Top 20 Historically Accurate Movies

One of David Lean’s many masterpieces, “Lawrence of Arabia” details the experiences of T. E. Lawrence in the First World War. The movie is based on Lawrence’s own book, “Seven Pillars of Wisdom,” which was published in 1926. The film has its flaws in regards to history, using dramatic license to depict an epic cinematic adventure. Most of the criticism is aimed at the portrayal of Lawrence himself, but many biographers have argued against this criticism. The defenders claim that, while imperfect, the movie contains a reasonably accurate depiction of the historic figure and his actions. Biographer Stephen E. Tabachnick even praises the film as a whole, calling it “appropriate and true to the text of ‘Seven Pillars of Wisdom.’”

On January 8, 1978, the openly gay Harvey Milk made California history when he was inducted as a Member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. His film is quite accurate, with its story tracing back to the 1982 biography “The Mayor of Castro Street,” which was written by San Francisco Chronicle reporter Randy Shilts. This book inspired the Oscar-winning documentary “The Times of Harvey Milk.” These sources provided a great framework for the film, which accurately captured the life of Milk and the politics of the day. Even the chilling words of Milk predicting his own assassination were lifted directly from the documentary. The Guardian called “Milk” “the creme de la creme of faithful biopics,” and it’s not hard to see why.

Winning Best Picture at the 88th Academy Awards, “Spotlight” follows a small news team as they reveal uncomfortable truths within the Catholic Church. The film is an accurate retelling of the real Spotlight team and its efforts in winning the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service. Included are the award-winning reporters and the Boston Globe’s editor-at-large, Walter V. Robinson. Some events were made up or exaggerated for dramatic purposes, but the film remains a fairly realistic portrayal of history. Even the Catholic Church praised the film’s authenticity. The Catholic News Service called it “generally accurate,” and Vatican Radio referred to it as “honest.” Sometimes, truth is more disturbing than fiction.

Starring Mel Gibson as Frank Dunne, “Gallipoli” is another film centered around the Ottoman Empire in the First World War. Per its name, this film primarily covers the Gallipoli campaign, which occurred in modern-day Turkey and resulted in Ottoman victory. When it comes to war, “Gallipoli” is none too accurate - especially in its shoddy depiction of the climactic Battle of the Nek. Most of the film’s accuracy lies in its representation of lifestyles. For example, “Gallipoli” accurately conveys the horrific conditions that soldiers faced throughout the Gallipoli campaign. Furthermore, it serves as a fantastic period piece about Australian life in the early 20th century. When it comes to visuals and atmosphere, “Gallipoli” is a triumph of accuracy.

A highly successful movie, “The Imitation Game” chronicles the life of Alan Turing and his time decoding secret German messages in World War II. This fascinating story is based on the biography “Alan Turing: The Enigma,” written by esteemed mathematician Andrew Hodges. Unfortunately, the real story is so complex that a movie adaptation would never do it justice. But “The Imitation Game” does a solid job of conveying the basics. Some of the more dramatic and unsettling aspects of the story are lifted straight from history. These include Turing being put on trial for homosexual indecency and his subsequent chemical castration. The film even earned praise from Turing’s descendants, many of whom complimented the performance of Benedict Cumberbatch.

Neil Armstrong is one of the most important figures in human history, having been the first person to step foot on the moon. A biography titled “First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong” was published in 2005, and it’s from this book that Damien Chazelle sourced the story. “First Man” isn’t so much about the Apollo mission but the life of Armstrong himself. A few factual liberties were made, like Armstrong bringing his deceased daughter’s bracelet to the moon. But “First Man” is nonetheless very accurate, faithfully depicting Armstrong’s reserved personality and journey to the moon. Chazelle even included the orchestral “Lunar Rhapsody” in the dance scene, as this was the actual piece of music that Armstrong and his wife danced to.

There’s a lot of material to mine from the Battle of Gettysburg, which occurred from July 1 to 3 in 1863. But Ronald F. Maxwell’s epic got the job done. The length certainly helps; “Gettysburg” was actually shot as a miniseries, which explains the imposing four-plus hour running time. Many historians have praised the movie’s faithful and respectful approach to the battle. All the major players are present, and the film was meticulous in nailing down historical aspects like battle strategies, costumes, props, and character motivations. The National Park Service even provided the filmmakers with the rare opportunity to film on the real Gettysburg Battlefield, which lent a great deal of authenticity to the setting.

Military historian Cornelius Ryan wrote “The Longest Day,” a very popular book about the D-Day invasion of 1944. It was published in 1959 and turned into a movie just three years later. Nearly three hours in length, the film serves as an epic examination of the Normandy landings. Many cast members actually served in World War II, and their military experience is central in the film’s accuracy. Richard Todd, who plays Major John Howard, actually took part in D-Day and even helped recreate his own personal experience for the movie. The film was also shot at many real locations, including Pointe du Hoc, and D-Day veterans worked as historical consultants. It all ensured a war epic that brims with genuine - and frightening - history.

Brazilian author Paulo Lins was raised in the Rio suburb of Cidade de Deus, or “City of God.” Known as a violent and impoverished favela, City of God became the subject of Lins’s semi-autobiographical novel of the same name. With the story spanning multiple decades, “City of God” offers unknowing viewers a horrific and tragic glimpse into the favela’s geography, economy, and culture of organized crime. The film is even composed of amateur actors, many of whom came from the real City of God. They underwent an acting workshop that taught them how to simulate the area’s crime. The movie was shot in a real favela, with producers coming into conflict with local slumlords. The resulting atmosphere is authentically gritty and uncomfortable.

