Final Blog

I think sometimes Hollywood does "define" history, but that is only because people let it. There are tons of movies that depict history in an incorrect way, but none of them claim to be the truth. Take The Patriot for example. That movie is filled with historical inaccuracies, but it is entertaining, like a movie should be. I enjoyed the story, the characters, and the setting of that movie. Whether or not the events that took place in it were real didn't matter to me. What did matter was the story and the acting.

It is unfair to judge movies on their accurate portrayals of history, as they are made mostly for entertainment purposes. If people want to learn about history through watching something, they should watch factual documentaries. I don't think it matters if Hollywood warps history a little. Yes, it is a little bad if people truly believe the Revolutionary War was actually like the way it is portrayed in The Patriot, but overall it doesn't matter too much.

The only time historical inaccuracies in movies can be dangerous is with cases like Top Gun where the movie glorifies the military without really showing what actually happens to soldiers. Top Gun is basically one long advertisement for the US military. When young adults see movies like that, they get the wrong impression of the military and end up going into it expecting something far from the truth.

All in all, though, I think that if people take what they see in movies as the truth, it is their own fault for believing it. I don't think Hollywood should be held responsible for "rewriting history" because their job is to making entertaining, profitable movies. It is the audience's "job" to watch them and take them for what they are.