Worst Historical Movie Of All Time

[pompeius magnus]

keep in mind though that just because a movie is historically inaccurate does not make it a bad movie. Gladiator is one of my favorite movies, but historically it was terrible.

[longbow]

I really like the new Alexander its well acted with a good script/cast and it looks cool,most people hate it

[Q Valerius Scerio]

But the whole purpose of the story was not to retell the Iliad, but to give what could have been a historical account of what have happened

 

 

Well, sure the scope of the movie is the entire Trojan War rather than just the Iliad, but the bones of it is based on Homer. Which they proceeded to randomly destroy. There is no alternative historical evidence pointing to Menalaus dying in Troy for example. Its just butchered Homer. There is no attempt to write a historical account or anything like it.

 

Are you suggesting that Homer actually wrote history? I think not.

 

 

I don't mean to be rude but what are you talking about? I never even alluded to anything approaching that. Homer wrote a great and important epic tale, probably based on Greek history as he knew it. How is making a mutilated version of this with arbitrary changes and ommisions a historical acount ?

They are using Homers characters and retelling his tale of the Trojan War, and they made a complete hash of it because they took ridiculous liberties with one of history's greatest works. Simple as that.

 

I must say though I do kind of see what you were getting at in your first post though. If you meant simply watching the movie on its merits instead of comparing it to what we think it should be well then thats a good point, strangley enough that is exactly the tactic I have been using lately in order to enjoy the latest rush of historical epics. And it has worked pretty well for me. I found it impossible with Troy though because it is complete irredeemable rubbish. In my opinion of course

 

*edit* Oh by the way I didn't mean to jump all over you when you were just trying to bring a bit of sanity to the torrent of abuse directed at the film. I'm all tired and cranky today

No problem, I take no offenses at all, and I hope you don't take any either, but again, let me point out that Homer served merely as a model for Troy. They specifically said (watch the special features) that they didn't want to make the Iliad, that they wanted to retell what could have been historical. Sure, there is no evidence that Menelaus died at Troy, in fact, there's no real evidence for any of the characters at all. It's legend, and they simply made their own legend.

 

Actually, it's in the true spirit of Homer: Homer was a rhapsode, and like all rhapsodes he cut and fitted his story to gear towards a particular audience. There was never one Iliad (until the others were lost) but many, and Wolfgang here is acting as a rhapsode, cutting and fitting where he sees necessary to make a new legend.

 

Question - For those who have never read the Iliad but have seen Troy: Did you like it? Let's be honest here, too, no one has an agenda to push.

[Spurius]

keep in mind though that just because a movie is historically inaccurate does not make it a bad movie. 

 

and from the original post

What historical movie do you think did the worst job with historical accuracy? 

 

 

True, historically bad does not make a movie bad....but it is still historically bad.

 

Now about Gladiator, I really still don't see it as much better than the Fall of the Roman Empire. It does have certain points I do like, such as the return of the household gods and the basic stoic personality of Maximus, but the over all package leaves me kind of cold. I will say that its sucess did keep the ancient spectacle alive as a movie type. I am waiting with baited breath for the 300 Spartans and the Gates of Fire.

 

Troy, sorry I can't divorce myself from the Illiad that much. I must say however, that I was wrong to include it on my list. It is in no manner a historical movie (just like Arthur) so I recatagorize it under plainly bad.

[Ursus]

I liked "Spartacus" even though it wasn't the most historically film. It was well written, well acted, well directed, well produced. It was, in other words, a good movie.

 

Troy was just a bad movie, I think. I think most of what Hollywood has churned out in the last 30 years is just plain bad. Bad writing, bad acting, bad directing. The production values are sometimes great. But that's all movies are any more. Special effects and brutal action designed to stimulate the brain dead masses. Glorified video games, really.

 

But YMMV.

[Cicero]

The worst historical movies in my mind are not at all recent. I haven't seen Troy and even though I saw Alexander it could never be as worse as these two were.

