MOVIE NEWS – World War II is a perennial favorite for filmmakers seeking to tell powerful and gripping war stories. The six-year conflict from 1939 to 1945 offers no shortage of moving, brutal, and heroic tales to bring to the big screen. However, when adapting real events for cinema, historical accuracy often gets lost in translation.

In an interview with Penguin Books UK, historian James Holland dissected some of the most well-known World War II films ever made. He began with Saving Private Ryan, widely hailed for its depiction of the D-Day landings on June 6, 1944. Yet, despite its reputation, Holland pointed out several flaws:

“As a historian, it’s fantastic to see filmmakers tackling the subject of World War II. But at the same time, these movies are riddled with inaccuracies,” Holland remarked. Analyzing the famous Normandy Beach landing scene, he added:

“The beach is far too short and narrow… The obstacles are positioned incorrectly… And about the MG42 [machine gun], it could fire 1,400 rounds per minute, generating immense heat. The barrel would quickly get white-hot, eventually melting. That’s a major issue here—they’re holding down the trigger for far too long.”

Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk didn’t escape criticism either. Despite filming in the actual location in France, Holland identified this decision as problematic. He explained:

“Christopher Nolan’s aversion to CGI is well-known, but it creates issues. The street looks far too clean. Dunkirk had been relentlessly bombed and was constantly ablaze. And why are they wearing heavy coats? It’s May, it’s summer… There just aren’t enough people in these scenes. It feels empty, but in reality, it was utter chaos.”

The Imitation Game: A Fabricated Narrative?

While Holland acknowledged that creative liberties are inevitable in historical adaptations, he was particularly disappointed with The Imitation Game.

“The problem with The Imitation Game is that it portrays Alan Turing as the sole savior of Britain, cracking the Enigma code single-handedly,” Holland explained.

In contrast to his nitpicking of minor details like costumes and props in other films, he found the entire premise of The Imitation Game fundamentally flawed:

“That’s simply not true. It does a huge disservice to the other individuals involved,” he said. “The film unfairly casts real heroes as villains. The idea that Turing worked alone couldn’t be further from the truth. The work at Bletchley Park was a massive team effort, with countless contributors.”

Source: MovieWeb