{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/6467b7de03f4220011a934bd/68e7f178de9a2a62c4510a3e?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"247. The War Movie Tropes that Won't Die with Rob Hutton & Duncan Weldon | Imperial War Museum Podcast Live Festival","description":"<p>Is Tom Hanks too old to storm Omaha Beach?</p><p><br></p><p>Host Paul Bavill welcomes Rob Hutton and Duncan Weldon, hosts of the <strong>War Movie Theatre</strong> podcast, to kick off a series of previews for the Imperial War Museum’s (IWM) Podcast Live Festival. This week, they are raising the curtain on <strong>movies in a historical setting</strong> with a fierce debate on the one historical inaccuracy that Hollywood keeps getting away with.</p><p><br></p><p>Rob and Duncan unleash their rage on the persistent and problematic trend in war cinema: the casting of much older actors as young combat soldiers in <strong>World War II movies</strong>.</p><ul><li><strong>The Saving Private Ryan Problem:</strong> Discover exactly why Tom Hanks (mid-to-late 40s) as a Ranger Captain, and Matt Damon (27) as Private Ryan, were both fundamentally too old for their D-Day roles—in some cases by 20 years.</li><li>The hosts argue that casting older actors fundamentally changes how we perceive the Second World War, overshadowing the reality that the fighting was overwhelmingly done by fresh-faced 19-year-olds.</li><li>But is historical accuracy the real goal? The discussion turns to the industry's love for <strong>\"whizzy ideas\"</strong> and the notorious trope of a writer or director <strong>\"struggling to get the green light\"</strong>—and whether this pursuit of a marketable story is the real reason historical truth gets sacrificed for Hollywood <strong>blockbusters</strong>.</li><li>Find out which TV series, like <em>Band of Brothers</em>, got the ages right, and whether Christopher Nolan's <em>Dunkirk</em> managed to break the mold.</li><li>Plus, a fascinating discussion on how the youthful, risk-taking mindset applies not just to infantry and <strong>Luftwaffe pilots</strong>, but even to <strong>Formula 1 drivers</strong>.</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Don't miss this heated discussion!</p><ul><li><br></li><li><strong>Listen to War Movie Theatre:</strong> Find Rob and Duncan’s podcast everywhere you get your podcasts and follow on all social media channels <strong>@warmovietheatre</strong></li><li><strong>See them Live:</strong> This episode previews the <strong>IWM Podcast Live Festival</strong> on the 1st of November. Be sure to grab your tickets for the live discussion on movies in a historical setting!</li><li><strong>Tickets available at:</strong> <a href=\"https://www.iwm.org.uk/events/podcast-live\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>https://www.iwm.org.uk/events/podcast-live</strong></a></li><li><strong>Support History Rage:</strong> Love the show? Check the links for how to support Paul Bavill's podcast, including getting ad-free listening and the coveted History Rage mug.</li><li><strong>Subscribe at </strong><a href=\"http://www.patreon.com/historyrage\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>www.patreon.com/historyrage</strong></a><strong> </strong></li><li><strong>Follow History Rage on Social Media @historyrage&nbsp;</strong></li></ul>","author_name":"Paul Bavill"}