From historical blockbusters to lesser-known but fascinating true events, movies based on true stories always shine a light on humanity and prove that truth is often stranger than fiction. A great way to do it. Also, whether the films in question (1967’s Zulu, 2014’s Selma, and 2013’s F1 drama Rush are also included in the Films Based on True Stories collection) are mostly accurate, their believability and emotional punch. can be added. Is it accurate (Mel Gibson’s 1995 Oscar-winning hit Braveheart, 2014 Alan Turing biopic The Imitation Game, 2015 Oscar-winning drama The Revenant) or is it a true story? (The Coen brothers’ hit Fargo in 1996, The Revenant in 1974, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Blair Witch Project in 1999). Here, we take a look at the degree of truth in the wonderful title of and marvel at some of the incredible events that actually happened…
fox catcher
In this gripping sports thriller, ultra-wealthy wrestling fan John DuPont (Steve Carell, demonstrating his dramatic acting chops) builds a private wrestling training facility for Olympic gold medalists Mark (Channing Tatum) and Dave. (Mark Ruffalo) We invite the Schultz brothers. Join “Team Foxcatcher” and train for the World Championship. The brothers become alarmed by DuPont’s increasingly erratic behavior, which ultimately turns deadly. The general gist of the story, including DuPont’s murder of Dave (spoiler alert!), is true, as the real-life Mark Schulz tweeted in 2014. Most of the Foxcatcher scenes, with a few exceptions, are taken directly from my books (Foxcatcher: The True Story of My Brother’s Murder, The Madness of John DuPont, and the Quest for Olympic Gold). However, the relationships and personalities are completely fictional. ”
Foxcatcher is currently available on SBS On Demand.
professor and madman
Like your movies with great casts, it’s like, “Wait, that really happened?!” The Professor and the Madman have you covered. In England in 1879, Professor James Murray (Mel Gibson) is given the task of compiling the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary of Words. Ten thousand of the words included were submitted by Dr. William Chester Miner (Sean Penn), an inmate at Broadmoor Criminal Asylum who was acquitted of murder by reason of insanity. The film romanticizes Miner’s romance with Eliza Merrett, Minor’s widow, but it is notable that Merrett gave Minor a few books and the two became friendly. (deserved), all of this is true – including the fact that Winston Churchill took pity on Miner and eventually deported him to America.
“The Professor and the Madman” is currently available on SBS On Demand.
professor and madman
duke
Another strange but true thing. In 1961, unemployed 60-year-old Kempton Bunton (a typically excellent Jim Broadbent) steals Francisco de Goya’s painting Portrait of the Duke of Wellington from London’s National Gallery. He then sent a series of ransom notes to the government, saying he would return the paintings if they would exempt the elderly from paying television license fees (which became free for those over 75 in 2000). Incredibly, that’s all there is to it. occurred, causing a huge stir in the media and popular culture. This theft is also seen in an episode of the TV show The Goodies and in the 1962 James Bond film Dr. No, in which Bond discovers a portrait of the Duke of Wellington on the wall of the villain Dr. It was mentioned in the scene where he points to. As a thief.
“The Duke” is currently available on SBS On Demand.
ip man
The hugely successful action-packed biopic, which spawned three sequels (read more), follows the story of Ip Man (played by Donnie Yen), the Wing Chun grandmaster who taught the martial arts to Bruce Lee. ) tells the story. The film, set during the Sino-Japanese War, depicts Ip facing various hardships and dueling with the Japanese, including a confrontation with Consul General Yoshiaki Miura. The filmmakers say they only intended to touch on broader elements of Yip’s life. which they successfully accomplish while taking some dramatic license with the remaining members (for example, some martial arts showdowns that Yip had with the Japanese).
Ip Man is now available on SBS On Demand.
counterfeiter
This inspiring and harrowing true story tells the story of Chioma Schoenhaus (Louis), a 21-year-old Jew who evaded the Gestapo in Berlin during World War II and saved the lives of countless people thanks to her skills in forging identity documents.・Hoffman) is the main character. Those stupid Nazis. Using the Marine identity he creates for himself, Schoenhaus plots his escape from the city, hiding in plain sight and facing increased danger due to his forgeries. All this happened, and the real-life hero Schoenhaus finally escaped from Berlin using counterfeit goods. Establishing his identity, he rode his bicycle to Switzerland, where he worked as a graphic designer and writer until his death in 2015.
The Forger is now streaming on SBS On Demand.
sissy
This delightful historical romance tells the story of 16-year-old Bavarian princess Elisabeth “Sisi” Amalie Eugenie (Romy Schneider). Her sister Nene (Uta Franz) is to marry her cousin, Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria (Karlheinz Böhm). Franz applauds Sissi, who is now healthy, and decides to marry her instead, causing a rift between the sisters. The film and its sequel, and , focus on the epic romance between Franz and Sissy, but they also have to deal with a lot of trouble, including the kidnapping of their daughters by their domineering stepmother, Grand Duchess Sophie (Vilma Desischer). Some of the harsh elements of Sissi’s life are factually correct. The Empress’s life is also depicted in three seasons of the drama series Sisi.
Sissi is now streaming on SBS On Demand.
god’s word
Based on Danish author and playwright Jens Brendstrup’s popular 2004 autobiography Good Taller Wood, this darkly comical film follows the story of an eccentric psychologist who calls himself “God.” The story depicts Blendstrup’s childhood growing up with his father Uffe (Søren Malling). Uffe decides to write a memoir and invites mischievous patients into his family home, causing chaos.
While Blendstrup’s books span more than 20 years and are a collection of short stories and anecdotes, the film (Blendstrup, played by Marcus Sebastian Gelt) wisely focuses on a 12-month period packed with incidents and other It includes several separate events from the period. A wedding thrown in for dramatic effect.
“Word of God” is currently available on SBS On Demand.
