Wait, that didn't happen?! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down the best examples of war movies that might’ve been great entertainment, but weren’t necessarily great history lessons.
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00:00 In his presence, by the light of Apollo, we were better than ourselves.
00:05 Truly, I've known many great men in my life, but only one colossus.
00:15 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down the best examples of war movies that might have been great entertainment,
00:21 but weren't necessarily great history lessons.
00:24 I am William Wallace, and I see a whole army of my countrymen here in defiance of tyranny.
00:34 Enemy at the Gates is a film about the infamous Battle of Stalingrad, and the exploits of Russian sniper Vassily Zaytsev.
00:45 While Zaytsev was a decorated sniper, most of his sniping missions in this film are fabricated or exaggerated.
00:51 What do you think?
00:53 I think Comrade Commissar's been over generous.
00:57 In addition to inaccuracies about specific battles, there are also smaller mistakes, such as improper uniforms and equipment,
01:04 some of which weren't available until after the fighting at Stalingrad.
01:07 But the main problem, and it's a big one, is that there's no definitive proof that the epic standoff between Zaytsev and Ed Harris' sniper character ever happened.
01:16 [Siren]
01:22 The Battle of the Bulge was a pivotal event in the European theater during World War II.
01:34 The cinematic version of this crucial battle chooses instead to simplify and rearrange the timeline for entertainment purposes.
01:41 Even the opening narration is off in terms of British and American troop positions and chain of command.
01:46 "Stretched across half of Europe, the Allies gathered themselves for the final assault on Germany.
01:52 To the north stood Montgomery's Eighth Army, to the south, Patton's Third.
01:57 In the center, along an 88-mile front, a few battle-weary American divisions rested in a quiet sector."
02:05 The multitude of plot condensations and fictionalized elements even attracted the ire of US officials, including the former Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force.
02:14 You know you've messed up when General and former President Dwight Eisenhower himself criticizes your film at almost every level.
02:22 While the movie has a stellar cast, it doesn't offer up any great insights about the key offensive.
02:27 "They've abandoned their tanks, and they're walking back to Germany."
02:32 Number 8. Red Tails
02:34 The story of the Tuskegee Airmen should be in the history books right next to the more popular events of World War II.
02:40 Red Tails attempts to bring that tale to life, but fails to nail the finer details of the group's struggles.
02:45 "The use of Negroes in the Army Air Corps may yet be halted.
02:49 A report has been forwarded calling the performance by Negro pilots unsatisfactory."
02:54 The narrative presents a generalized view of the squadron, and even asserts false claims about their records.
02:59 According to the movie, no bombers were lost during their operations in the war.
03:03 This assertion, and other decisions including a lackluster examination of segregation, are Hollywood failings.
03:10 "This is a whites-only officer's club. You're off the reservation, pal."
03:15 Other reviewers took offense to the film's lack of representation of African-American women,
03:20 criticizing the movie for not delving further into the personal lives of the central characters.
03:24 Number 7. U-571
03:27 The plot of this World War II film revolves around the US Navy operation to steal an Enigma machine from a German U-boat.
03:33 No matter how entertaining it might be, U-571 is basically a fantasy.
03:38 History shows that British forces had already gone to the trouble of securing the prized device before America had even been attacked at Pearl Harbor.
03:45 "An Enigma code machine. It allows the German Navy to communicate with its submarines in secret.
03:50 And our inability to decipher their messages is costing us this war."
03:55 This glaring oversight stirred up controversy in Great Britain, prompting criticism from then Prime Minister Tony Blair.
04:01 The entire scheme in the movie, including the infiltration of a submarine, chooses to give the US all the credit.
04:07 Considering this significant change, almost nothing from a plot level can be considered particularly historically accurate.
04:13 "Do you think I got all the answers? Do you think I know how we're gonna get out of this mess? I don't. I don't know how."
04:20 Number 6. The Last Samurai
04:23 Contrary to the film's title, Tom Cruise was not the final samurai in Japan.
04:28 The movie tells a story about how Army Captain Nathan Algren went from training the Japanese Army to joining the Samurai.
04:34 Algren is loosely based on European and American figures from the 19th century, but ultimately, the central hero in his journey is fictionalized.
04:42 "Many of our customs seem strange to you, and the same is true of yours.
04:47 For example, not to introduce yourself is considered extremely rude, even among enemies."
04:54 Not only that, Cruise's character prompted discussions about being an unnecessary white savior in another nation's history.
05:00 The nature of Meiji-era military or samurai needing help from a random US soldier washes over most of the real historical facts.
05:08 Even if minor details or broad events are based in reality, The Last Samurai prompts more questions than real answers about the time period.
05:15 "What does it say?"
05:17 "I belong to the warrior in whom the old ways have joined the new."
05:22 Number 5. The Patriot
05:24 "I understood you to be patriot."
05:26 "If you mean by patriot, am I angry about taxation without representation? Well, yes I am."
05:31 Anybody looking to the Patriot for a proper history lesson should, well, look elsewhere.
05:36 The film's general setup of the American Revolution is accurate enough, but the details regarding British actions are largely made up.
