MovieChat Forums > Two Mules for Sister Sara (1970) Discussion > Dynamite was invented in october 1867...

Dynamite was invented in october 1867...



... but the action of the movie takes place a few years before! In 1867 the French intervention in Mexico had already ended and emperor Maximilien executed.

Can anyone explain ?

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Maybe the americans aren't that interested in historical corectness when they shoot a movie with Clint Eastwood on the poster...
But the question is: are movies allowed to cheat history (or science, even logic sometimes) for "a greater good" usually called art? Should there be any rules? If the film is great experience per se, why should reality by superimposed on it?

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[deleted]

Why do you find it necessary to generalize about Americans with your answer?

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Everybody knows only American movies are full of historical inaccuracies. European movies are all historically reliable.

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I thought the movie took place close to the turn of the century since Clint is using his famous Colt 1873 peacemaker and i believe some of the french men were armed with early bolt action rifles. Im not sure of the dates of the french occupation of mexico, but if it was before 1867, they got a lot of things wrong.

two kinds of people in the world,those with loaded guns and those who dig...you dig.

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[deleted]

yeah the timing is a bit off... in the movie eastwood talks of fighting in the 'war for two years' in america i.e. the civil war which ended in 1865. so feasibly this movie could be set after 1867, although then the french wouldnt be involved...

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[deleted]

Actually, it was invented in 1866 and patented in 1867. And the inventor?

Swedish Chemist Alfred Nobel, who later bequeathed his fortune for the Nobel Prize.

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I would think anybody smart enough to know when dynamite was invented would be smart enough to be familiar with something called "fiction".

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He could have used a number of pre-1866 (the French withdrawal) explosives:

http://inventors.about.com/od/estartinventions/a/explosives.htm

infact, the safety fuse was invented in the 1830s and Clint Eastwood's character is probably using black powder (which is what he uses in 'The Good, The Bad and The Ugly' to blow the bride up).

"Namu-myoho-renge-kyo"

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He blew up a bride? Wow, what a heartless bastard!

There were LOADS of historical inaccuracies in this film but -- apart from the total lack of chemistry between the stars -- I found it very entertaining.

--If they move, kill 'em!

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I really bothers me when people attempt to excuse historical inaccuracies, plot incoherencies, or scientific impossibilities in movies by stating, in essence, that "its just a movie" or "its just fiction".

Movie makers should attempt to be as accurate as possible with their use of facts, particularly as it pertains to history. Believe me, there is PLENTY that is interesting in real history without needing to change it or take liberties with it !!

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I really bothers me when people attempt to excuse historical inaccuracies, plot incoherencies, or scientific impossibilities in movies by stating, in essence, that "its just a movie" or "its just fiction".

Movie makers should attempt to be as accurate as possible with their use of facts, particularly as it pertains to history. Believe me, there is PLENTY that is interesting in real history without needing to change it or take liberties with it !!


I think that you need to understand the nature of the business. We're not talking about historical society seminars and documentaries, but fictional movies where what counts is seeming credibility. As long as matters are close enough to appear credible to mass audiences, the desire for utter and unwavering historical precision is hardly necessary. You can bemoan approximation over exactitude all that you want, but such bemoaning is rather missing the point.

Besides, as the earlier poster noted, Eastwood’s character could have been using black power sticks as opposed to dynamite, hence resolving any perceptual conflict.

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[deleted]

It's a movie.

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Y'see, the thing about it is, I think the filmmakers wanted to show a lot of stuff being blown up by dynamite.


--- grethiwha -------- My Favourite Films:
http://www.imdb.com/list/Bw65XZIpkH8/

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ANYBODY who expects "Historical Correctness" out of Hollywood is moronic

PARTICULARY the supercilious morons from Europe that think they are so "special"

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