictional films, like Independence Day- the films are aimed at the US market- but if a film claims to be about a historical event some sort of factual accuracy must be kept.
Would be great to see some decent UK war films instead of the total wank gangster shit that comes out every 3 seconds.
from over here, it looks like your education system deserves a very depressing commentary. a quick look at the sex boards gives u a fair idea of just how stupid the average 15 year old is. exams, altho open to debate, are another indication of this.
the shortage of teachers. funds. inner-city schools - what a bloody joke. school? more like day-time penintentiary. bringing ENGLISH teachers over from eastern europe.
no one wants to be a teacher anymore. u earn barely enuff to live on, ur subject to abuse from students, there is no honour in the job any more. why on earth would you become one?
the people i know and like from the UK are all intelligent guys and girls. BUT, from here, it seems they are not in the majority.
just one opinion.
There are. A bridge too far, Guns of Navarone, Bridge over the river kwai and Zulu are very fine examples of how good Britain really is. A bridge too far could have never been made now, because it is over 3 hours long and has a plot that has the Yanks taking a back seat and generally fucking everything they touch up.
The education system in this country IS depressing, all you learn is how to pass exams. Proper information is never taught any more.
There have BEEN good Uk war films, Whowhere, but these days its all toss like Lock Stock and Snatch...anything with Vinny Jones in it is not worth the film its printed on.
The only films that put the UK in a good light is James Bond ffs!
You only hear about the bad side of education as the media likes to report on the bad things as the good isn't interesting.
I am not saying the system is perfect, but I know at school (which admittedly was a posh girls grammar) I learnt a lot and had some good teachers.
All that was totally off the point of the original post, but I felt it had to be said.
That really isn't any defense Balddog.
The story of U-571 would have been perfect left how it was. It is a story of true heroism.
By saying that it is based on true events the Filmmakers have 'suggested' that this event took place almost as portrayed. In fact it was along way from that - and they have never said what truly happened - so how can we tell which is truth and which is fiction (unless you already know what really happened)?
Personally I find the film offensive becuase it belittles the actions of true heroes. Effectively, it's saying that what they did was real heroism, but becuase they were Brits, is doesn't matter if they change the story. The fact that the events actually took place before the US even entered the war is just an added twist.
Id much rather see the stories done true to life but unfortunately our film industry is all but dead. I enjoy watching war films and if the Americans make them I will watch them, even if they are totally wrong.
Say what you want about Hollywood, but they make good films. Unfortunately we make about 1% the amount of good films they do. We could quite easily make war films accurate to history but we cant because the UK is shit.
The technical gaps are beyond the incredulous... how could you expect accuracy? They are played toward the simple of mind, to numb them into servile subjugation...
But Hollywood DONT make good films. Out of all the so called box office smashes that came out this year, how many were actually any good?
The only reason they do so well is because people are stupid enough to not realise that they only show the good 1% of the film in the trailer and leave out the 99% of shit that makes the rest of it.
The reason we don't make war films anymore is because we don't have to live in the knowledge that we need movies to glorify our achievements. What did America truly achieve in World war 2? All it did was supply meat for the grinder, something we could have done if we were isolated in the middle of the ocean. Did they ever pull off any truly heroic deeds? Did they bollocks, the most they did was to nuke a country that was losing anyway. The only difference is that thanks to Hollywood, everyone thinks that Japan is the big bad nastie that it is clearly is not. As soon as the US mobilised its fleet the Japs never stood a chance, in fact the only accurate point of the whole film is where the Japanese admiral tells all about how he fears they have awoken a sleeping tiger.
that's how war movies SHOULD be.
I totally disagree with your take on the Americans. Their boys were just as brave as ours. They spilt their blood just as we did. Its unfair for you to dismiss them like that.
No, I resent how they think they are the only ones who spilt their blood. Take saving private ryan for example. How many brave British soldiers do you see there? In pearl harbour the only reason you see Britain is so Ben Affleck can pretend to die protecting us, the fact that we have airfields in country houses must have meant we were in a pretty bad way and needed Johnny foreigner to win the war for us.
Saving Private Ryan....How many Brits do you think went up Omaha beach? Hmm around about zero. The film followed an american squad fighting in the american areas, hardly surprising there werent any Brits.
PS, we did need Johnny foreigner to win the war for us. The Brits may have been pretty damn hard back then but we couldnt have beaten the axis powers alone. We were totally under seige in 1940. In other words we were barely defending ourselves and theres no way we could have actually taken the fight to the Germans.
Im not belittling our role but I think its very unfair of you to have a go at the yanks..>Remember, it wasnt just Europe who lost the best and the brightest in that war.
KT, No we dont <IMG alt="image" SRC="biggrin.gif" border="0"> It always ends up on this subject <IMG alt="image" SRC="smile.gif" border="0">
Once we were on Europe you definatly earned your meals <IMG alt="image" SRC="tongue.gif" border="0"> I also realize the fact than the UK saved Africa and alowed us to move up through Italy
As for "Saving Ryan's Privates", yes, it was set in an American zone, so don't expect any Brits to show up. Must admit, I'd have loved it if it had been a RAF Typhoon that got that tank in the and - those aircraft were beauties.
I once heard someone say that Britain's role in the war war simply to keep things going until the USA got involved. True, but not the whole story. Monty's victory in Africa, while blessed with good luck at all the right moments, counts for a lot. So does the fact that the UK was the staging post for D-Day - no UK, no invasion.
I think that the Allied victory in WWII counts as a true team victory - every country, if it hadn't already, won its spurs. The only film I've ever seen that came close to that (IMHO) was the biopic MacArthur. At the Japanese surrender, each country signs individually - and it's a long queue. That made an impression on me, I guess.
Saving Private Ryan was not about the Brits. That is why it was called Saving Private Ryan because it focused on an American soldier and the task force sent to find him. Just because Hollywood doesn't focus on Britain doesn't mean we think you don't exist. More Americans are interested in America's portrayal in the War than Britains or anyone else's for that matter.
yes, but then we have to watch those films. It doesn't do much for national pride when we see Johnny Yankee wading over to save the day all the time.
If you dont like it then do something about it. Write to your MP to get more support for the Brit film industry. Become a director or actor yourself. Write a decent screen adaptation of one of our thousands of magnificent victories.
Personally id like to see a modern version of the battle of Waterloo. Even better, a film set in the hundred years war would kick arse. Ever read the book Harlequin by Bernard Cornwell? Id kill to see that on film.
We arent allowed patriotism in this country tho. Thats the real reason we dont make decent films here. Ever notice that all the UK films produced these days show the UK as a sleazy shithole? Funny that.
Well, if you goto London your BOUND to run into a man who got shot and made the bullets into teeth. Not to mention a dog that eats diamonds and an Irishman who can't even talk Irish let alone English.