"Why no SYW films in the US or UK?" Topic

Okay, aside from the early scenes in that real "snoozer" of 60-minute film that was "crammed" into three hours, "Barry Lyndon…"

Now, I know no-one here is a Hollywood producer or director -- well, unless some of you are lurking! So, to all of my fellow mere mortals, has it bothered no-one here but me that we have this dearth of SYW films for our viewing enjoyment? We've had danged few quality F&IW films, for that matter (I admit it I am not a fan of DDL's version of LotM as it plays FAR too fast & loose both with the original "story" and worse, with history)!! But… but, NO SYW… Just asking…

wellllllll, there are some German propaganda films from WW2 about Frederick the Great, but I don't think you want to go there.

The same reason there are no films about the Franco-Prussian War or the Russo-Japanese War: the U.S. didn't fight there and most Americans don't even know of their existance. :)

Well a good question but at least here in the States our own version of that conflict, i.e, French and Indian War is perhaps of more interest to us Yanks and the British as well given they/we more or less won the conflict.

Why on Earth would Hollywood WANT to make a film on the SYW?
Where is the money in that? The Film Industry is just that, an industry. It is a for-profit enterprise.

I can think of no surer way to bankrupt Hollywood than to put film making decisions in the hands of wargamers.

I also take exception to the description of Barry Lyndon as a "snoozer".

Because almost no one in the US even knows what the SYW was. Also, what John the OFM said about the movie industry.

No SYW in the US is obvious, but except Revolution and The Patriot there's no AWI movie.

Same problem in France, no movie on SYW or Austrian Succession War (except Fanfan la Tulipe really few French knows something about Fontenoy or even about the FIW).

Hhmmm, the cost-benefit-analysis thing -- yes, a good point!!!

However, considering some of the SLOP Hollywood does crank out every year that go on to loose money, something a little more erudite from time to time, and even god-forbid educational, should be a GOOD thing. And what's wrong with that?

As to the "snoozer," that's my story, and I'm sticking to it! Now, I admit, I did like many of the early scenes involving British, French and Prussian troops -- and the military music! Oh, and Lady Ophelia Phondlewell's, errr Lady Honoria Lyndon's bathtub scene -- I woke up for that one!!!

Well for FIW you have "The Last of the Mohicans" with Daniel Day-Lewis. I always liked that one. Also an old movie about Rogers Rangers with Robert Young called "Northwest Passage"

Do you really want Hollywood screwing with anymore of our history??? Really???

If Hollywood made such a film which side would be fighting for "liberty"?

'Do you really want Hollywood screwing with anymore of our history??? Really???'

You mean like Patriot?

It would be too confusing to have Brits in tricornered hats and short pants fighting along side Americans and being the good guys.

There are a few films about the AWI that were made years ago and more enjoyable than the "Patriot". I don't recall the names, but one was about Maj. Andrea and West Point and the other about Burgoyne.

Pshaw!

While we still await the film version of Captain Jenkins and his ear, I'll hear no talk of that Johnny-come-lately Seven Years War!

I see it as a Bollywood spectacular.

If there was a script about a father-son relationship, wherein the father brutalized his teen age son, the son repents in some fashion because he wants to get back into the good graces with his father, and the two reach a rapprochement prior to the father's death, then you might have the basis for a good dramatic film. After the fathers death, the son goes on to do great things.
Oh by the way this all takes place around the SYW

Brotherhood of the Wolf?

Maybe someone will make a film from C.C. Humphreys' Jack absolute series!

There aren't a heck of a lot of novels set in the SYW!

Fritz, you have to make the son gay, too.

Should I be lamenting "Kids today!" or "Old farts today!" for expecting historical accuracy out of Hollywood? I'm confused…

I have seen movies that boasted of their "historical accuracy" that would have gotten a D- if they had been graded.

What do you think happens to all those splendid uniforms after the blockbuster movies is made? They either go BACK to the "Uniforms R Us" rental agency that they got them from in the first place, or they get sold to them as new stock for the NEXT movie.
I do hope they burned Colonel Tavington's Legion uniforms, though.

I do hope they burned Colonel Tavington's Legion uniforms, though.
>>
Along with ALL existing copies of that awful piece of tripe!!

Bob

Few people who aren't history nerds have heard of the SYW or Frederick. Possibly a lack of "giant" characters.

Most people will have least have heard of Napoleon and Julius Caesar; most Brits have heard of Wellington (many Brits have caught a train at Waterloo). Of course Wellington went on to become a more public figure in politics.

Surprisingly many people go to Blenheim palace but few seem to know Marlborough beforehand.

