5 War Movies That Real Veterans Hated (And 5 They Approve Of)
1. The Great Escape
It is perhaps an overstatement to say that veterans hate The Great Escape - it has courted a good deal of controversy over the years, and particularly with the ex-Prisoners of War who actually spent time incarcerated in Stalag Luft III.
According to the vets, the first half of the film is a largely accurate depiction of real events. Scenes such as the machine-gunning of a panic-stricken Archibald Ives are authentic, and only a small amount of the escape details are fictionalised. In fact, the film is hailed as quite a faithful adaptation of Paul Brickhills novel.
But once the escapees are free of the confines of the camp, the film is apparently free of the confines of historical accuracy. The real escape veterans take particular exception to Steve McQueens iconic motorcycle jump across barbed wire, accusing him of glamourising the story unnecessarily. According to Brickhills novel, no Americans actually took part in the famous escape at all, having been moved to a separate camp some time earlier.
Given the criticism the 1963 film has received for historical accuracy, any veterans reading this are advised not to watch the 1988 made-for-TV sequel The Great Escape II: The Untold Story.
Moving on, the following five films are held in somewhat higher regard by veterans...