10 Things Movies Always Get Wrong About War

The things movies always get wrong about war underscore how Hollywood prioritizes visual spectacle over historical facts. This is a result of filmmakers wanting to put as many eyes on their movies as possible. However, this can result in inaccurate depictions of weaponry and improbable survival scenarios in war movies.

Even the most historically accurate war movies of all time have been guilty of sacrificing realism for dramatic visuals, distorting the public’s understanding of military tactics and weaponry. This is because, for most audiences, stylized depictions of warfare are often more interesting than the real thing. Unfortunately, the focus on sensational visuals rather than accuracy contributes to a skewed perception of real-world combat. From how grenades and sniper rifles work to the misuse of military uniforms and ordnance, there are still many things that movies get wrong about war.

10 How Grenades Work

Notable Offender: Hacksaw Ridge (2016)

War movies typically exaggerate the impact of grenades for cinematic effect. For example, Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield) kicks a grenade that suddenly explodes into a fireball during the Hacksaw Ridge ending. While the scene is based on the eyewitness accounts of several veterans who were actually there, the explosion is amplified to an unrealistic degree. In reality, grenade explosions are far less spectacular than what the movies portray on the big screen. Instead of an impressive fireball, there’s only a momentary flash of light when a fragmentation grenade explodes, and the only obvious visual sign of the explosion is the dust that it kicks into the air.

9 Infinite Ammunition

Notable Offender: The Tomorrow War (2021)

To be fair to makers of war and action movies, the problem of heroes seemingly having unlimited ammo has almost disappeared. However, while this is an issue that was previously confined to 20th century films like Commando and Predator, modern war movies often still make this mistake. In the military sci-fi action film The Tomorrow War, Dan Forester guns down aliens that have taken over the Earth. Despite the extraterrestrial antagonists, the most unrealistic part of this movie is Forester shooting over a hundred rounds without reloading while using a submachine gun with a 30-round magazine. Heroes with seemingly endless bullets serve the narrative’s pace, but it greatly sacrifices accuracy.

8 Close Quarters Combat Being Common

Notable Offender: All Quiet On The Western Front (2022)

Close-quarters combat (CQC) is relatively rare in real-life warfare, but it’s surprisingly common in war movies. Even the 2022 version of All Quiet on the Western Front, a war film that’s been lauded for its accuracy, opens with German soldier Paul Bäumer running across the battlefield to strike an enemy using his trench spade. However, even during W I, real modern military strategies have always prioritized engagement at a distance to capitalize on technological advancements like firearms and surveillance. While CQC looks great onscreen and may even occur in specific real-life scenarios, it’s far from being the primary approach in contemporary warfare.

RELATED: 12 Greatest Opening Scenes In War Movie History

7 War Being Exciting All The Time

Notable Offender: Navy SEALs (1990)

From classics like Navy SEALs to more contemporary war movies like Black Hawk Down, military careers are typically depicted as a slew of exciting engagements. The reality, however, is that a very small percentage of modern warfare involves actual combat. In order to see the amount of action in most war movies, the average soldier would need to spend years or decades in service. To be fair to filmmakers, the planning, bureaucracy, and sheer boredom that precedes actual fights rarely make for exciting cinema. That said, movies like Jarhead and The Thin Red Line have accurately portrayed the idle boredom that comes with being a cog in the war machine.

6 How Sniper Rifles Work

Notable Offender: Enemy at the Gates (2001)

Largely regarded as one of the coolest snipers in action movie history, Vassili Zaitsev from Enemy at the Gates is actually a highly sensationalized example of a military sniper. Overlooking the patience and strategic planning involved, snipers in the film successfully take unrealistic shots without considering factors like wind, distance, and bullet drop. While Enemy at the Gates does get some things right, it also exaggerates the intensity of sniper duels, portraying them as high-stakes, one-on-one confrontations. In reality, snipers often operate covertly, take time to set up shots, and are typically aided by spotters who help them pinpoint exactly where and when to pull the trigger.

5 How Military Aircraft Work

Notable Offender: Red Tails (2012)

Red Tails tells the real story of the Black Tuskegee Airmen who served in World War II. At the same time, it exemplifies many of the mistakes that war movies make about how military aircraft and dogfights work. From how the protagonists react slowly to enemy fire to their inaccurate aerial maneuvers, Red Tails fails to get this crucial part of the story right. In reality, military pilots are trained to at least change direction immediately at the first sign of the enemy. Moreover, these aircraft, especially ones used during World War II, are not as easy to maneuver around as they are in most war films.

4 People Aren’t That Easy To Kill

Notable Offender: The Thin Red Line (1998)

The Thin Red Line is a poignant meditation on anti-war sentiments, yet even this classic film fails to focus on a horrible fact about warfare: people are simply not that easy to kill. Indeed, even acclaimed movies like The Thin Red Line and Saving Private Ryan show soldiers going down instantly with one shot and not revealing the painful aftermath of downed combatants slowly dying on the battlefield. In reality, this horrifying post-battle scene is common in real warfare. Throughout the history of the genre, the way soldiers are seen dying immediately from non-fatal shots is a common war movie mistake.

3 Intentional Skylining

Notable Offender: Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Acclaimed war movies like Saving Private Ryan and The Thin Red Line are also guilty of inaccurately depicting soldiers engaging in skylining, where they walk across mountain ridges in full view. While skylining paves the way for award-winning cinematography, in reality, military training emphasizes avoiding it due to the increased vulnerability it poses. Soldiers are trained to move tactically, utilizing cover and terrain to reduce visibility to enemies. Skylining makes individuals easy targets, contradicting standard military practices. While it may create visually striking scenes, it misrepresents the tactical mindset of actual military operations. Authentic war scenarios prioritize minimizing exposure and utilizing natural features for concealment.

2 Inaccurate Military Uniforms & Awards

Notable Offender: The Marine (2006)

Hollywood is notorious for messing up the accurate depiction of military uniforms and awards in movies. One of the most glaring examples of this is in The Marine. When John Triton (John Cena) is seen wearing his Dress Blues, his Combat Action Ribbon is on backwards while the rest of the ribbons are also out of order. Moreover, not only is he wearing an ill-fitting uniform, but he also fails at performing a proper salute. In reality, a marine of John’s status would never make such rookie mistakes. Ironically, the way movies wrongly portray military regalia inadvertently fits with how many war films still value spectacle over getting the facts right.

1 Inaccurate Military Ordnance

Notable Offender: Apocalypse Now (1979)

Even the best war movies of all time, such as Apocalypse Now, Deer Hunter, and Uncommon Valor, have featured inaccurate weapons for their respective settings (via The Armory of Life), namely passing off Chinese Norinco Type 56 rifles for AK-47s. As is the case with most war films that make this mistake, filmmakers often have no choice but to make do with what’s available during filming and what fits within their budgets. While it’s not always obvious when it happens, the use of the wrong military firearms and other ordnance relative to a war movie’s setting can hurt its overall accuracy.