Tropescilloscope: Artistic License – History

The creator of a work ignores historical inaccuracy in the interest of telling a better story. (read more at tvtropes.org)

More Tropes Mexican Standoff Scare Chord Malevolent Masked Men Crazy Jealous Guy Gone Horribly Right Captain Obvious Narrator Logo Joke Outrun the Fireball Enemy Mine Married to the Job Villain Song Award-Bait Song Zombie Stories You Have Outlived Your Usefulness Retirony Not Quite Dead Fire-Forged Friends Those Two Bad Guys Diabolus ex Machina Catapult Nightmare Berserk Button Took a Level in Badass Would Hit a Girl Mistaken for Gay Extreme Doormat Artistic License – Physics Slasher Smile No OSHA Compliance Never Found the Body Take That! Early Installment Weirdness Stealth Hi/Bye Villain Protagonist Framing Device Tempting Fate Catch-Phrase Green-Eyed Monster Stepford Smiler Posthumous Character Adapted Out Dirty Cop Bring My Brown Pants Stylistic Suck Slashed Throat Video Credits Horror Comedy Same Language Dub Ghost Fiction Hollywood Law Blatant Lies Action Prologue Adaptational Badass Animal Title Index Roger Ebert: Great Movies List Asshole Victim Obstructive Bureaucrat Undying Loyalty Even Evil Has Loved Ones Stock Footage Dissonant Serenity Humiliation Conga Well-Intentioned Extremist Artistic License – Biology Lighter and Softer A God Am I Big Bad Rich Bitch Room Full of Crazy Accidental Murder Broken Aesop Let's Get Dangerous! The Bad Guy Wins Properly Paranoid Ironic Echo Flashback The Load The Big Guy Black Comedy Black Dude Dies First Television Movie Index Cold-Blooded Torture Time Skip Take a Third Option Greater-Scope Villain Love at First Sight Gory Discretion Shot Australian Movies All Just a Dream Parental Neglect Dogged Nice Guy Man on Fire Adaptational Heroism Hate Sink Evil Brit Improbable Weapon User Wham Line Big "NO!" Even Evil Has Standards Extremely Short Timespan Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass Dutch Angle Recap / RiffTrax aka: Riff Trax Movies Idiot Ball Fan Disservice Soft Glass Jerk Jock Break the Cutie Frame-Up Sir Not-Appearing-in-This-Trailer Training Montage Very Loosely Based on a True Story Running Gag Whole Plot Reference Amusing Injuries Made of Iron Armor-Piercing Question Punctuated! For! Emphasis! Your Cheating Heart It Will Never Catch On Face–Heel Turn Death by Irony The Stoic Badass Bookworm Air-Vent Passageway Bald of Evil Overprotective Dad Eye Scream Mundane Made Awesome Country Matters MacGuffin Fanservice Extra Fish out of Water Storming the Castle The Quiet One Author Avatar It Can Think Chekhov's Gun Fiery Redhead One-Man Army Mercy Kill Unspoken Plan Guarantee N-Word Privileges Hero of Another Story Heel Realization Decoy Protagonist Maybe Ever After Self-Deprecation Screw the Money, I Have Rules! Men Are the Expendable Gender Be Careful What You Wish For Reckless Gun Usage Drowning My Sorrows Police Brutality Better to Die than Be Killed Rated M for Manly Blood from the Mouth Nice Job Fixing It, Villain! The Stoner Heroic BSoD Gold Digger Star-Crossed Lovers Hypocritical Humor Car Fu Continuity Nod Chekhov's Gunman Deus ex Machina Hoist by His Own Petard Soundtrack Dissonance The Mafia Silence Is Golden For the Evulz Suddenly SHOUTING! "Where Are They Now?" Epilogue Drives Like Crazy Bowdlerise Bitch in Sheep's Clothing Red Herring Scenery Porn Grey and Gray Morality Destination Defenestration Anti-Hero Mr. Fanservice Lock and Load Montage Dark Is Not Evil There Is No Kill Like Overkill Epic Fail Fake Shemp Really Gets Around Did Not Get the Girl Bottomless Magazines Villainous Breakdown Adaptation Expansion Colour-Coded for Your Convenience aka: Color Coded For Your Convenience Evil Counterpart Rasputinian Death Film Noir Index Suspiciously Similar Substitute Freudian Excuse Smoking Is Cool Disney Villain Death Music Stories Improbable Infant Survival aka: Infant Immortality From Bad to Worse Anti-Villain Every Car Is a Pinto Contrived Coincidence Blackmail Black and Gray Morality Aww, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other Slap-Slap-Kiss Historical Villain Upgrade Cassandra Truth Closed Circle Never Trust a Trailer Rule of Cool Karmic Death Disney Death Comically Missing the Point