All articles tagged with #historical accuracy
The Total War series by Creative Assembly is emphasizing historical authenticity in its games, working with experts like Prof Peter Wilson to better reflect historical periods such as medieval Europe, while balancing accuracy with gameplay fun, allowing players to explore 'what if' scenarios and shape history.
The article discusses the costume design for the film 'Marty Supreme,' highlighting how the designers drew inspiration from 1950s Lower East Side Jewish immigrant life, gangsters, and Marty Reisman's eccentric style to create authentic and character-driven wardrobes for the film, emphasizing the importance of historical accuracy and character portrayal.
The series 'Outrageous' dramatizes the tumultuous lives of the Mitford sisters, highlighting their aristocratic background, political extremism, and personal scandals, with many events based on true history but some fictionalized for entertainment. It explores themes of privilege, political radicalization, and family dynamics during the 1930s, including Unity Mitford's obsession with Hitler and her antisemitic activities, as well as Diana Mitford's marriage to Oswald Mosley and Hitler's attendance at their wedding.
Ridley Scott's "Gladiator II" blends historical facts with creative liberties, featuring real Roman figures like Geta, Caracalla, and Macrinus, but with significant embellishments. While the film portrays some historical events, such as Caracalla's fratricide and Macrinus' rise to power, it also introduces fictional elements and anachronisms, like Denzel Washington's character reading a newspaper. The movie serves as a "what if" scenario, imagining alternate historical outcomes, and continues Scott's trend of prioritizing storytelling over strict historical accuracy.
Ridley Scott's "Gladiator II" features a scene where the Colosseum is filled with water and sharks for a mock sea battle, raising questions about historical accuracy. While the film takes creative liberties, the concept of staging sea battles, known as "naumachia," in flooded amphitheaters like the Colosseum is historically accurate. However, there is no evidence that sharks were ever used in these events.
The article explores the historical accuracy of the portrayal of gladiators in the upcoming film 'Gladiator II,' particularly focusing on the fitness regimen of actor Paul Mescal. While Mescal's physique is designed for aesthetic appeal in the movie, real gladiators prioritized functionality over appearance. Historical consultant Alexander Mariotti explains that gladiators followed a training system called the Tetrad and had varied diets, contrary to the myth of them being solely 'barley eaters.' The piece highlights the difference between Hollywood's depiction and historical reality.
Ridley Scott attributes the erratic behavior of Roman emperors in 'Gladiator' and its sequel to historical lead poisoning. He explains that the Roman aristocracy consumed water through lead pipes, which could have caused mental instability. This historical detail is reflected in the portrayal of unstable emperors in both films. 'Gladiator II,' featuring Fred Hechinger and Joseph Quinn as twin emperors, is receiving critical acclaim, and Scott hints at a possible extended cut and a third installment.
The article discusses the historical accuracy of the Roman royalty depicted in the upcoming film 'Gladiator II,' with insights from historians. It highlights the importance of fact-based journalism in combating misinformation, as emphasized by Terri Daley, whose daughter Beth leads a team of editors working with experts. The article also mentions a fundraising effort to support this journalistic work, with donations being matched by a generous reader.
Actor Brian Cox criticized Joaquin Phoenix's performance in the film "Napoleon," describing it as "truly terrible" and claiming he could have done a better job himself. The film received mixed reviews, with some praising Phoenix's performance while others criticized its historical accuracy. Cox's outspoken nature has sparked reactions from fans, with some drawing parallels to his previous criticisms of his "Succession" co-star Jeremy Strong.
The new Broadway musical "Lempicka" about the groundbreaking Art Deco painter Tamara de Lempicka is vocally thrilling but sacrifices historical precision for streamlined efficiency, presenting a blur of historical accuracy while arguing that Lempicka forever changed the representation of women in art. The show suggests that her portraits of the 1920s and '30s set the template for modern feminism, but critics question the compromise of values like subtlety and complexity in favor of efficiency.
Biblical scholar Paula Fredriksen criticizes left-wing politicians and media figures, including AOC, for claiming Jesus was Palestinian, calling it historically false and inflammatory. She points out that Bethlehem has been under Palestinian rule for decades and that modern-day Gaza is hostile to Christians. Fredriksen argues that the term "Palestine" derived from Rome a century after Christ's death, and appropriating Jesus as Palestinian to attack Israel is an act of cultural and political appropriation. She emphasizes that this narrative rips Jesus out of his Jewish context and stokes hate against Jews, while also slamming it as polemic masquerading as history.
Historian Paula Fredriksen rebukes liberal figures for portraying Jesus as a Palestinian, arguing that it is historically false and inflammatory. She points out that Bethlehem has been under Palestinian rule since 1995 and that modern-day Gaza is hostile to Christians. Fredriksen criticizes the attempt to appropriate Jesus as a Palestinian to attack Israel, stating that it rips Jesus out of his Jewish context and perpetuates hate against Jews. She also refutes claims made by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Catholic priest Father Edward Beck, emphasizing the importance of historical accuracy and context in discussions about Jesus and the Holy Land.
Google has decided to "pause" the image generation feature of its Gemini chatbot after facing backlash for creating historically inaccurate and revisionist images, such as black Vikings and female NHL players. The tool was criticized for generating diverse representations of historical figures and events that did not align with factual or historical accuracy. Google acknowledged the need to address the issues and improve the chatbot's image generation feature, which had been introduced as part of the rebranded AI chatbot product. The company admitted that the algorithms behind the image generation models are complex and still under development, leading to struggles in understanding historical context and cultural representation.
Google has paused its Gemini artificial intelligence image generation feature after receiving complaints about inaccuracies in historical pictures, particularly in depicting historical figures as people of color. The tech giant acknowledged the issue and stated that it is working to improve the depictions. The Gemini tool, formerly known as Bard, faced challenges as it attempted to catch up with Microsoft-backed OpenAI. Google's senior director of product for Gemini emphasized the company's commitment to addressing representation and bias in image generation, especially in historical contexts.
Google's generative AI tool Gemini has faced criticism for inaccuracies in historical image generation, with users pointing out instances where the AI depicted historical figures inaccurately. Google's Senior Director of Product Jack Krawczyk acknowledged the issue and stated that the team is working to fix the inaccuracies. The company aims to ensure that the AI model generates more historically accurate results while also reflecting its global user base and addressing representation and bias concerns. However, enforcing strict historical realism could limit the tool's ability to create historical re-imaginings. This incident highlights the broader challenge of ensuring that generative AI tools produce content that is free from biases and inaccuracies.