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Historical stories not covered enough by Hollywood

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What I would like to see covered - not necessarily by Hollywood - are the final days of the GDR and a little beyond, starting in early autumn 1989 (or a little earlier) until late 1990 or so. You have an exciting, hopeful but also mad atmosphere, the emergence of a vibrant scene in Berlin, dramatic Volkskammer sessions including crazy politicians like Peter-Michael Diestel and entertaining ones like Gregor Gysi, but also darker themes like the sometimes shady dealings of the Treuhand and controversial things like the handling of the Stasi archive files. The latter would have to wait for now because one of the key players is our designated President.
I can only think of two movies which cover the atmosphere of the time after the fall of the wall, Goodbye, Lenin and Die Unberührbare. There are a few more that take place during that time but I feel it hasn't been covered much and there's a lot of story potential.
 
Yeah, I can imagine it would be incredibly emotional for people who witnessed those events first hands. Hell, I get goosebumps when I see footage of the Fall of the Berlin Wall, and I was just a non-involved Western kid.
 
Well, I didn't witness it first-hand, either, because we were already living in Munich at the time, having left the GDR one and a half years before, but of course it's tied to my personal history. I remember that when we left the country, I looked out of the window of the train at the nightly snowy landscape outside (probably Thuringia) and thinking I'd never see the place again. As a consequence, I felt like I didn't have a real home for years afterwards. But not even two years later we could return there (though we only visited and it didn't really help with the feeling of not being home anywhere but that's a different story). The fall of the wall and reunification are the mightiest reminders I know that sometimes, dreams do come true - even those that almost everyone had given up on.
As for Goodbye, Lenin, the story of the son just resonates a lot with me. The GDR appealed to people's noble ideals in its propaganda and many believed in it at least partially even though at no point there was any intention to live up to it. In the movie, he and his friend create the version of the GDR that we all wanted it to be but that it never was. In a way, it feels like my story, although that probably doesn't make any sense to anyone reading this.
 
How about a comedy based on the history of a single ship during WWII, the destroyer USS William D. Porter? Cracked had an article on it the other day. The ship was a comedy of errors. They accidentally almost assassinated FDR twice, among other mishaps. It would be sort of a Three Stooges type movie.
 
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How about a comedy based on the history of a single ship during WWII, the destroyer USS William D. Porter? Cracked had an article on it the other day. The ship was a comedy of errors. They accidentally almost assassinated FDR twice, among other mishaps. It would be sort of a Three Stooges type movie.

That is awesome! Almost accidentally killed FDR, "assassinated" implies intent.
 
I think part of the reason we don't get stuff about the Napoleonic era is that we can't really root for anybody wholeheartedly.
I never found it difficult to empathise with the British. though I suppose being British simplifies the decision-making process...
Napoleon does appear to be a more sympathetic character than other more recent tyrant megalomaniacs.

In addition to the other crucial variables you mentioned later, I think it's the fact that he was a bona fide tactical genius. In a way, that's way makes his going up against Wellington at Waterloo so compelling, given Wellington's strategic & logistical genius (not that the Waterloo campaign was in any way long enough to demonstrate this in the way the Peninsular War amply did).

ETA: Horatio Nelson could also do with a biopic.

I want to say I've seen one fairly recently, but can't remember much about it, so it can't have been much good.

How about a comedy based on the history of a single ship during WWII, the destroyer USS William D. Porter? Cracked had an article on it the other day. The ship was a comedy of errors. They accidentally almost assassinated FDR twice, among other mishaps. It would be sort of a Three Stooges type movie.

Seriously, this needs to be done. It'd be like Stripes, on water.
 
How about a comedy based on the history of a single ship during WWII, the destroyer USS William D. Porter? Cracked had an article on it the other day. The ship was a comedy of errors. They accidentally almost assassinated FDR twice, among other mishaps. It would be sort of a Three Stooges type movie.
Seriously, this needs to be done. It'd be like Stripes, on water.
Or Mr. Roberts, Operation Petticoat or Down Periscope.
 
I don't think any of those were true stories. Soujourner's right about the misuse of the word assassinate.
 

:wtf:

Read some historical non-fiction on the Scottish Wars of Independence and then revisit your reply here.

(EDIT: This is me restraining myself from typing out rapid-fire profanity.)


I know, right?

Absolutely. WOW, I mean damn, Braveheart is a good movie and is immensely enjoyable, but its historical accuracy is another matter completely.
 
How about a comedy based on the history of a single ship during WWII, the destroyer USS William D. Porter? Cracked had an article on it the other day. The ship was a comedy of errors. They accidentally almost assassinated FDR twice, among other mishaps. It would be sort of a Three Stooges type movie.
Seriously, this needs to be done. It'd be like Stripes, on water.
Or Mr. Roberts, Operation Petticoat or Down Periscope.

Yeah, OK, fair point. :lol:

But do any of those star Bill Murray? I think not. He would be the perfect as the Captain this ship, slacking his way through WWII.
 
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