With the long-awaited sequel to Ridley Scott’s Gladiator set to hit the big screen in late November, historians have already slammed the film for its historical inaccuracies. But what about the times when Hollywood got history right? Here, we’ve dissected the most historically correct films and why this makes for a more rewarding experience.
Hollywood’s Fascination With History
There have been countless tales of human excellence in recorded history, so it makes sense why storytellers are compelled to portray these events for new audiences. Whether stories of war, peace, mythological beliefs, or powerful leaders, historical fiction is diverse.
The genre is widely explored in other forms of media, too. For example, the Knight Fight slot has a medieval theme featuring mythological beasts such as dragons that summon the game’s features.
This appeals to fans of history and the King Arthur legend in particular. Unlike the following films, the title leans more into fiction than accuracy and takes some creative liberties to create the game.
Lincoln (2012)
Telling the story of American President Abraham Lincoln, Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln immediately made an impact with its raw, gritty exploration of life during the Civil War. On a story level, the film was praised in an NPR interview with a historian for accurately presenting the milestones in the passing of the 13th Amendment. The film’s portrayal of Congress in its infancy was also lauded.
The film’s production designers painstakingly recreated the White House based on archival photographs, with historic sites in Virginia for on-location shooting. To prepare for his role as Lincoln, Daniel Day-Lewis read more than 100 books about the president and spent a year with a makeup artist to achieve the physical transformation.
Apollo 13 (1995)
When Ron Howard’s Apollo 13 was released, it immediately earned the approval of NASA scientists and real-life astronauts for its accurate representation of the aborted lunar mission. To achieve accuracy, Howard worked with NASA to train the cast as astronauts. He also created a life-size replica of NASA’s Houston mission control room as it was in 1970.
NASA planetary scientist Rick Elphic told TIME Magazine that the film realistically captured the science of space travel, including the technicalities of zero gravity. The film’s accuracy comes down to it being based on a book written by Apollo 13 Commander Jim Lovell.
All The President’s Men (1976)
Telling the true story of The Washington Post’s investigation into the Watergate scandal, All The President’s Men was a critical and commercial success upon release. Based on the book by journalists Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, the film is considered to be one of the most accurate film representations of investigative journalism.
In fact, several scenes are written verbatim to what happened, while the film’s set designers even used real trash from the Washington Post newsroom to fill on-screen trash cans.
The Impact of Accuracy
Not only are the above three films lauded for their accuracy, but they are also considered to be all-time great films among critics and fans. This is a testament to how deep research and commitment to accuracy can help to make a more immersive narrative experience.