Le bon Dieu est dans le détail. -- Gustave FlaubertThe show must go on. -- someone else
How many times has this happened to you? You are watching The Battle of Runny Nose Pass on late-night television when suddenly you are jolted out of the story by some glaring anachronism; the wrong rifle in the hands of a background actor, some detail of uniform , or our hero taking refuge in a building that didn't exist at the time of the story. Better than nine times out of ten, there will be something. What to make of it?
I realize that movies are produced under constraints of time, resources, and talent. It is not generally possible to get everything "right". I also realize that audience members who have a specialized knowledge of period detail (either professionally or through personal interest) are the exception, not the rule. Furthermore, I recognize that films are made as a commercial venture – one which consumes a lot of time and money up front, and so cannot be made to cater solely to those who do know their history.
I'm asking this to help me clarify my own standards a bit. Generally, I am more troubled by sudden lapses in an otherwise excellent production than I am by those which present a more stylized version of history to begin with. So, TMP members, when do you stop to count the buttons, and when do you just sit back and enjoy the show? I speak of matters of detail, not gross distortions of history (which is another subject entirely).
Thanks for reading, and thanks in advance for your responses.
Ron