Best war movie mistakes of all time

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Three Musketeers picture

Visible crew/equipment: In the fight scene on the stairs near the end of the movie, the camera shot looks up and there is a security camera mounted up in the corner. (01:29:40)

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Tea with Mussolini picture

Continuity mistake: Luca and his friend are chasing a bus and come down an old dirt road, Luca in a side car with a dog in his lap. The next shot, there's no dog, then the next shot the dog is back in his arms again.

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The Last Samurai picture

Factual error: When we see the United States flag, it is the wrong flag. It has 43 stars, something the flag did not have until 1891.

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The Longest Day picture

Factual error: The U.S. Paratrooper uses his "clicker", and the German answers with a "double" click-click - click-click. The Paratrooper stands up, and the German soldier shoots twice with his Mauser K98 without pulling back the bolt between shots, which is impossible.

pelib

Upvote valid corrections to help move entries into the corrections section.

Suggested correction: There could have been another German soldier present who fired as well.

lionhead

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300: Rise of an Empire picture

Revealing mistake: In the scene where Themistocles first talks to Queen Gorgo, in the background you can see several extras, one of which is wearing obvious sneakers. (00:18:35)

Vampe999

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More American Graffiti picture

Factual error: During the drag racing part of the film, they show an orange Plymouth lining up to race a red 57 Chevy. When the back of the Plymouth comes into view you can see a Direct Connection license plate with a Mopar logo on it. Chrysler's Direct connection line didn't exist in 1964, and the red white and blue Mopar logo wasn't around until 1972.

demodon

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The Horse Soldiers picture

Factual error: Towards the end when the cavalry uncovers the American flag, it has 50 stars.

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Kingdom of Heaven picture Kingdom of Heaven mistake picture

Visible crew/equipment: When the Muslim armies approach Brendan Gleason's castle there is a side shot of the Muslims army coming to a halt. You can see the marker stake with yellow tape at the top (used during production as a mark). (01:10:10)

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Apocalypse Now picture Apocalypse Now mistake picture

Revealing mistake: In the major helicopter scene when Ride of the Valkyries is played, the actual tape isn't going over the playing heads. (00:37:29)

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High Road to China picture

Continuity mistake: When Tom Selleck rolls his plane upside down to dump the Afghan at several thousand feet altitude, you plainly see stationary tree tops at the bottom of the frame.

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Sink the Bismarck picture

Factual error: Here's a big historical mistake. The character of German Admiral Lütjens is depicted overall in this film as a wild-eyed Nazi fanatic. In real life, he was distinctly anti-Nazi, vehemently protested the anti-Semitic actions of Hitler's regime, and was himself subject to intense Nazi scrutiny as he was a quarter Jewish and his wife was half Jewish. He was one of many German naval officers who fought only for their country, not Hitler.

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The Last Airbender picture

Other mistake: Before the battle, the leader of the waterbenders says that he will have everyone extinguish as many sources of fire as possible. When the firebenders come up from the ground at the start of the battle, all of the torches lighting the city are lit.

fishbiscuits

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Inglourious Basterds picture

Factual error: When the real German soldiers are playing 20 questions in the bar, one of the cards shows the name of Genghis Khan. This is an English-language word; as Germans, they would have written Dschingis Khan instead. As the whole scene deals with exposing the British/American spies and subtle differences in their language or behaviour, this is especially unfavorable here.

wirthi

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Three Kings picture

Factual error: It is said in the film that Ice Cube's character works in an airport in Detroit. When the scene shows Ice Cube at work as a baggage handler, there are mountains in the background. There are no mountains in the Detroit area. (00:14:10)

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Hot Shots! picture Hot Shots! mistake picture

Revealing mistake: Near the start of the film, when Lt. Harley is watching his love interest show off by doing gymnastics on the tree limbs, several times you can see the actual pole she is swinging on, not the tree limb. (00:08:50)

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The Patriot picture

Factual error: In the scene at Lord Cornwallis' outdoor party celebration, right after Benjamin Martin and his Continental Army blows up a British Ship, one of Lord Cornwallis' Captains throws back a big gulp of his drink from his Martini glass in grief and disbelief - the problem is this movie takes place in the mid 1700s and the Martini Glass wasn't invented until the 1920s, during the Roaring Jazz days.

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Rio Lobo picture

Factual error: So the Civil War ends, and the colonel heads for Texas. It must have taken close to a decade to arrive there, for when he rides into Blackthorne, Texas, he's packing a Model 1873 Colt, and a Model 1873 Winchester.

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Shogun picture

Visible crew/equipment: In the opening scene you see an old ship in the water, if you look closely you can also see the shadow of the helicopter that is filming the scene.

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The Great Dictator picture

Continuity mistake: During the middle of the film, a butler comes in and out of the Dictator's office several times repeatedly. The door is open and shows the corridor outside the office, casting the shadow of a window off-screen. The shadow changes from small to big bewteen shots.

Sacha

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