Dies Wide Open Novelization Fatal Family Photo Ambiguous Disorder Children Are Innocent Black Comedy Rape Happily Married Broken Bird The Lost Lenore Bittersweet Ending Horror Films Crazy-Prepared Dark Action Girl I Just Shot Marvin in the Face Serious Business Roaring Rampage of Revenge Super Strength Dressing as the Enemy Knife Nut Jerkass Has a Point Pet the Dog Earn Your Happy Ending Your Head A-Splode "The Reason You Suck" Speech Accidental Misnaming Mystery and Detective Films Hair-Trigger Temper Plot Hole Jerkass Captain Ersatz Obviously Evil Bloody Hilarious Mighty Whitey Motor Mouth Neck Lift Spanner in the Works Japanese Films Revenge Artistic License – Geography Deadpan Snarker Bury Your Gays Character Development Big-Bad Ensemble Brutal Honesty The Remake Not So Above It All Cool Old Lady Psychological Thriller Card-Carrying Villain Cat Scare Getting Crap Past the Radar Butt-Monkey Freeze-Frame Bonus Only Sane Man Genre Throwback Killed Mid-Sentence Poor Communication Kills Broken Pedestal Ugly Guy, Hot Wife Overly Long Gag Curb-Stomp Battle Not So Stoic Boom, Headshot! Animated Credits Opening Wrong Genre Savvy Dramatic Gun Cock All Men Are Perverts Everyone Has Standards Precision F-Strike Noodle Incident Author Appeal Anyone Can Die Why Don't You Just Shoot Him? Here We Go Again! Romantic Comedy May–December Romance NO INDOOR VOICE Deliberately Monochrome In Name Only Cowboy Cop Off with His Head! Determinator aka: The Determinator Vampire Fiction Horror Doesn't Settle for Simple Tuesday He Who Fights Monsters Expository Hairstyle Change Advertised Extra Arch-Enemy Put on a Bus The Lancer Deliberate Values Dissonance Famous Last Words An Arm and a Leg Loads and Loads of Characters Call-Forward Our Zombies Are Different My Greatest Failure Death Glare The Cavalry She Cleans Up Nicely It's Personal Not Using the "Z" Word Guns Akimbo The Alcoholic Blonde, Brunette, Redhead Race Against the Clock Daddy's Girl Auto Erotica Funny Background Event I Have Your Wife Fourth Date Marriage Jump Scare British Films Made of Explodium Flipping the Bird Animal Motifs Due to the Dead Funny Foreigner Vitriolic Best Buds The '80s Leave the Camera Running Cruel and Unusual Death Facial Horror Woman in White Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep" Fingore Works Set in World War II Death by Adaptation Nice Job Breaking It, Hero! Call-Back Sequel Escalation Evil Is Hammy Leitmotif Eagleland Male Gaze Bound and Gagged You Have Failed Me Rape as Drama After the End Half the Man He Used to Be Agony of the Feet For Want of a Nail "Well Done, Son!" Guy Impaled with Extreme Prejudice A Father to His Men Manly Tears Good Is Not Nice Femme Fatale Aside Glance Ship Tease Superhero Faking the Dead You Have Got to Be Kidding Me! Historical In-Joke A Date with Rosie Palms No-Holds-Barred Beatdown Cool Old Guy He Knows Too Much Martial Arts Movie A Minor Kidroduction Implacable Man Adult Fear Arranged Marriage Unreliable Narrator Damsel in Distress Leaning on the Fourth Wall Reasonable Authority Figure Token Minority Antagonist Title Pragmatic Villainy Karma Houdini Those Two Guys Big Eater Foil Bilingual Bonus The Un-Reveal The Power of Love Film Noir Darkest Hour Victoria's Secret Compartment Real Life Hope Spot Foreshadowing Mind Screw Death by Sex Immune to Bullets Documentary Thriller I Did What I Had to Do More Dakka Show Within a Show Big Bad Duumvirate War Is Hell Off-into-the-Distance Ending Nice Hat Christmas Movies Index Mad Scientist Dropped a Bridge on Him Not What It Looks Like Deal with the Devil And the Adventure Continues Dull Surprise Shoot the Shaggy Dog Rewatch Bonus Bait-and-Switch The Ghost Book-Ends Translation Convention Badass Longcoat Recycled IN SPACE! As You Know Adaptational Villainy You Killed My Father Fanservice Badass Grandpa Calling the Old Man Out Crucified Hero Shot Ascended Extra What You Are in the Dark Adaptation Dye-Job Twist Ending Imagine Spot Annoying Younger Sibling Kick the Dog Slasher Movie The Oner Meaningful Echo Body Horror Villain Opening Scene The Musical Skewed Priorities Fantasy Films Disappeared Dad Paper-Thin Disguise What Happened to the Mouse? Wham Shot "Awesome McCool" Name Canadian Movies