Hollywood has churned out countless WWII movies over the years. Some, like Saving Private Ryan, were praised for attempting to capture the realities of war as closely as possible. Others have earned criticism from historians for playing fast and loose with the facts. Below are some that seemed to miss the mark.
The Bridge On The River Kwai (1957)
This film is certainly considered a classic. However, it has also been met with criticism for minimizing the true events. Furthermore, while Alec Guinness’ performance is lauded, his character is considered by some historians to be a cheap parody of real-life Lieutenant Colonel Philip Toosey.
Red Tails (2012)
Critics generally agree that George Lucas’ heart was in the right place when he made Red Tails. A film to highlight the important role of the Tuskegee Airmen in WWII was a great idea. Unfortunately, the film was riddled with inaccuracies and seemed to actually diminish the hardships of African American pilots during segregation.
Pearl Harbor (2001)
While this film did well for itself at the box office, it has faced over two decades of criticism for its historical inaccuracies and contrived plot. historians Harry Gailey and Bruce Reynolds referred to some of the more far-fetched aspects as “pure fantasy.”
These are just a few of the WWII films that Historians called out. To see more, check out Screen Rant‘s Top 10 list.
Movies provide an excellent getaway, but the reality of WWII is something that we should never lose sight of. Great Americans sacrificed and suffered for our freedom.
This is why we believe that it is so important to give back to members of the greatest generation. Take a look at what we are doing here.