Hollywood loves turning history into incredible movies—but they don’t always stick to the facts. Most directors change real events to make stories more exciting or to fit a certain storyline, which often involves inventing characters or changing timelines completely! Here are fourteen ways Hollywood is manipulating historical facts to make a better film. These changes give us the wrong impression about what really went down in the past.
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“Braveheart” and Those Kilts That Didn’t Exist Back Then
“Braveheart” gives us Mel Gibson as William Wallace leading Scottish warriors into battle, all decked out in kilts—but these didn’t come around in Scotland until the 16th century. Wallace lived in the late 13th & early 14th centuries but the filmmakers decided to use kilts to make the characters look more Scottish to modern audiences. Who would’ve guessed a piece of clothing could be so historically inaccurate?
The Made-Up Love Story in “Pocahontas”
Disney’s “Pocahontas” shows us a heartfelt romance between Pocahontas & John Smith although the reality of their relationship was far darker. The pair met in 1607 when Pocahontas was just about 10 to 12 years old & there’s no proof they were ever romantically involved. In fact, Pocahontas later married John Rolfe, an English tobacco planter, to create peace between the settlers & her people.
“Gladiator” and the Made-Up Death of Emperor Commodus
In “Gladiator,” we see Emperor Commodus being killed in the Colosseum by Maximus who is the hero of the story—but Commodus didn’t actually die in the arena. He was assassinated in 192 AD in his own bath by a wrestler named Narcissus, who was his personal trainer. Narcissus strangled him after a conspiracy by his inner circle yet the filmmakers changed the setting to give us a more exciting showdown.
“The Imitation Game” and the Overlooked Team Behind Alan Turing
“The Imitation Game” tells the story of Alan Turing & shows him as the lone genius who cracked the German Enigma code—and Turing was indeed brilliant. Yet he wasn’t working alone at Bletchley Park because he was part of a big team of mathematicians, linguists & cryptanalysts. People like Gordon Welchman and Dilly Knox also helped to crack the code but the film focuses almost entirely on Turing.
“U-571” and the Swapped Nationalities
“U-571” shows how American sailors bravely captured a German U-boat and got the Enigma machine but here’s the twist—in real life, it was the British Royal Navy that pulled off this mission in May 1941. The HMS Bulldog captured U-110 months before the U.S. even joined World War II but the filmmakers changed the heroes to Americans. Such a change upset many people who knew the true history behind the incident.
“Argo” and Canada’s Unsung Contribution
It’s hard to believe something like “Argo” happened but it did—mostly. The daring rescue of six American diplomats from Iran in 1979 was real but the film downplays the important role that the Canadians played in it all, including Canadian ambassador, Ken Taylor’s work. The operation was a joint effort but the movie gives most of the credit to the CIA instead.
“300” and the Forgotten Greek Allies
In “300,” we see 300 Spartan warriors making a last stand against the massive Persian army all by themselves, although the truth was that 7,000 other Greek soldiers actually joined them. They were from various city-states like Thespiae & Thebes and fought during the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC. The movie leaves out these allies to focus on the Spartans’ bravery, even at the cost of simplifying real events.
“Pearl Harbor” and the Imaginary Heroes
“Pearl Harbor” follows the lives of two fictional pilots, Rafe McCawley & Danny Walker, who experience the 1941 attack and then join the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo—both of these events happened. However, these characters didn’t exist and the filmmakers invented them to create a personal story & love triangle to drive the plot. It’s a mixture of fiction and history that makes the story a lot more exciting!
“The Patriot” and the Over-The-Top Villainy
“The Patriot” shows British soldiers doing terrible things like herding civilians into a church and setting it on fire—but there’s no historical record of British troops committing such atrocities during the American Revolution. They did this in the film just to make the enemies seem more cruel and to make the audience feel stronger emotions. Thankfully, the British were nowhere near as cruel as that during that period.
“Amadeus” and the Fictional Rivalry
Antonio Salieri is portrayed in “Amadeus” as being obsessively jealous of Mozart, going so far as to plot against him & directly contribute to his downfall. Historically, though, there’s little evidence of such a strong rivalry between the two composers because they were professional acquaintances—Salieri even performed some of Mozart’s works. As such, the intense feud is nothing but a way to add some extra drama to the real story.
“Shakespeare in Love” and the Imaginary Muse
It’s easy to believe that “Shakespeare in Love” is real since it tells the story of a young William Shakespeare who falls for Viola de Lesseps, a noblewoman who inspires him to write “Romeo and Juliet.” But there’s no historical evidence that such a person existed or that this romance took place—the character of Viola is fictional. Quite simply, she’s there to give Shakespeare a romantic muse and to create a love story that’s similar to the play he writes.
“The Greatest Showman” and the Polished P.T. Barnum
You’d be forgiven for thinking the real P.T. Barnum was a great guy because of the way he’s shown “The Greatest Showman” and how he celebrates & makes his audience happy. Yet, Barnum’s methods weren’t always noble because he often exploited people with disabilities & unusual conditions. He shows them as curiosities for profit and he was also involved in hoaxes, like the Fiji Mermaid, that movie leaves out.
“A Beautiful Mind” and the Edited Life of John Nash
In “A Beautiful Mind,” we learn about the life of mathematician John Nash and his battle with schizophrenia—although many aspects of his personal life are completely ignored. Nash had a child with a woman he didn’t marry & was alleged to have had affairs but they deliberately left this out of the film. They wanted to present a cleaner narrative that fits its more inspirational message.
“The Blind Side” and Misrepresenting Michael Oher
Anyone who’s seen “The Blind Side” will know just how heartwarming the story of Michael Oher, a young Black athlete taken in by a white family, is—but it’s not true. Oher was already playing football & had an understanding of the sport before he met his adopted family, despite what the movie said. In fact, he went on to sue his adopted family and spoke about how the movie downplayed his skills & motivations.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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