When putting together military and war-themed movies, filmmakers strive for utmost accuracy, employing various techniques to achieve this goal. However, it’s often the nuanced details that truly elevate the authenticity of the narrative. In the following list, we highlight notable instances where Hollywood successfully captured such precision.
The portrayal of Dorie Miller in Pearl Harbor
The story of Doris “Dorie” Miller, the mess attendant-turned-war hero, was well-known in the 1940s, and Elven Havard portrayed a character inspired by him in the film, Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970). Stationed aboard the USS West Virginia (BB-48) during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Miller not only rescued the wounded, but also shot down several Japanese aircraft using an anti-aircraft machine gun, despite lacking any formal training.
By the year 2001, there existed a generation unfamiliar with Miller’s story. Filmmaker Michael Bay sought to remedy this by featuring Dorie Miller in the film, Pearl Harbor (2001). While the movie provides a heavily fictionalized retelling of the Pearl Harbor attack, Miller, portrayed by Cuba Gooding Jr., receives significant screen time, bringing attention to his remarkable actions.
A real water buffalo was sacrificed in Apocalypse Now
Francis Ford Coppola aimed to unsettle audiences with his 1979 masterpiece, Apocalypse Now. The Vietnam War-era film is renowned for its depiction of Capt. Benjamin Willard’s quest to find the enigmatic Col. William Kurtz, a renegade accused of murder. Played by Martin Sheen, Capt. Willard is tasked with eliminating Kurtz.
Col. Kurtz, portrayed by Marlon Brando, is revered by Cambodian villagers. In one notable scene, they ritually sacrifice a water buffalo. While many films would opt for CGI or special effects, this act was real. The local indigenous tribe intended to sacrifice the buffalo and granted the filmmakers permission to film and include it in the movie.
A recording of Adrian Cronauer’s catchphrase plays in Platoon
Adrian Cronauer was a member of the US Air Force during the Vietnam War. While he was first involved in producing films, he later became a morning show radio disc jockey (DJ) for the American Forces Network. Each morning, Cronauer would yell, “Good Morning, Vietnam!”
While Cronauer’s Vietnam legacy is best remembered through Robin Williams‘ portrayal of him in 1987’s Good Morning Vietnam, an actual recording of him saying his famous catchphrase was used a year earlier, in Oliver Stone‘s Platoon.
Gary Sinise wore his brother-in-law’s dog tags in Forrest Gump
The 1994 movie Forrest Gump, as beloved as it is, can’t exactly be called realistic. In fact, while the film may focus on famous historical events, it goes to great lengths to have its protagonist, portrayed by Tom Hanks, appear as a part of them.
At one point, Forrest goes off the fight in the Vietnam War, under the command of Lt. Dan Taylor, a career military man who believes he’s destined to perish in war, as his ancestors did. Gary Sinise, who portrays Taylor, decided to add some realness to his character. In the film, Taylor’s dog tags are actually those of Sinise’s brother-in-law, Jack Treese, who served in Vietnam.
Fury used a real Tiger Tank
The film Fury debuted in theaters in 2014 and focused on the tank battles between the Allied forces and the German Army during World War II. The movie, starring Brad Pitt and Shia LaBeouf, was a hit, grossing more than $210 million at the box office.
Fury was lauded by critics who appreciated the movie’s accuracy, especially when it came to the tanks featured in the film. According to Live Science, “the Sherman M4A3E8 and the Tiger 131 — are real, and belong to the Tank Museum in Bovington, England.” The inclusion of the Tiger Tank is especially notable, as The Tank Museum is in possession of the last running one.
The makers of Full Metal Jacket hired R. Lee Ermey
R. Lee Ermey, the scene-stealing drill instructor from 1987’s Full Metal Jacket, was originally only an adviser on the film. To help the actors, the US Marine Corps veteran created an instructional video. Director Stanley Kubrick was so impressed with the tape that he decided to cast Ermey in the film as Gunnery Sgt. Hartman.
The decision to cast Ermey was soon proven to be the correct one. His performance received rave reviews, and Ermey was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Pvt. Jackson’s injury in Saving Private Ryan
During WWII, four siblings from the Niland family enlisted to serve their country. When the conflict came to an end, it was believed that three of the brothers had perished (though one was actually a prisoner of war) and the fourth was sent home to complete his military service. The 1998 film Saving Private Ryan drew inspiration from this story.
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Regarded as one of the most critically acclaimed war movies ever, Saving Private Ryan showcases the filmmakers’ unwavering commitment to authenticity. A single, seemingly inconspicuous detail underscores this dedication. Pvt. Daniel Jackson, portrayed by Barry Pepper, sports a bruise on his thumbnail, a characteristic common among soldiers whose thumbs often became trapped in the loading mechanism of their Springfield M1903 rifles.