Most Historically Accurate Films/Documentaries/Video

[SillySirius]

Just caught 2 trailers the other day.

One was for a movie called Valhalla Rising and the other was for a movie called Centurion.

Can't really say what Valhalla is supposed to be about except its about Norse dudes and a guy named One-Eye,looks bloody.It's out on cable the same time as theaters so i think i'll rent it.

Centurion looks bad from the trailer,very cliched,but i could be wrong.It even has a fierce warrior chic..It will be refreshing to see a movie set in the past with a strong and independent female character unlike the more recent movies that has every female lead as a wallflower type.

[Hax]

Centurion looks bad from the trailer,very cliched,but i could be wrong.It even has a fierce warrior chic..It will be refreshing to see a movie set in the past with a strong and independent female character unlike the more recent movies that has every female lead as a wallflower type.

-ahem-

Agora?

[SillySirius]

-ahem-

Agora?

No i don't need a sweater its a little warm.

Thanks for offering though.

[Gaius Sempronius Gracchus]

I think there are two problems with 'historical' films/TV series and even documentaries. The first is the need to 'sex up' the story(300, HBO/BBC's Rome come to mind...), the second is that the makers usually have an agenda, or a 'take' on the sides involved - so that one side must be villainous, the other righteous, leading to (in the docu-drama Rome by the BBC) an almost cackling, seditious Caesar and Mark Antony played off against the civilised, loyal Labienus...

One of the best historical movies I've seen (still) is Tora, Tora, Tora....which, to my mind, is one of the few examples whereby the story is told from a perspective of both sides, neither made out - gratuitously - to be the 'baddy'. The thing is, the 'sexed up' bit really isn't needed, I think; this just underestimates the paying viewer. I know of families that were looking forward to watching Rome (HBO/BBC) as a 'historical' insight, but were put off within the first episode by the stupendously crass rape (filmed with a disturbing humerous irreverence) of the shepherd girl by Mark Antony.... Just unnecessary titilation for its own sake, not to ention the many storylines of Julia (Octavian's mother).

I don't actually know of any good films/TV series of this era....

[athanaric]

Centurion looks bad from the trailer,very cliched,but i could be wrong.It even has a fierce warrior chic..

Worse, a warrior chick with an axe Apparently the obvious choice of weapon for a slim woman, according to Hollywood...

It will be refreshing to see a movie set in the past with a strong and independent female character unlike the more recent movies that has every female lead as a wallflower type.

By wallflower type, you mean disturbed minds with an (auto-)aggression complex and a psychotic drive to kill other people?

[SillySirius]

My tongue was one with the cheek with the wallflower comment.

One movie that i haven't seen mentioned in this thread,and i'm really not even sure if it would fall into the category of historical film,is A quest for fire.

I love that movie.Don't know how accurate it is but its entertaining and it also has Hellboy/Fallout narrator dude in it.What is his name?He was also in an aliens movie and some weird French movie about kidnapped orphans.

Edit:

Heres a link describing the movie and the dude is Ron Perlman..Doh!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quest_for_Fire_(film)

[B-Wing]

I thought I remembered someone mentioning The 13th Warrior way back in this thread somewhere, but it didn't show up in my search, so maybe not. Anyway, I just recently watched it for the first time, about a month ago. My overall opinion of the movie should probably be taken with a heaping lump of salt, as I was in an altered state of mind at the time, but I remember being quite impressed with the historical realism of it. I realize the plot itself is purely fictional, but it seemed to portray the people and culture quite accurately. I have no idea if the Norse-style language spoken was realistic, but it was certainly making an effort. Was anybody else impressed with that aspect of it (if nothing else)?

[antisocialmunky]

Sorry, I couldn't resist.
http://www.cartridgecomics.com/archi...php?comicID=97

[seienchin]

Actually I never saw any movie set in the antics, which seemed remotly accurate to me and this is beside the overdramatisation, which all Hollywood style movies have, the fact that all characters think and act just to pleasure the demands of the audience, which want to see characters they can relate to.
I really appreciated the movie Alexander for its bold decision to make Alexander an unlikeable bisexual drunkard (Which probably resembles the real alexander at least a little bit), still most other characters were flat and the macedonian seemed way to patriotic for the timeframe.

Anyway, movies, which seem to be at least a little bit accurate you can find in Japan. Also most movie about the sengoku jidai are crap there are some exceptionally historical accurate ones too. Off course making a movie about something happened 300 years ago is easier than one about Alexander and co. butt still. The costumes of many movies are great, some qoutes characters say, where actually spoken and some of them are nearly unwatchable for their characters that dont play with the audience, just sitting there quietly or acting strange and distant. Off course homosexuality is left out of most of them, but still at least the costumes, places and some talk are very accurate.
For starters and not Japanese speakers(Most movies are horribly subtitled or dubbed) I would recommend Shogun, because its an american production, but still very good. They actually did some research and I even had a seminar in univerity about it.^^ Still the american perception of Japan of the 60s,70s plays a really strong part in the movie. esspecially the whole woman stories. Good Japanese movies are off course everything from Kurosawa Akira (Allthough most of his stories are inspired by shakespeare or Japanese writers) they tend to have great costumes (Even with the hideous woman makeup of that time^^) and dialogue and focus on the aspects of Samurai thinking. Also really good one are Sansho the Bailiff and ugetsu (Based on a book from the edo jidai).

[athanaric]

Regarding Japanese movies, there are some good ones by Yoji Yamada, set in the nineteenth century I think. Namely "The Twilight Samurai" and two others that are more or less variations on the same theme.