05:43 The main villain, Colonel Tavington, is loosely based on a real officer, but his fictionalized cruelty in the movie offended numerous historians who saw the film.
05:51 "I can capture him for you. But to do so requires the use of tactics that are somewhat...
05:59 What was the word you lordship used? Brutal, I think."
06:05 The movie also sidesteps the issue of race in colonial America.
06:09 African-American characters are presented with little mention of the real horrors of the 18th century.
06:14 Considering that Mel Gibson's character is partly based on an owner of enslaved people, this seems especially harmful to misrepresent.
06:21 Number 4. The Great Escape
06:23 Among the most classic World War II tales of the 1960s, The Great Escape has been a crowd-pleasing mainstay for decades.
06:30 The main plot concerns a real breakout from a POW camp.
06:34 Underheaded by rural Air Force leaders, the plan to dig a tunnel to freedom is also based in reality,
06:39 but certain characters surrounding the action are made up or exaggerated for the film.
06:43 "It's going to be a bit tricky, Daddy. When you're organized, Mac."
06:49 Steve McQueen's character, Hiltz, also spends the final act on an adventure that didn't happen.
06:54 Many of the escapees had a much different experience than the movie shows, and only three got away in real life.
07:00 Some men were actually ordered to be shot on Hitler's orders.
07:04 These inaccuracies don't make McQueen's motorcycle sequences any less exciting, however.
07:08 Number 3. Alexander
07:10 Despite its epic length, Alexander doesn't have enough time to properly explore the details of history.
07:16 Filmmaker Oliver Stone consulted historians for his film, but ultimately chose to consolidate and embellish the story of the legendary leader,
07:23 including relatively softening some of Alexander the Great's destructive decisions.
07:28 "You've all honored your country and your ancestors, and now we come to this most distant place in Asia."
07:38 The ruler's various conquests weren't shown in full, leaving out his brutal tactics at places like Persepolis.
07:44 Many other aspects of the controversial figure's life were deleted or altered for the movie, including the Gorian knot story.
07:50 Ultimately, the changes to the timeline and Alexander's character didn't sit well with many experts.
07:55 "Of course you have fears! We all have fears! Because no one has ever gone this far before!"
08:01 Number 2. Pearl Harbor
08:03 Michael Bay's filmography isn't exactly known for its educational qualities, but Pearl Harbor stands as maybe his most notable case of playing with history.
08:11 The director enjoys creating this spectacle so much that many historically accurate details about World War II simply fall by the wayside.
08:18 His embellishments include outlandish plot points, such as Ben Affleck's American pilot becoming a member of the Royal Air Force.
08:24 "The British have accepted you into the Eagle Squadron. You're on your way to England tomorrow if you still want to go."
08:31 There are also plenty of inaccuracies regarding the technical aspects of the military equipment used in the film, as well as the actions of the Japanese pilots during the attack.
08:39 This list could go on and on.
08:41 "You know, Jack, we may lose this battle, but we're gonna win this war. You know how I know? No.
08:49 Them. Because they're rare."
08:54 Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few dishonorable mentions.
08:58 Windtalkers
09:00 John Woo movie fails to honor the Navajo code talkers.
09:03 "Warnets!"
09:05 "220. Mike, 36."
09:10 [Speaking in Navajo]
09:15 The Monument's Men sensationalizes the recovery of stolen art.
09:20 "You've all been selected by myself and Lieutenant Jeffries here because we're gonna need your knowledge and we're gonna need your skill.
09:25 We have been tasked to find and protect buildings, monuments, and art."
09:31 Flyboys shifts historical facts and undermines the truth of World War I aviation.
09:36 [Explosions]
09:44 Three Kings focuses more on comedy than documenting the Gulf War's aftermath.
09:49 "Watch this!"
09:51 "Whoa!"
09:53 "Shit!"
09:55 "What was that?"
09:59 Midway, Roland Emmerich film mixes fantasy and fact.
10:03 [Explosions]
10:07 [Music]
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10:29 Number 1. Braveheart
10:33 Fans of this movie should look away now if they want to believe it's historically accurate.
10:37 The entertaining Best Picture winner tells a fictionalized story about William Wallace and medieval Scotland.
10:42 The film upset historians who have cited as problematic everything from the treatment of English-Scottish relations to the depiction of battles.
10:50 Then there's also the fact of ignoring key figures altogether as well as fictionalized details such as the iconic blue face paint,
10:56 which wasn't exactly standard issue in the 13th century.
10:59 "I am William Wallace and I see a whole army of my countrymen here in defiance of tyranny."
11:09 Maybe the most egregious aspect of the entire film is that the main hero wasn't known as Braveheart at all.
11:15 Mel Gibson serves up a thrilling piece of filmmaking, but his take on the First War of Scottish Independence lacks historical accuracy.
11:22 "I don't want to be a martyr." "No, I want to live. I want a home and children and peace."
11:31 "Do you?" "I do. I've asked God for those things. It's all for nothing if you don't have freedom."
11:38 Do we forget a notable case of a war movie getting history wrong? Let us know in the comments.
11:43 "We got no orders, Lieutenant." "Yeah, well I'm giving the orders."
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11:55 [Music]