Artistic License – History Department of Redundancy Department Drill Sergeant Nasty Composite Character Large Ham Henpecked Husband Bond Villain Stupidity Refuge in Audacity Adorkable Police are Useless The Dreaded Science Fiction Films La Résistance Nice Guy Improbable Aiming Skills timeperiod Driven to Suicide Adaptation Distillation Offscreen Teleportation Cloudcuckoolander Tranquil Fury Insane Troll Logic Wicked Cultured Unresolved Sexual Tension Mood Whiplash The Smurfette Principle Have a Gay Old Time Homage Spell My Name with an "S" Bar Brawl Kill 'em All Wretched Hive Redemption Equals Death Dramedy Creepy Child Wounded Gazelle Gambit Abusive Parents All There in the Script Parental Abandonment Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold Bland-Name Product Despair Event Horizon The Casanova Match Cut Fainting Playing Gertrude The Alleged Car Neck Snap I'm a Humanitarian All Girls Want Bad Boys Epic Movie The '90s The Voiceless Race Lift Evil Laugh Evil vs. Evil Stuff Blowing Up Taking You with Me Retired Badass Smug Snake Only a Flesh Wound Bi the Way The Brute Nothing Is Scarier Toilet Humour aka: Toilet Humor My God, What Have I Done? Sci-Fi Horror Public Domain Feature Films Heel–Face Turn Gender Flip The Sociopath Big Brother Instinct Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas Arc Words Only One Name Belligerent Sexual Tension Defiant to the End Babies Ever After Pyrrhic Victory Cluster F-Bomb Lampshade Hanging Aluminum Christmas Trees Real Life Writes the Plot B-Movie Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right! Loophole Abuse Pretty Little Headshots Straight Gay Back from the Dead '80s Hair Morality Pet Sinister Minister 20 Minutes into the Future Meaningful Name French Films Corrupt Corporate Executive No Antagonist No-Sell Line-of-Sight Name Ragtag Bunch of Misfits Casting Gag Establishing Character Moment Double Entendre I Want My Beloved to Be Happy Central Theme Celebrity Paradox Bloodier and Gorier Costume Porn Male Frontal Nudity Light Is Not Good No Name Given Laughing Mad Beta Couple Awesome, but Impractical A.I. Is a Crapshoot Beware the Nice Ones Obfuscating Stupidity All There in the Manual Index of Film Westerns Brainless Beauty Pre-Mortem One-Liner Ambiguously Gay The Smart Guy Villain Ball Alpha Bitch The Place Reality Is Unrealistic As the Good Book Says... The Cameo Conspicuous CG As Long as It Sounds Foreign Cool Guns Monumental Damage Groin Attack Evil-Detecting Dog Shell-Shocked Veteran "Shaggy Dog" Story Ungrateful Bastard An Aesop From Nobody to Nightmare Face Death with Dignity Bad "Bad Acting" Insistent Terminology The End... Or Is It? An Axe to Grind Heroic Sacrifice Bond One-Liner Military and Warfare Films In Medias Res The Hero Disguised in Drag Biopic Badass in a Nice Suit Woman Scorned This Is Gonna Suck Didn't Think This Through Dramatic Irony Setting Update Expy The Vamp Grievous Bottley Harm Spiritual Successor Offscreen Moment of Awesome Almost Kiss Improvised Weapon The '70s Intrepid Reporter Anachronism Stew Naïve Newcomer Hooker with a Heart of Gold Gratuitous English Russian Films Reality Has No Subtitles Politically Incorrect Villain The Reveal Silent Movie Riddle for the Ages Word of God Downer Ending Red Right Hand Make It Look Like an Accident Death Seeker Hollywood Darkness Needs Wiki Magic Love Shirtless Scene Laser-Guided Karma No Celebrities Were Harmed No Ending Vomit Indiscretion Shot Dwindling Party Took a Level in Jerkass Never My Fault Gainax Ending Punch-Clock Villain The Dragon O.O.C. Is Serious Business Sanity Slippage Red Eyes, Take Warning Five-Man Band Papa Wolf Early-Bird Cameo Psycho for Hire Meaningful Background Event Artistic License – Gun Safety Scenery Gorn Evil Is Petty Deconstruction Screw the Rules, I Have Money! Anguished Declaration of Love Unusually Uninteresting Sight Hypocrite Eyepatch of Power Defrosting Ice Queen Pragmatic Adaptation Sadistic Choice The Ditz The Dog Bites Back Informed Ability The Bully Mythology Gag Foregone Conclusion Big Applesauce Sports Stories Oh, Crap! Irony Demoted to Extra Vomit Discretion Shot Rousing Speech Rule of Three Action Genre Beauty Is Never Tarnished Sequel Hook Determinator Humans Are