 

Barabbis

 

This was the worst movie I have ever seen in my life - no wait a sec that was Martin Luther, ok so I have three movies to tell of. This movie was made in the early 60's I think after Ben Hur and Spartacus were made. The movie is about 'Barabbis', the guy that Jesus took his punishment for. It mainly tells of what happened afterwords when he goes back to his old ways, but this time is faced with the guilt of the man that took his punishment for him. Well anyways he get's in trouble again with the Romans, and is sent to the mines in Sicily (near Mt. Etna). Where he remains for 20 long years. Now here is the funny part, after he manges to live 20 years in the dark mine caves he yet remains in almost perfect health (by now he is an old man). Now I ask myself, how can that be possible? Even if he manage to survive for that long he would not be in good health.

 

Afterwords a rich Roman couple on vacation come to the mines (because they have nothing else to do except look at sweaty slaves in mines lol). My memory fades here but they do pick up two people to train Gladiators and one of them a young man who has not even been in the mines for a year; and the other Barabbis. This is where I laugh again, why would any Roman want some old guy to be a Gladiator, not to mention one that has been there for twenty years. I can understand the younger one, he looked fit, but who were the writers trying to fool? A gladiator is an investment and the Roman couple were not like Proximo in Gladiator who made a living off of it. They would want the best for there money, not even I would invest a dime on a sixty year old man who lived in the mines for twenty years; no matter how strong.

 

I forget the rest afterwords again but Barabbis ends up free and Rome is on fire (this is the great fire of Rome). People are panicking on the street some people yell that it was the 'Christan's' and Barabbis being confused on where he stands with the religion; he goes and takes a torch and try to help in the burning screaming about 'God' and whatever. Then someone tells him that it was not the Christan's fault. Gah! I can't remember, this part is so dumb I forget it.

 

I was sixteen years old when I saw this movie (it has been a few years) and even then I knew how unrealistic dumb this movie was. This movie will even make Troy look good.

 

 

 

The second one is the sequel to 'The Robe' (yeas horrible sequels existed even back then):

 

Demetrius and the Gladiators

 

I'm not even going to go in detail about this one. Only for one scene in which I laughed at and still do.

 

It goes on after The Robe storyline, in which we follow the life of Demetrius the Greek slave that was saved by the Roman Tribune (can't remember his name). He is put in to service as a Gladiator (don't they all?). He ends up in the ring with another Gladiator who he is friendly with. They both decide that they do not want to kill each other but they have to at least put on a good show and they both will be spared by the Romans. They start to fight with each other, but there movements are slow and they can bairly swing their swords at each other. When they do try to hit each other, it is painfully obvious that they are trying to avoid one another. The fight is so bad that the Romans start booing; and I must add so did I, actually I was laughing too. I know it was meant to be like that, but did it have to be that bad? It was the worst fight scene EVER, I yet have to find something to compare it with. Words cannot say how bad it was; I cannot believe someone had the nerve to write out a thing like that!!!!

 

After the horrible fight Demetrius realizes that it won't do (ohh when did he realize that?). So he says to ....I can't remember who...maybe it was Caligula or someone else important. Anyways, he says, "I am a Christan and my religion forbid killing."

 

Anyways the movie consist of a mad Caligula who is obsessed with The Robe of Jesus, but is scared to touch it and demands it to be burned. The actor is trying too hard to be mad sometimes, but I think he is the only character that I can stand in the movie. Demetrius for some reason turns his back on Christianity and becomes a Tribune (don't ask me how, I tried very hard to forget this movie). He then gets into an affair with the Priestess of Isis (who is married). Then later turns back into a Christan when he finds himself. Then Caligula dies when a spear in thrown at him, and it is funny to remember a dead Caligula with a long spear sticking out of his chest.

 

 

 

Martin Luther

 

I saw this movie in grade 12 history class, it was mind numbing. Almost three days of watching this movie, it hurts my mind remembering it. At the end of the movie everyone in my classes cheered, that's how bad it was. I am not even going to try and tell what the movie was about; at least the other two were amuseing in their own bad way, but this was worse. I do not recommend this movie at all to be seen, rather it should be burned. Think Alexander but worse, trust me I could stand Alexander even watch it again after seeing this.