As per many other comments, exactly the same reason there aren't many/any films about the War of the Spanish Succession, the Great Northern War, The Rif War, Siege of Vienna etc.

Ouside of history nerds, no-one else has either heard of them or cares about them.

I amazed there are as many films about the Napoleonic Wars as there are, even if half of them are remakes of 'Price & Prejudice.

Why hollywood? The Russians, Poles now have a film industry (of sorts), and they produce "historical" films. You can film any movie you want there. Just have dollars with you. Hell get the reenactors in and you could do it dirt-cheap.

I think that it is a combination of lack of knowledge about the SYW in popular media, lack of major well known dynamic characters, no major series of novels about it – plus it would cost a fortune to film

So, how about a Twilight Series movie set in the SYW? Or WAS? Maurice De Saxe as a Vampire!

Lupus – it's the Churchill connection that brings many to Blenheim, and a lot of advertising for it as a venue for sports and pastimes that have nothing to do with its historical setting (equestrian, vintage cars, that sort of thing). I'm afraid most visitors (and most people who live in nearby Oxford) have no idea that Blenheim is actually a German name, or a battle.

Well there is "Unconquered" starring Gary Cooper & Paulette Goddard (FIW); "Drums Alng the Mohawk" starring Henry Fonda & Claudette Colbert (AWI);
"The Devil's Disciple" starring Burt Lancaster & Kirk Douglas (AWI). All made pre-1960, but still fun to watch.

John blame us kids!!!

Most of my former mates don't give a rats about historical accuracy, as long as there is a lot of killing in it and a dash of Nazi's then apparently its gravy….I can't recount the amount of times that I was told to due to commenting on accuracy.

Anyway if you want the kids to get into SYW then there needs to be a Call of Duty on it………………..

And hollywood and historical accuracy, all I'll say is U571

Hollywood hasn't butchered history any worse than my son's social studies textbooks.

I would say that as a teacher in England that all our text books are historically accurate….but then again Osprey seem to claim that too

Remeber though that history is written by the victors!!!

Lack of a home market.
Russia and even Poland still make spectacular 'Old School' (no CGI but hordes of people in costumes and swarms of horses) historical movies.
Russia: 'Russkiy Bunt' (Pushkin's 'Captain's daughter, 2000), 'The Sovereign's Servant' (with the battle of Poltava, 2007), '1612' (2007)…
Poland: 'The Deluge' (1974), 'With Fire & Sword' (1999 – an earlier version was aired in the late '50)

As for 'historical accuracy', I seek it in university libraries. From a movie I expect only enjoyment (there is a steamtank in '1612' and the 'unicorn' is not an artillery piece but a kind of white horse{*} with a single horn) and I'm not bothered at all by inaccurate 'facts' or uniforms. On the contrary, some 'inaccurate' uniforms are quite pleasant: 'The Tempest' (1958) link contributed to my taste for imaginary 18th C. uniforms (and thus, Imagi-Nations).

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*: which is most shocking, since the unicorn was 'historically' depicted as a giant *goat* with a single horn (and a lascivious billy goat to boot).

PS: In France, besides the 2 'Fanfan la Tulipe' YouTube link {dubbed in Russian: YouTube link}(the recent one deliberately comical YouTube link) we had for the Lace Wars 'La Tour prend garde !' (with Jean Marais, 1957 YouTube link) and 'Cartouche' (with Belmondo and Claudia Cardinale, 1962 YouTube link).
No many battle scenes in the Franco-Italian 'Mademoiselle de Maupin' (1966 YouTube link)

And more recently this (Achtung! NSFW): YouTube link The 'British' privates look like Gardes Suisses of 1789 and the gun like an AWI improvised galloper, but…

German TV broadcasted 'Von Trenck' (not the Franz of pandours fame, his unfortunate Prussian cousin Friedrich): YouTube link / YouTube link

I think a better and more distressing question…why aren't there a lot more movies, TV shows, series, mini-series, etc, about the American Revolution?

The Patriot was…over the top, I think is the politest thing I can say.

@ Grandviewroad;

There used to be! Back in the 50's and 60's. Swamp Fox, Daniel Boone, Last of the Mohicans, and apparently one on Radisson & Grosseliers ( but I've never tracked it down).

I think that term 'American Revolution' should be dropped for English Civil War 2 or American Civil War 1

Try Branko Ivanda's film "Konjanik" (The Horseman), based on a novel by Šenoa. War on the Austrian / Ragusan /Venetian / Turkish border, circa 1750. Gritty. My dvd isn't subtitled, but apparently the general release is, in English. If you're a member of the Pittsburg Junior Tamburitzans, that's not a problem!