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chrisa

(4,524 posts)

121. In all fairness, these scenes were never in Moore's book. The writers added them for some reason

Mon Jan 26, 2015, 12:57 PM

Jan 2015

that I'm totally oblivious to. The final bayonet charge does not fit with the rest of the movie. Plus, it seems cartoony and out of place with what the movie is trying to say.

The US was a hair away from being overrun at Ia Drang. The movie didn't show how dire the situation really was. It tried, but could have been much better. The final scene was especially stupid because close combat was what the NVA wanted - they had a clear advantage there ("Grab them by their belt buckles" was what the NVA Colonel said). They should have also shown the ambush that happened later - the NVA wasn't decimated at all, which is what the movie tried to claim. They were able to mount attacks after the landing zone was cleared.

Even Moore himself called the battle a "draw." I think what happened is, clueless Hollywood writers went into "'Mericka!" mode, and had to make the US win, even though it never happened.

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What dramatic movies have been historically accurate? [View all] el_bryanto Jan 2015 OP

"History supplies little more than a list of people who have helped themselves to the property of Tierra_y_Libertad Jan 2015 #1

That's an interesting turn. I think history does a little more than that, myself. el_bryanto Jan 2015 #4

Or Bierce, in his Devil's Dictionary: Jackpine Radical Jan 2015 #27

Black Hawk Down, We Were Soldiers, A Bridge Too Far, The Raid, did pretty well in accuracy. braddy Jan 2015 #2

...sure braddy. ND-Dem Jan 2015 #6

LOL, that an enemy leader disliked his portrayal, doesn't condemn the overall accuracy of the braddy Jan 2015 #11

lol, you missed the more lengthier part about the SEAL sniper who thought it was a fraud. ND-Dem Jan 2015 #18

I don't know why you want to be so argumentative, no film, no documentary, no news article, no braddy Jan 2015 #23

maybe it's because i don't like the kind of folks whose mission is to get snipers accepted ND-Dem Jan 2015 #35

So you are a stalker and keep wanting to drag your personal grudges to this thread. braddy Jan 2015 #37

political. not personal. i notice you keep responding. ND-Dem Jan 2015 #46

I'm not supposed to respond to posts made to me? Why don't you try to get back to the thread topic. braddy Jan 2015 #48

you mean inaccurate pro-war propaganda films like black hawk down? ND-Dem Jan 2015 #55

If you think it is too horribly inaccurate to fit into this discussion, then you are sure entitled braddy Jan 2015 #56

LOL no they didn't tkmorris Jan 2015 #9

Don't forget Band of Brothers. GGJohn Jan 2015 #92

I was Airborne myself and have a autographed photo of them parachuting in, from "Wild Bill" Guarnere braddy Jan 2015 #98

'We Were Soldiers' was ruined by the ending. The ending of the movie never even happened. chrisa Jan 2015 #105

You probably already know that Hal Moore and Joseph L. Galloway were advisers on the movie braddy Jan 2015 #107

Which makes the disgusting propaganda piece even more despicable tabasco Jan 2015 #116

In all fairness, these scenes were never in Moore's book. The writers added them for some reason chrisa Jan 2015 #121

The movie fails to cover Day 4 of the battle, which was a disaster tabasco Jan 2015 #122

You're confusing 2 separate battles at 2 different places pinboy3niner Jan 2015 #111

I'm referring to when the 7th Cav did a charge against the NVA and massacred them all. The scene chrisa Jan 2015 #112

The movie left out the final day of the battle, you know, when everybody got killed tabasco Jan 2015 #115

"We Were Soldiers" LOLOL tabasco Jan 2015 #114

what's the benefit of 'seeing people going through it' if its not fact-based? ND-Dem Jan 2015 #3

There's a difference between getting some details wrong el_bryanto Jan 2015 #5

yes. it depends on the details indeed. ND-Dem Jan 2015 #12

That part bothers me as well el_bryanto Jan 2015 #16

people around king like oprah? I think the OP acurately describes her as a conservative. I don't ND-Dem Jan 2015 #22

I didn't claim that Oprah was around Dr. King - what did I say that implied that I thought that? el_bryanto Jan 2015 #25

You said: ND-Dem Jan 2015 #29

OK el_bryanto Jan 2015 #34

Oprah is executive producer. I didn't claim she was director. The director is usually subservient ND-Dem Jan 2015 #38

Well yes - I guess Oprah should have made another movie in which the white guy saves the el_bryanto Jan 2015 #59

yeah, that's it. that's what i want, a film where johnson in the hero and mlk is the bit player. ND-Dem Jan 2015 #80

I'm sure this is what this whole entire project was all about JonLP24 Jan 2015 #88

Thank you. Well said. As a former teacher of film studies, I also see that if DuVernay is pretty new ancianita Jan 2015 #93

Executive Producer is mainly the financing & legal (copyrights) role of the project JonLP24 Jan 2015 #87

Oprah likely had help JonLP24 Jan 2015 #86

Reminds me of the controversy surrounding 'Braveheart' and its inaccuracies. VScott Jan 2015 #24

Idiocracy was spot on. I think it happened in '87... Whiskeytide Jan 2015 #7

That is a great movie - i think it's Aaron Sorkin's favorite. I just loved how dirty it all looked el_bryanto Jan 2015 #8

Your post has inspired me to try to ... Whiskeytide Jan 2015 #26

then it was a documentary, right? by your own standard. ND-Dem Jan 2015 #14

Well, I can't argue with that... Whiskeytide Jan 2015 #30

The goal of propaganda films is to entertain too; makes it slide down easier. What I'm saying ND-Dem Jan 2015 #43

