12 "Historical" Movies That Were Terribly Inaccurate

First off: Do not take your history lessons from movies.

Their primary job is not to prove historical accuracy in your life. And the problem is, we all do it.

I do it. That’s why I wanted to look back at movies I’ve seen and assumed I could rely on because they had some phrase like, “Based on a true story” or “Inspired by a true story.”

But nah, man. Their primary job is to entertain, not to teach.

1. Let’s start with the obvious one. Pearl Harbor, whose notion that a couple fighter pilots managed to get to the hanger and take down SO MANY Japanese fighters.

 One of the two real-life pilots who helped take down six Japanese fighters called the film, “a piece of trash… over-sensationalized and distorted.”

And then take this line from Josh Harnett. While this attack was what dragged the United States into WWII, America was well aware that the world was already at war.

The attack of the Naval base happened on December 7, 1941, and the war had been going on since 1939.

2. 300. The real Battle of Thermopylae wasn’t just Spartans standing against the Persian Army. They teamed up with other Greek city-states to come up with 7000 soldiers, not 300.

Plus they fought WITH SHIRTS.

And remember how kid Spartans had to kill a wolf to become men? Nope. They had to kill slaves.

Plus they make the Persians feel like slave traders when the Spartans were slave masters themselves.