Why shouldn't hollywood writers and directors be responsible for historical accuracy?

Question

I'm writing an english paper and i need three reasons why hollywood filmmakers should NOT be held responsible for historical accuracy.

I already have 1. because they're meant to entertain and don't have to be accurate and 2. history is told through point of view, so they could never be 100% correct. Any more? HELP ME PLEASE!!

Answer 1

who would hold them responsible? who would enforce this?

how can anyone be sure of certain (the majority) of historical facts?

must all the works of fiction be subjected to be acurate??  We wouldn't have science fiction or adventure movies or books....

Answer 2

Because they are writing for entertainment not education. History is written by the victors, so the story is not just the facts either. Point of view is the important part of film making as well as history. See the "facts" in a new light from a different point of view.

A film makers is expressing his vision & is not require to keep to the fact, his guide is either his art or money.

Answer 3

1. Entertainment Value

2. There to make money not be historically accurate

3. Sometimes there is no history just our imagination

4. Some history is boring or doesnt have as big of a climax in real life

Answer 4

If they are claiming a story to be true then they have a duty to present the thread of the story as truthfully as possible.  

People get offended when their families or countries are portrayed in ways that are incorrect - i.e. the officer on the Titanic shown shooting people and then committing suicide - not true, the film makers paid compensation to his family and had to apologise on the credits.

U-571 - where the whole premise of the film was wrong - it was a British crew that captured the sub, not American.

It is acceptable to merge minor characters into one person for the sake of plot, and to simplify the story - but not to misrepresent which both the examples above do.

Answer 5

Films are a thing we call fiction.  Do you expect Harry Potter films to depict the real world?

Answer 6

History is complicated.  Writers condense stories and combine or leave out characters to allow them to tell a compelling story without extraneous messy detail.

Answer 7

Audiences don't want historically accurate films.  They wouldn't sell.  Sometimes the truth is absolutely unsurprising and downright boring.  Sometimes people did things for really simple reasons and there was no melodrama in sight.  That's life.  But would anyone really want to sit around and watch a film about, say, the Boleyn sisters, only to realize that their relationship was distant and formal and that Henry VIII didn't go around raping his future wives?  Of course not.

Answer 8

You are asking Hollywood people to be disciplined and ethical, never happen.