War movies, while addressing delicate subjects, allow filmmakers to explore historical events or tell epic fictional stories rooted in reality, but more often than not, these end up being so inaccurate that military experts have to step in to share the truth. Due to the topics addressed in war movies, these are often paired with the drama genre, sometimes combined with historical drama or biographical, depending on the story they are telling, though war movies have also teamed up with comedy for a lighter tone. However, in every case, either telling a true or fictional story, war movies are subjected to more analysis and scrutiny than any other genre.
Historical and biographical war movies will inevitably be analyzed by historians who will decide how accurate or inaccurate they are, but no matter if it's a fictional or real story, veterans and military experts will also come forward to point out the strengths and weaknesses of war movies. Surely, some have drawn more controversy than others, depending on the inaccuracy and if they ended up being offensive or not, and here are 10 war movies that were criticized by veterans and military experts for their inaccuracy and more.
10 Windtalkers
Windtalkers was directed by John Woo and was based on the real story of Navajo code talkers during World War II. War History Online has called out Windtalkers for its inaccuracy, not just in how it depicted the Navajo and gave these characters a ing role when they should have been the main focus of the movie, but also for its ground battle scenes. According to the website, these scenes occurred at around 10 feet apart, which isn’t usually how they happen, and there was no cover fire or concealing when the troops advanced.
9 Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge was directed by Ken Annakin and told a highly fictionalized of the title battle. The inaccuracies of Battle of the Bulge begin with the opening narration, as Patton’s Third Army wasn’t tasked with defending the Ardennes. Battle of the Bulge also had various inaccuracies when it comes to military tanks, aircrafts, and the settings used for the battles, as it was shot in Spain, which had zero resemblance to the rugged, heavily wooded Ardennes of Belgium.
8 U-571
U-571 was directed by Jonathan Mostow and told the story of a World War II German submarine boarded by American submariners to capture her Enigma cipher machine. Though U-571 doesn’t represent real events, it was called out for its many historical and technical inaccuracies. From the latter category, military experts have pointed out that Kriegsmarine destroyers rarely ventured out into the open Atlantic Ocean (German Destroyers, by Gordon Williamson) and the website Uboat shared various inaccuracies related to U-boats, though Sub Lt. David Balme, who led the boarding party on U-110, called U-571 a “great film” (via BBC News), but added that it wouldn’t have been financially viable if it hadn’t been “Americanised”.
7 Jarhead
Jarhead was directed by Sam Mendes and based on the 2003 memoir of the same name by U.S. Marine Anthony Swofford. A Marine shared on Slate the many inaccuracies he found on Jarhead, such as the platoon being branded with “USMC” as a sign of respect, but mostly points out that many of the things portrayed in the movie reflect poorly on the Marine Corps. He even mentions that the Marine Corps Public Affairs released a memo that warned about Jarhead’s inaccurate portrayal of Marines in general and not providing “a reasonable interpretation of military life”.
6 Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor was directed by Michael Bay and as the title says, was centered on the attack on Pearl Harbor by Japanese forces in 1941. Pearl Harbor is a heavily fictionalized version of this historical event, and focused on a love story set amidst the lead-up to the attack, the aftermath of it, and the Doolittle Raid. Pearl Harbor was ranked number three in Career After Military’s list of most inaccurate military movies ever made, and many survivors of the attack labeled it as “grossly inaccurate”.
Among its most criticized aspects are the inclusion of Ben Affleck’s character in the Eagle Squadron, the duration of the Battle of Britain, and pretty much everything about its portrayal of the Doolittle Raid. United States Army Air Forces Second Lieutenant Kenneth M. Taylor, who along with George Welch took to the skies during the attack, called Pearl Harbor “a piece of trash. Over-sensationalized and distorted” (via Washington Post).
5 Red Tails
Red Tails was directed by Anthony Hemingway, and it’s the story of the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of African-American United States Army Air Forces servicemen during World War II. In a series of webinars titled Tuskegee Airman Webinars – 'Was the Movie Accurate'?, surviving Tuskegee Airmen Colonel Charles McGee and Colonel Harold Brown pointed out the inaccuracies of Red Tails, mostly the number of losses suffered by bomber crews under escort, the encounters with Luftwaffe jet fighters, and the record established by the Tuskegee Airmen. A bomber pilot in Red Tails claims that not a single bomber was lost due to enemy fire, but an Air Force report released six years before the movie’s release showed that at least 25 bombers were lost.
4 Enemy at the Gates
Enemy at the Gates was directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud and based on William Craig’s 1973 nonfiction book Enemy at the Gates: The Battle for Stalingrad. Among the many inaccuracies in Enemy at the Gates are details about Vasily Zaitsev’s story, developments of the war, and even maps that showed modern locations of Russia, Ukraine, and the Baltic states. Military historian Antony Beevor shared his belief that Zaitsev’s story in Enemy at the Gates was fictional, and War History Online published a breakdown of every inaccuracy in the movie, which go from the bombers’ attack to the weapons used by the characters.
3 The Hurt Locker
The Hurt Locker was directed by Kathryn Bigelow and followed an Iraq War Explosive Ordnance Disposal team targeted by insurgents. The Hurt Locker showed the psychological effects of the stress of combat and of war in general, but that didn’t save it from criticism by military experts. Bomb experts called out the inaccuracy in the actions of The Hurt Locker’s protagonist, calling him the “kind of person that we’re not looking for” and that the movie’s portrayal of a bomb expert was “grossly exaggerated and not appropriate” (via Press Herald). Various veterans shared that, while The Hurt Locker is a good movie, it’s not an accurate representation of what they do, with combat veteran and author Brandon Friedman sharing on VetVoice that the film’s representation of combat is nothing like in real life.
2 Flyboys
Flyboys was directed by Tony Bill and followed the enlistment, training, and combated experiences of a group of young Americans who volunteer to become fighter pilots during World War I. Flyboys was heavily criticized for its inaccuracies, such as the blending of the Lafayette Escadrille with the Lafayette Flying Corps, the World War I fighter aircraft technology, the uniforms of German soldiers, American pilots operating the Nieuport 17 while Germans operated the Fokker Dr.I., and the use of Fokker Triplanes. The only military adviser Flyboys had was Jack Livesey, a convicted impostor who posed as a decorated war hero.
1 Saving Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryan was directed by Steven Spielberg and follows a group of soldiers during World War II on their mission to extricate Private James Ryan from the war after his three brothers were killed in battle. Saving Private Ryan is regarded as one of the best movies ever made and it has been praised for the accuracy of the Omaha Beach assault, though it had a couple of minor inaccuracies. Many veterans described the opening of Saving Private Ryan as so realistic that many were unable to finish the movie due to the memories it triggered.
As a result, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs created a dedicated phone line for those affected by the movie, and many veterans had to visit counselors due to post-traumatic stress disorder. However, the town of Ramelle and the battle were fictitious and tactical errors were intentionally made for dramatic purposes. Veterans outside the U.S. criticized the lack of other Allied forces in Saving Private Ryan (via BBC News).
Sources: War History Online, German Destroyers, Uboat, Washington Post, Press Herald, Vet Voice, Slate, BBC News
