Amadeus: Zippers Weren’t Invented Until 1918
This 1984 film is widely considered to be one of the best films of all time. It received 53 awards nominations and won 40 of them, 8 of which were Academy Awards and 4 Golden Globe Awards. Despite this, even the most dedicated fans are not able to look past the creative liberties the director took. To say the least, the film was hardly lacking historical inaccuracies. Most critics were highly impressed with the film, but some definitely were soured by the way that Mozart was portrayed as an imbecile during parts of the film.
One historical mishap that people may have overlooked was the zippers that dancers donned on their outfits. Zippers weren’t invented until the early 1900s. They clearly didn’t exist during Mozart’s years in the late 1700s. So Mozart could have even lived longer than his young age of 35, and still, it wouldn’t have been until 1918 that the invention would come to life.
Pompeii: You Couldn't Wear Purple Next To Emperor Nero!
When you are more concerned with an entire civilization potentially wiping out from a volcano, fashion is definitely the last thing on your mind. And therefore, it’s the perfect opportunity for us to go ahead and point out a historical inaccuracy from 2014’s Pompeii.
While the generals in the film may have felt very bold in their gaudy purple garbs, this is actually deviance from history. Generals would never have been found wearing purple next to Nero. And if so, they would have definitely been done with.
Where Eagles Dare: A Hairstyle Ahead Of Its Time
The 1968 "Where Eagles Dare" was a big commercial success. The British WWII action film stars Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood. The movie nowadays is considered to be quite the classic and is noted for the phrase "Broadsword calling Danny Boy." While it's a great movie, it’s yet another war film that slightly veered from the style of the time period, particularly in regard to the hairstyles of some of the characters in the film.
Heidi, who was played by Ingrid Pitt, sported quite an interesting hairdo. It did not seem at all fitting for the time period, and that’s because it wasn’t. While the hairstyle would have fared well in a film set in the 60s, it simply just seemed off in the time of WWII.
Troy: Umbrellas In Ancient Troy?... Not So Much
While 2004's "Troy" didn't fare so well with critics, it was pretty successful at the box office. It grossed nearly $500 million on a $175 million budget. The film was inspired by Homer's great "Iliad," which gave it an epic “everything-must-be-big-and-grand” sort of feel to it. It had watchers completely convinced and enthralled in the war scenes until one particular scene.
During the scene, the character Paris, which was played by Orlando Bloom, stands under a pink parasol. When put like that, you’re probably wondering what in the world a pink umbrella was doing in the middle of a movie like this. And that’s exactly our point. In reality, Homeric warriors weren't privy to such frilly luxuries.
The Last Samurai: A 17th Century Armor For A 19th Century Samurai
2006’s drama war film, "The Last Samurai," did well at the box office, making a total of $456 million. The film was received well upon its release and was praised for the acting, writing, directing, score, visuals, and costumes. Generally speaking, it’s a good movie that avoids major errors. But, there is still one thing that most viewers overlook.
In the film, viewers see Tom Cruise’s character Captain Nathan Algren decked out in detailed samurai gear. While it seems fitting for a samurai to wear this, and it does look good, a warrior during this time period wouldn’t be wearing this. The film took place in 1876, and yet the armor dates back to 1600. So, by the film’s time, the armor would have been outdated.