 

 

I talk too much, all I hope was that in my ranting I made some sense. Most of these movies I saw when I was ether 16 or 17 and trust me after these three, I am careful to call any other movies bad; although Alexander came really close, too close.

[Guest Scanderbeg]

I also hated the Patriot. They made Britain seem like some vicious animal. It really annoyed the hell out of me that almost all the Brits were portrayed in that matter. I don't understand what is with Mel's Brit hating.

Completely ridiculous film. Where were the British sympathizers? Oh yea it was one guy going "lets rethink the war". Cmon!!!!

[Zeke]

lol I thought the Patriot was great, what are you talking about!! hehehehehe

But yeah they did make the Brits look preety bad.

 

The "Robe" in my opinion is one of the worst of the "Histrocial films"" I have seen. As weel as the "Ten Commandements!"

 

They were both lame and horrible!

 

Zeke

[Germanicus]

They made Britain seem like some vicious animal. It really annoyed the hell out of me that almost all the Brits were portrayed in that matter. I don't understand what is with Mel's Brit hating.

 

 

Oh come now, you've seen the "Rome as Evil Empire" movies, the British Empire could hardly get off scott free now could it ?

 

But on the topic of a lot of these movies, Troy, Alexander, Braveheart etc. I think people are just plain thick going to see them expecting to see historicly accurate pictures. They're not made for History buffs, they're made for the general population, who may (if you're lucky) know who Homer is, but probably wonder how he found the time to write all that stuff while working for Burns at the Power plant in Springfield.

[leedx7]

BLAST FROM THE PAST!!! I used to love Demetrius the Gladiator! It was on a VHS double triple Bill with "High Risk" and the Road Runner Movie....I was about 8....I had forgotton about that film....cracking.....

 

Anyone recall the original 300 Spartans...."They fight like machines"...hmmm..okay.....classic film though.....

 

When it come to poor quality historical epics I think the greater majority are poor as they have a vast story to tell in a very limited time period...but, by far and away the worst historical movie of all time must be (and Im sorry that I cannot recall the exact title) a King Richard the lionheart film with Eric stoltz leading kids to the holy land or something....now that was baaaaaaaad. However, its not really an epic in the sense that I think this thread was started so.....hmmmmm.....King Arthur was utter dross......as WW2 films go Saving Private Ryan was extremely poor (2 action scenes aside) where Team USA won the war singlehandedly led by a band of stereotypes and a depressed teacher.....then again, The Thin Red Line (or Thin brown streak as I call it) was equally pap....oh yes Mr Malik, the Japanese surrendered in droves and the GI's spent their time swimming with the "troll-lke" locals.......

 

For the more classic epic cinematic errors, I have to say that the original Alexander with Richard Burton ranks high as one of the more cack epics....but contrary to popular belief i though Cleopatra was actually really good....anyway.....I'm truly waffling on now.....anyone seen the TV movies of Helen of Troy and Spartacus? they are turd also.......im going back to work......

[Viggen]

Battle of the Bulge, shot only only 20 years after the actual battle, and still manage to forget more or less anything that really happened, from Korean war tank, to wrong terrain, to wrong uniforms, to wrong climate, and and and... in fact it was so bad that former President Eisenhower came out of retirement and held a press conference to denounce the film for what he considered its gross historical inaccuracy.

[guy]

On 4/18/2005 at 2:14 PM, Spurius said:

 

pompeius magnus said:

What historical movie do you think did the worst job with historical accuracy.

In the past ten or so years:

 

Ancient/Medieval- Gladiator

 

Although I agree that the movie "Gladiator" was not historically accurate (and bordered on the ridiculous), the opening battle scene in Germania was impressive.

 

 

 

 

guy also known as gaius

Edited January 9, 2021 by guy

[indianasmith]

Coming to this one kind of late, but last year's NOAH was, well, horrible on all levels.

It bore little resemblance to the Bible story it was based on.  It added elements which made no sense whatsoever.

Noah, supposedly the most righteous man on earth, was an absolute jerk.

And no one put in a good performance - every actor in the movie was WAY below their normal level of effort.

It was as if the SYFY Channel tried to make a Bible movie!