10 Times Movies Changed Real Life For Being Too Unbelievable
2. Zhukov Wore Even More Medals - The Death Of Stalin
Though The Death of Stalin is a terrific political satire from the mind of the great Armando Iannucci, even he drew the line at one particular cosmetic flourish that he felt was a tad too ridiculous to pass full master with audiences.
Case in point, if you've seen the film you'll probably remember that Field Marshal Georgy Zhukov (Jason Isaacs) wears a seemingly comical number of medals on his uniform.
It may seem like a silly exaggeration - and it certainly does - but the shocking truth is that the real Zhukov actually wore considerably more medals than this, and the movie was totally understating the case.
As it turns out, Iannucci consciously decided to reduce the number worn by Jason Isaacs in the film for fear that it would come off as both unbelievable and a cheap, lousy visual gag in an otherwise sophisticated satire.
The notion that Zhukov's real attire was too absurd for an Armando Iannucci movie is a truly stranger-than-fiction cinematic factoid.