10 More Insanely Accurate War Movie Details

Once more unto the breach, dear friends!

By Gabriel Sheehan /

"Ideals are peaceful. History is violent."

Yes, it's another raft of ridiculously authentic war film details.

Advertisement

This should come of little surprise to anybody familiar with the genre. The library of historically accurate material to be found in this category of film is so vast that the real challenge is narrowing down the list of potential candidates.

From pieces of combat and uniform-oriented detail that instantly immerse the viewer in the thick of the action, to tactics and battles that mirror the real thing, war movies offer an embarrassment of riches in this regard. In many cases, this dedication to precision is so obvious that even the more stringent historians among us are happy to gloss over some artistic liberties with the actual version of events.

These snapshots from historical conflicts highlight the filmmakers' commitment to bringing the past to life on the silver screen in as genuine a manner as physically possible. Underlining the depth of research that went into these offerings, these productions offer a poignant window into soldiers' lives that is often indistinguishable from reality.

With that in mind, here are ten more war movies which utilised crazily accurate details.

10. Authentic Uniforms - Atonement

While 2007's Atonement is more of a romantic drama than a full-blown war movie, Joe Wright's offering is loaded with precise historical detail. This attribute is particularly obvious in the film's sequences depicting the Dunkirk evacuation.

Advertisement

Providing a snapshot of the chaos that rings far truer than Christopher Nolan's take, historian James Holland has highlighted the superb level of authenticity on display in Atonement's version of Dunkirk. The Englishman lavishes particular praise upon the inclusion of the British Battledress.

The Battledress' benefits were twofold, as the shorter design cut off at the waist, mirroring the trousers of the time. This meant wasting less material, considering that part of the soldier's body was already covered. At the outbreak of WWII, Britain was also the only nation with an entirely mechanised army. Soldiers constantly found themselves jumping in and out of vehicles; the shorter design meant that any flapping coattails were less likely to get caught on something.

Atonement is hardly the first war film to feature the Battledress. However, what sets the movie apart is the incorporation of older combat uniforms; several soldiers can also be seen sporting the longer, pre-1939 tunic. This subtle inclusion highlights the equipment shortages of the conflict, as well as Wright's attention to detail.

Advertisement