makers who would like to use mili- going to their doom. Strub pointed out
tary personnel and equipment. the characterization was not realistic
“We look at these productions as and asked that the scene be rewritten.
an opportunity to tell the American “In the fi lm,” Strub says, “we see
public something about the military the soldiers looking grim and deter-
and perhaps help recruitment and mined but not hopeless. They are a
retention at the same time,” Strub disciplined group trying to do their
notes. “But we have to recognize that best under diffi cult circumstances.
there is no way we’re going to be able That may be a subtle change, but it’s
to eliminate every technical inac- very signifi cant.”
curacy or historical inauthenticity “One of the most common techni-
from the military depictions in these cal mistakes is the wear and display
productions. It’s not possible, and of uniforms, badges, and medals,”
perhaps [not] even desirable. What observes Maj. Laura Millett, USAR,
we try to do is create a reasonable cofounder of the GI Film Festival
amount of authenticity.” with her husband, Brandon. “In ad-
The amount of leeway DoD grants dition, I rarely see military women in
a production in regard to accuracy de- uniform whose hairstyles are within
pends on many factors, Strub adds. Of military guidelines, though I can un-
particular importance is genre. Mov- derstand why an actress would want
ies such as “Black Hawk Down,” based her hair long and fl owing versus off
on a real incident, are held to a higher of her collar in a tight bun.”
standard than screwball comedies or Another area of inaccuracy is what
science fi ction movies such as “Trans- Millett calls an “overestimation” of
formers,” which received a tremen- military vehicle and intelligence col-
dous amount of military support. lection capabilities. “I really wish the
“Regardless of genre, we do try to U.S. military had some of the real-
work on authenticity and accuracy time intelligence capabilities that
in regard to such things as missions movies show, or that our helicopters
and how equipment operates, but could carry the payload that they do
most importantly on how military in fi lms,” she says. “But I know that
men and women treat each other and most directors choose to show these
what they do in their performance of inaccuracies for dramatic or comedic
military duty and off-duty activities,” effect and to move the story along
Strub says. “We try to imagine how within the 90-minute parameter.”
we would feel, sitting in a theater, if Dye, who served as a technical
we were that military man or woman advisor on “Saving Private Ryan”
being portrayed in this movie. It’s a and “Band of Brothers,” among many
very subjective process.” other war movies, laments the in-
Strub recalls a scene in an early accuracies often seen in cinematic
script for Steven Spielberg’s adapta- battle sequences.
tion of “War of the Worlds” in which “As any combat veteran knows,”
Tom Cruise’s character’s family en- Dye observes, “fragmentation
counters a military convoy. In the grenades do not create miniature
preliminary script, Strub recalls, the nuclear explosions, but fi lmmak-
soldiers were described as dead-eyed, ers want a bigger blast, so grenades
as if they had given up hope and were go off like A- [CONTINUES ON PAGE 77]
Some films that receive high marks for accuracy include (from top)
“Jarhead” (Desert Storm); “Black Hawk Down” (Somalia); several World War
II movies, including “Battle Cry,” “A Bridge Too Far,” and “Saving Private
Ryan”; and a classic Hollywood western, “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon.”
PHOTOS: ALL PHOTOS FROM PHOTOFEST DIGITAL AND INCLUDE FROM TOP, UNIVERSAL PICTURES; COLUMBIA M AY 2 0 0 8 M I L I T A R Y O F F I C E R 6 7
PICTURES; WARNER BROTHERS; UNITED ARTISTS; DREAMWORKS; RKO/RADIO PICTURES
MMovie Blunders.indd 67ovie Blunders.indd 67 44/2/08 9:52:43 PM/2/08 9:52:43 PM
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