Best war movie mistakes of all time

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Hot Shots Part Deux picture

Revealing mistake: When Michelle is binding Topper's hands to the bed you can see the cloth hiding her breasts. (00:30:30)

Mortug

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The Great Raid picture

Other mistake: The exact same background shot of a Ventura bomber followed by two single-engine planes flying left to right is used three times during the film, twice at the beginning as they are planning the mission on the beach and then once at the end when the raid is over.

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Zulu Dawn picture

Factual error: Throughout the film the British infantry are armed with carbines. These were intended for issue to cavalry and are much shorter than the infantry issue Martini-Henry rifle.

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Little Big Man picture

Revealing mistake: During the Little Bighorn massacre one of Custer's lieutenants turns to address Custer and is struck in the back with an arrow, and the thick pad or board is visible under the actor's shirt.

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Empire of the Sun picture

Continuity mistake: When James is eating at home alone, he flips his spoon into his water glass. In some shots it's leaning against the right side of the glass, and in other shots it's against the left side.

Krista

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The Hill picture

Continuity mistake: When they are all lined up for their medical inspection at the beginning of the film, the sun is coming up behind the hut casting a shadow in the front. When the Sargeant Major is then shown shouting from the hut, "I want this one (Bartlet) scrubbed with a yard broom." You can now see by the shadows that the sun is shinning directly at the hut. This would be impossible as there is only a few seconds between shots for this change to happen.

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Zombie Lake picture

Visible crew/equipment: When the woman in the opening credits is taking off her clothes, she is about to take a blue shirt from her bag, but decided against it. As she does, you can see a crew member aimlessly wandering around in the bushes behind her. (00:01:40)

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Darling Lili picture

Continuity mistake: In one scene when Hudson and Andrews enter the vestibule of her house, Rock can clearly be seen to have "mutton chop" sideburns. However, once inside the house, they're gone. When he goes back outside, they're back.

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War Horse picture

Factual error: Major Stewart addresses the Indian NCO as "Sergeant Major" and he is so described in the credits. There was no such rank in the British Indian Army. Indian cavalry sergeants were known as Daffadars. More senior Indian cavalry officers held VCO ranks (Jemadar, Risaldar and Risaldar Major) which had no British equivalent. Given the importance of rank and protocol, it is highly unlikely that a British commissioned officer would be unaware of this.

Necrothesp

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1941 picture

Continuity mistake: As the two look-outs get on the big wheel the thin guy with the ventriloquist's dummy sits on the right. But later in the film he is on the left.

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Hero picture

Revealing mistake: In the final fight scene in the desert between Broken Sword and Flying Snow, when the camera cuts to the wide shots of them standing there, looking at each other, you can see tire tracks in the sand. (01:24:30)

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Flags of Our Fathers picture

Factual error: When the Marines strip off and run into the sea in the final scene, Doc takes off a pair of white socks that would be more appropriate for a final at Wimbledon. Not only are they white rather than khaki, they are virtually spotlessly clean which would be impossible after a week of fighting on the black sands of Iwo Jima.

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Beyond Borders picture

Factual error: Sarah states that Namibia is on the Ivory Coast, while in fact, it is on the Skeleton Coast in southern Africa.

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PT 109 picture

Other mistake: In the scene in which two Japanese Zero fighters bomb and strafe a PT base, shots of the attacking planes show them carrying no bombs. During the attack, they still drop around 20 bombs anyway, which is considerably more than the actual carrying capacity of the two planes.

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Hanover Street picture

Continuity mistake: When Halloran sets the barn on fire to distract the Germans he lights up some straw with a match. All of a sudden you see flames flickering up at various places which could not be caused by the fire he made. (01:32:45)

NancyFelix

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Valiant picture

Continuity mistake: When Valiant flies down the gun barrel, he takes off his backpack and helmet, and he lays them down in the barrel before squeezing through the back of the gun. When he comes back out through the gun with the other birds, the backpack and helmet are not there.

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Escape to Athena picture

Continuity mistake: Following the shoot out between the Germans and the Greek partisans being aided by the English and American POW's, a German Officer leaps onto a motorbike and takes off into the narrow streets of the village. An American follows on a motorbike and sidecar. Towards the end of the chase the bikes 'jump' over a cart. The German Officer's cap flies off, yet as he tears into a courtyard he has his cap back on.

Phillip Churchfield

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Flying Leathernecks picture

Factual error: John Wayne's squadron lands on Guadacanal as part of the "Cactus Air Force" in August 1942. However, they are flying F6F-3 Hellcats, which were not available, even to the Navy, until the middle of 1943. To top it off, they are painted in a late-war camouflage scheme with late-war markings.

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