Cornelius Ryan strikes again. Based on his 1974 book of the same name, “A Bridge Too Far” recounts the story of Operation Market Garden. This was one of the largest airborne operations of World War II. Its aim was to secure various bridges in the Netherlands, thereby granting Allied access into Germany. The period was faithfully recreated by using real military hardware and authentic Dutch locations. The complex battle logistics were also fairly accurate. This is because Roy Urquhart and Brian Horrocks, respectively played by Sean Connery and Edward Fox in the film, served as military advisors. With a solid foundation in Ryan’s book and firsthand accounts of the operation, “A Bridge Too Far” is a great exercise in historical authenticity.

A subversive response to a long history of Soviet war propaganda films, “Come and See” was written by director Elem Klimov with the help of an ex-partisan who fought against the Nazis, along with numerous eyewitness accounts. The production of this objective and the realistic portrayal of the German occupation of Byelorussia was almost as brutal as the subject matter. Aleksei Kravchenko, playing the lead role, was a non-professional actor who endured fatigue and hunger during filming, all the while dodging live ammunition used instead of blanks for the filming. Meanwhile, wartime documentary-style footage made the film a stunning testament to the suffering endured by ordinary people fighting for their lives on the Russian front.

In 1945, Joe Rosenthal’s iconic photograph of US marines raising the Stars and Stripes on the captured island of Iwo Jima brought fame to its subjects. Clint Eastwood’s epic war film was based on a best-selling book written by the son of one of the men in the photo, James Bradley, who also provided narration and interviews with veterans for the movie. “Flags of our Fathers’” depiction of the horrors of warfare and the tragedy of what comes after was praised by the US Marine Corps’ chief historian for its attention to detail and historical verisimilitude, particularly the depiction of the harsh terrain where the Marines fought.

Historians and critics gave a warm reception to this painstaking recreation of President Lincoln's fight to have the 13th Amendment passed in the closing months of the American Civil War. The film was shot in Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Petersburg in Virginia where historical architecture from the period remains today. Daniel Day-Lewis received widespread accolades for his masterful performance as President Lincoln, paying attention to key character details like the President’s unexpectedly high voice and propensity as a master storyteller. Tommy Lee Jones was also praised for his performance as Thaddeus Stevens, a 19th century master of insults and sarcastic wit.

This claustrophobic depiction of wartime life aboard a German U-boat submarine was based on a novel by Lothar-Gunther Buchheim, who served as a naval war correspondent on the U-96 during WWII’s Battle of the Atlantic. With the commander of the U-96 as technical advisor, an obsessively accurate replica of the vessel interior was built, which could be hydraulically rocked, shaken and tilted up to 45 degrees. Realism was also enhanced by location shooting at the wartime boat pen at La Rochelle. “Das Boot” is a stunning depiction of the confinement, tedium and terror of ordinary men caught in the war beneath the waves.

This documentary-like account of the attack on Pearl Harbor showed both sides of the battle, emphasizing the historical context and detailed planning of the attack. Producers and directors from Japan and the United States filmed their perspectives separately, which were then combined into a single film. Technical advisors from both sides were spared no expense to make the sets and scenes as true-to-life as possible. Full-scale replicas of naval vessels were built, and American training planes were made to resemble wartime Japanese planes, which added to the realism of what was being shown on screen.

Based on the 1853 biography of freed ex-slave Solomon Northup, this film was praised by historians and critics alike for its brutal depiction of the reality of slavery in Louisiana. Steve McQueen's distinct directorial style and the unforgettable performances of Chiwetel Ejiofor and others helped to bring the cruelty and barbarity of slavery to horrific life. “12 Years a Slave” vividly portrays the social and historical realities of a past where men and women were used and abused as chattel, while emphasizing Solomon Northup's astonishing achievements.

This film was closely based on an autobiographical book by the pianist and Holocaust survivor Wladyslaw Szpilman. However, director Roman Polanski had additional motivation to respect the history on which “The Pianist” draws, as he himself survived the Holocaust in Krakow. This story of one talented man’s struggle to survive in the Warsaw ghetto is heartbreaking and poignant, and a testament to the effort to recreate the setting in every detail, from the oppression of the ghetto streets to specific songs Szpilman played. “The Pianist” is a haunting vision of suffering, made more disturbing by the beauty of the music.

Steven Spielberg’s award-winning movie is considered by many to be the greatest film about horrors of the Holocaust ever made. This tale of German industrialist Oskar Schindler’s strategy to save Jews from mechanized extermination is a showcase of the highs and lows of the human condition. Holocaust survivor Leopold “Poldek” Pfefferberg spent years working to have this story - of one man’s struggle to save those caught in the maw of a destructive hate machine - made, and Spielberg's grim and realistic portrayal helps ensure it will never be forgotten.

The paranoia and surreal madness of Adolf Hitler’s last ten days holed up in his bunker were masterfully recreated in “Downfall,” a war flick known in Germany as “Der Untergang.” Based on extensive historical research, the film features fearsomely factual depictions of some of modern history's most vile figures. In fact, many of Hitler's lines were derived from actual quotations taken from his writing. Bruno Ganz gave a terrifying performance as Hitler, both at his most monstrous and his most human. This film shows how, at the end of the day, even the most despicable man in history is still just a man.

This tale of a brush with fatal disaster in orbit was based on a book written by science writer Jeffrey Kluger and Apollo 13 mission commander Jim Lovell, as well as first-hand testimony of other astronauts. Made with the technical support of NASA, the historical docudrama was praised for its exact reproduction of Apollo 13 modules and control rooms. Zero gravity scenes were even filmed in the same KC-135 plane, also called the Vomit Comet, used to simulate weightlessness during astronaut training. The tense tale of survival in space against the odds gained universal praise from real astronauts and earned the filmmakers two Oscar wins out of nine nominations.