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.
Visible crew/equipment: The camera searches for Dora whilst Guido plays music through the open window. In her room, you can easily see a cable (from a microphone or a spotlight?) on the left side of the screen. (01:42:00)
Factual error: In the beginning of the movie William supposedly boards the train in Lincoln, Nebraska. All the vehicles in the train are from Europe and never rolled in the United States. (00:03:35)
Factual error: At the end we see a soldier replacing the canister that the Zyklon B is kept in. However, he is not wearing an SS badge as all SS soldiers did. Zyklon B was only handled by members of the SS, as no other unit had authorisation to carry the sensitive stuff. (01:28:00)
Plot hole: Radl and Steiner discuss the entire scheme to kidnap Churchill on the Alderney docks - in full view and hearing of a number of civilians (who shouldn't be there, pace another posting), including local fishermen. Though the Germans banned all fishing activities in the Channel islands including Alderney in 1941, they were well aware that there was a flow of information from the island to military authorities in the mainland. Why would they be so stupid as to discuss a top secret military mission in public? In reality, they wouldn't even discuss it in front of their own men.
Continuity mistake: In the opening scene, Gunnery Sgt. Hartman is making his speech and passes by Privates Cowboy and Joker on his way to the other side of the barracks. On his way he passes Private Pyle standing to the right of Private Joker. Later in the scene, when he rushes over to confront Private Joker and then moves on to Private Cowboy and then Private Pyle, Private Pyle is on the left of Private Joker. (00:02:00)
Visible crew/equipment: On the beach there's a battle charge, and in the foreground you can clearly see a set of tyre tracks from the camera vehicle preceding the charge.
Factual error: In the scene where the king attempts to seize the five members from Parliament, Cromwell makes a dramatic refusal to leave and proposes various "Laws" to prevent his arrest. Cromwell was not one of the five members whom the King tried to arrest and no law can come into force until it had been signed by the reigning Monarch anyway.
Suggested correction: It's more of a threat than a declaration.
Revealing mistake: In one of Pickett's charge scene the bayonets are obviously rubber.
Factual error: The boys go deer hunting somewhere in the Appalachians, but the geology is all wrong. That scene is in North Cascades National Park in Washington State. In addition, the "deer" they are hunting is a Red Stag. Not typically found in the Appalachians.
Suggested correction: Part of the scenery is the North Cascades, including the first mountain shot, Mount Baker, south of the Canadian border.
Someone notes that "Red Stags are not typically found in the Appalachians." In reality, there are no wild red stags in the Eastern US, or anywhere in the US, or in North America, or even in the Western Hemisphere. Red stags are native to most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Anatolia, Iran, and parts of Western Asia. It also inhabits the Atlas Mountains of Northern Africa.
Thank you! Growing up in Pennsylvania and hunting deer since the age of ten - The use of the Red Stag in the last scene always bothered me. No trained White Tails, I guess. Great movie other than that.
Revealing mistake: Near the end of the movie, after Jude Law has been shot, he is lying on his back with Nicole Kidman leaning over his face. In the shot looking up at Kidman past Law's left ear, you can see the webbing for Law's wig on his left temple.
Other mistake: During the ending scene, when Samuel L. Jackson is walking away from the camera across the lawn, he passes directly between the platoon on the right practicing rifle drill, and the platoon leader giving them orders. Marines are taught to NEVER do this. It is called "breaking ranks", and a Colonel in the Marine Corps would have known this.
Factual error: As the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry lifts off from LZ X-Ray at the end of the battle, it can be seen that there are no more American troops left at the battlefield. However, by the time 1/7 CAV left LZ X-Ray, it had been relieved by two full battalions (2/7 CAV and 1/5 CAV). There were around 700 American soldiers occupying LZ X-Ray by the time 1/7 CAV lifted off.
Factual error: Sergeant Major Dickerson wears his blue infantry cord on his left shoulder. The cord is correctly worn on the right.
Continuity mistake: When the Japanese ship is about to be torpedoed, there are no numbers or letters on its side. In the next shot, when the ship explodes, a large white "265" is visible on the port side of the ship.
Factual error: Outside the Territory Hotel, during the storm, and once earlier in the movie, the taxi cabs are shown with the modern "flip over" vacancy/hired signs that were not used then.
Visible crew/equipment: After the opening credits and intro at the start, in the first shot, just before the 'Britton and Sons Hats' glass door begins to open inward, the reflection of the camera and cameraman can be seen on the glass surface. (00:01:40)
Factual error: When Fleming salutes Cholmondeley and Montague, they return the compliment whilst not wearing their headdress. Members of the British armed forces never salute if they are not wearing a hat, instead they would stand to attention.
Continuity mistake: In the final scenes at the airport, when Rick is talking to Major Strasser, the epaulettes on Strasser's shoulders alternately appear and disappear. (01:40:05)
Factual error: In the final scene there is a shot which shows a Land Rover in the distance. Land Rovers were not built until after World War 2.