Historically Accuracy in Films

Historical Accuracy in Films

When movies claim it is “based on a true story” it automatically identifies with the viewer and entices them to watch the film, but how historically accurate are these films. Hollywood is known for manipulating facts in order to make a story more interesting. Today’s post is dedicated to exploring the accuracy of two critically acclaimed historical movies, “The Last Samurai” and “The Patriot”.  

The Last Samurai

The film ‘The Last Samurai’ was produced in 2003 by Edward Zwick. It covers the period from 1876 to 1877 in Japan. In many ways ‘The Last Samurai’ is historically accurate with its view on the emperor and who controlled the orders of the country. As shown in the film the Meiji Emperor tries to banish the Samurai class in order to modernise Japan.  The film also represents the culture and the Japanese environment fairly accurately, by the detailed scenic. ‘The Last Samurai’ is also accurate historically in the way it captures the life of a samurai. Many samurai lived by Bushido which is a philosophy, known as the way of the warrior. In the film, seppuku was performed; it is a ceremonial suicide which includes cutting open the abdomen with a tanto, a small dagger. Then having a higher ranked samurai slices the head off the Samurai, they do this when they are disgraced or sentenced to death. This traditional suicide ritual was performed in honour of Hirotaro (Taka’s husband) and involved Katsumoto slicing Hirotaro’s head off. 

Though the film was able to capture some historically accurate views on Japan’s movement to modernise the country, it was not accurate in the way that a U.S. advisor was sent to help their military. Nathan Algren is a fictional character added into Japan’s haunting history. The Japanese leaders did recruit help from foreign advisers but from the Prussians (later formed as Germans). America’s military, at the time was only ranked 18^th in the world whilst the Prussians had the number one military. Details like that, limit the historical accuracy of ‘The Last Samurai’.

Historical Accurate Factor: 8/10

The Patriot

“The Patriot” directed by Roland Emmerich follows a farmer, Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibison) who is driven to fight in the American Revolution by leading the Colonial Militia, for revenge for his son. As this movie was made for an American audience it captures British to be the worse villains ever. In a devastated scene in the movie where Tavington (Lieutenant for Britian) locks the town in a Church and burns it down, killing those inside. This was in actual fact a Nazis Crime that happened in Oradour-sur-Glane France, in World War 2.  Another significant historical accuracy is the movie was set in the 18^th century but mainly 20^th century ethics were used, lowering the reliability of this historical film.
The historical accuracies is this films, is some of the characters are loosely based on historical figures such as Tavington is based on Lieutenant Colonel Banstre and Villeneuve, is partially based on the young French fighter, Marquis de Lafayette. However making out like the British were responsible for such a horrific crime, when it was actually a World War 2, lowers the historically accurate standards for this film.     

Historical Accurate Factor: 3/10