Idiocracy is a Documentary of a Future America ChosenUnWisely Jan 2015 #20

But, almost by definition, the people... Whiskeytide Jan 2015 #28

Ow My Balls is a great show! MindPilot Jan 2015 #61

Instant Classic... Whiskeytide Jan 2015 #65

I'm deflatin'! frylock Jan 2015 #72

You win! A round of Brawndo for everyone!!! MindPilot Jan 2015 #99

I think Voltaire was talking about the way history is taught. Tierra_y_Libertad Jan 2015 #10

I'm interested in all of it myself; el_bryanto Jan 2015 #19

Here's a couple that taught me a lot. Tierra_y_Libertad Jan 2015 #39

None, some can be close but that is about it ChosenUnWisely Jan 2015 #13

Fever Pitch Capt. Obvious Jan 2015 #15

Fun fact about the U.S. version KamaAina Jan 2015 #36

Apollo 13... maybe? VScott Jan 2015 #17

There were liberties taken to increase drama about Jack Swigert Ryano42 Jan 2015 #31

Yes, but zipplewrath Jan 2015 #63

My Father was an illustrator making Skylab manuals during Apollo 13... Ryano42 Jan 2015 #70

Gone with the Wind. cherokeeprogressive Jan 2015 #100

A friend of mine, now deceased, was part of NASA when that happened MannyGoldstein Jan 2015 #77

That was my first answer, too. Warren DeMontague Jan 2015 #118

I re-watched "Glory" last night on GRIT TV (channel 46-4 in Los Angeles) and was KingCharlemagne Jan 2015 #21

I would agree JustAnotherGen Jan 2015 #42

Grapes of Wrath TuxedoKat Jan 2015 #110

I was an extra in that movie! n/t Adrahil Jan 2015 #123

13 Days and Road to War both come to mind. LanternWaste Jan 2015 #32

Probably none. History is boring. Dreamer Tatum Jan 2015 #33

I've long noticed that movies often get things wrong. SheilaT Jan 2015 #40

Your last paragraph is exactly what I was going to mention. Marr Jan 2015 #54

Sharknado but they got loose with the facts on Sharknado 2 underpants Jan 2015 #41

did you even bother to read the annotated tie-in? frylock Jan 2015 #73

All The Presidents Men JustAnotherGen Jan 2015 #44

"The Great Escape" Ron Green Jan 2015 #45

Off the top of my head: NuclearDem Jan 2015 #47

name of the rose was a fiction based in a historical setting. a fiction written to explore the ND-Dem Jan 2015 #50

The actor who played Hitler exboyfil Jan 2015 #76

Inglourious Basterds. Nye Bevan Jan 2015 #49

Some are 4Q2u2 Jan 2015 #51

Mel Brooks "History of the World" and Bill Moyers "Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth" bananas Jan 2015 #52

Fahrenheit 9/11 KamaAina Jan 2015 #53

Don't forget the documentary on the inventors of Post-its pinboy3niner Jan 2015 #58

Battle of Algiers, I think, was one that got much of history correct. closeupready Jan 2015 #57

^^^This^^^ Tom Ripley Jan 2015 #109

Dramatic non-fiction films are not documentaries Beaverhausen Jan 2015 #60

Almost none, I would bet. alarimer Jan 2015 #62

many people's interest in particular historical topics are borne from dramatic films. LanternWaste Jan 2015 #64

Check out "One Man's Hero" CanonRay Jan 2015 #66

There are historic movies that edhopper Jan 2015 #67

That and Selma - it sounds like the Sniper Movie got a lot wrong el_bryanto Jan 2015 #68

Selma edhopper Jan 2015 #69

Re The Green Berets JustAnotherGen Jan 2015 #102

They filmed it in Georgia edhopper Jan 2015 #103

I never knew that JustAnotherGen Jan 2015 #104

The Battle of Britain was as historically accurate as they could get jmowreader Jan 2015 #71

Not Many. But, we don't have many "historically accurate" accounts of anything. WestCoastLib Jan 2015 #74

Hmm, I can think of two that portrayed Trailrider1951 Jan 2015 #75

Movies are free speech but that doesn't mean we can't criticize them Quixote1818 Jan 2015 #78

Movies are free speech of course. nt el_bryanto Jan 2015 #79

"Lincoln" was consistent with my understanding of history. lumberjack_jeff Jan 2015 #81

I agree with luberjack_jeff..Lincon is very special in this regard. Stuart G Jan 2015 #83

"Lincoln" was researched and written over 6 years by a Pulizter Prize winning playwright Tony Bluenorthwest Jan 2015 #89

"Sink The Bismarck" and "The Battle Of Britain" were pretty accurate. Archae Jan 2015 #82

Anything done by Oliver Stone whistler162 Jan 2015 #101

Gettysburg was pretty accurate. MadrasT Jan 2015 #84

I have to really think on this one JonLP24 Jan 2015 #85

All narrative or dramatic films should not be seen as history but as a story someone told you about Bluenorthwest Jan 2015 #90

Band of Brothers. GGJohn Jan 2015 #91

Saw Selma this morning; think the complaints about Johnson are overplayed. el_bryanto Jan 2015 #94

LBJ will be the subject of a very well written HBO film starring Brayn Cranston based on the plays Bluenorthwest Jan 2015 #95

JFK arely staircase Jan 2015 #96

JFK is a legal thriller about the experiences of Jim Garrison, it's not a story about JFK and it is Bluenorthwest Jan 2015 #97

The Longest Day was very historically accurate. eom MohRokTah Jan 2015 #106

Tora, Tora, Tora. n/t. MicaelS Jan 2015 #108

They Live. Zorra Jan 2015 #113

The Star Wars prequel trilogy Orrex Jan 2015 #117

When fascism comes to America, it will come dressed as a Gungan Warren DeMontague Jan 2015 #120

fear and loathing in las vegas. Warren DeMontague Jan 2015 #119