3 Historically Inaccurate Tropes in TV and Movies

3. The medieval woman giving birth on a bed

Photo by Gioele Fazzeri on Unsplash

How important is historical accuracy in TV series and movies? In early Hollywood, historical accuracy never got in the way of a good-looking face getting as much screen time as possible or of a moving plot that enthralled the audience.

Over the decades, historical accuracy became more of a concern, with productions paying more attention to details such as costume design, production design, dialog, among others, to give audiences the feel of a certain time and place.

But there are certain historical TV and movie tropes that just refuse to die.

1. The medieval knight who rides into battle without a helmet

Cinematically speaking, it makes sense. Why would anyone hire (and pay top dollar for) a famous actor only to hide his face during the most exciting battle scenes? Not to mention that having several actors with their faces half or completely hidden while battling each other might confuse the audience. It’s hard to keep track of who’s who.

But the reality is, since Ancient times, warriors have worn helmets in battle. War has always been a brutal business. If you could protect your head from arrows, spears, sword blows, and…