Bastards Big Damn Heroes Important Haircut Too Dumb to Live Screw This, I'm Outta Here! Historical Hero Upgrade Romantic False Lead Madness Mantra Intergenerational Friendship Dual Wielding Visual Pun Those Wacky Nazis Apocalypse How Death of a Child Black Best Friend Handicapped Badass No Good Deed Goes Unpunished Faux Affably Evil Alliterative Name Not Even Bothering with the Accent Truth in Television Get Out! Break the Haughty Manic Pixie Dream Girl Kick the Son of a Bitch Action Film, Quiet Drama Scene Say My Name Pay Evil unto Evil Moment Killer Four-Temperament Ensemble Exactly What It Says on the Tin Jitter Cam Peek-a-Boo Corpse Insult Backfire The Film of the Book Domestic Abuse Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping One Steve Limit Becoming the Mask Action Girl The Ace Does This Remind You of Anything? Amoral Attorney Actually Pretty Funny Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking In the Back Shower Scene Major Injury Underreaction Friend to All Children Tagline Taking the Bullet Blood Knight Distracted by the Sexy The '50s Combat Pragmatist Disproportionate Retribution Parental Substitute Up to Eleven World of Ham The Starscream Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane Protagonist Title Bolivian Army Ending Hero Antagonist Age Lift Ominous Latin Chanting Bullying a Dragon Darker and Edgier Fantastic Racism Meet Cute Artistic License – Military Stealth Pun Action Survivor The '60s Names to Run Away from Really Fast Spared by the Adaptation Ms. Fanservice The Mole And I Must Scream Canon Foreigner The Faceless The X of Y Chiaroscuro Worthy Opponent Cat Fight Authority Equals Asskicking Based on a True Story Instant Death Bullet Depraved Bisexual Big Fancy House Rule of Symbolism Sliding Scale of Idealism vs. Cynicism Mooks Camera Abuse Heroes Want Redheads Evil Sounds Deep The Great Depression Badass Normal Creative Closing Credits Jerk with a Heart of Gold Heterosexual Life-Partners Eiffel Tower Effect Red Oni, Blue Oni Reality Ensues Love Triangle Creator Cameo Actor Allusion German Films Spiteful Spit Imperial Stormtrooper Marksmanship Academy Knight Templar Non-Indicative Name Kids Are Cruel Adaptation Name Change Only Known by Their Nickname The Hero Dies Our Vampires Are Different Redshirt Army Shout-Out Fun with Acronyms Product Placement Badass Boast Affably Evil Mr. Exposition Italian Films Missing Mom Sexy Discretion Shot Last-Name Basis Kubrick Stare Throwing Your Sword Always Works Title Drop Gorn I Need a Freaking Drink Random Events Plot She's Got Legs Ass Shove Does Not Like Shoes Unusual Euphemism Genre Savvy Guile Hero Camp Gay Ambiguous Ending Evil Cannot Comprehend Good Mugging the Monster Dumb Blonde Left the Background Music On Mama Bear The Atoner Totally Radical Chewing the Scenery Re-Cut Bunny-Ears Lawyer Bavarian Fire Drill Villain with Good Publicity Serial Killer Trailers Always Spoil Batman Gambit Pimped-Out Dress The Un-Favourite aka: The Un Favorite Double-Meaning Title Film Series Bare Your Midriff The Chick Eureka Moment Abhorrent Admirer Honor Before Reason Older Than They Look folderlabel Corpsing Genre Shift Historical-Domain Character Hong Kong Films Adaptational Attractiveness Never Trust a Trailer aka: Trailers Always Lie Dark and Troubled Past Jack Bauer Interrogation Technique Exact Words The Chessmaster All for Nothing Developing Doomed Characters Covers Always Lie Stalker with a Crush Failed a Spot Check Scary Black Man Bloodless Carnage Dark Reprise Curse Cut Short Bad Boss Cain and Abel Betty and Veronica Shut Up, Hannibal! Manchild Vacation Films Sir Swears-a-Lot Naked People Are Funny Sacrificial Lion True Companions Fate Worse than Death Pre-Asskicking One-Liner Breaking the Fourth Wall Hell Is That Noise Dying Moment of Awesome And Starring Pun aka: Incredibly Lame Pun Dirty Coward Rule of Funny One-Word Title Demonic Possession Sassy Black Woman Attempted Rape Sudden Sequel Death Syndrome Why Did It Have to Be Snakes? How We Got Here Easily Forgiven Plucky Comic Relief Cool Car Cool Shades Brick Joke Fatal Flaw Danny Peary Cult Movies List Manipulative Bastard Eldritch Abomination Once More, with Clarity! Empathic Environment Girl-on-Girl Is Hot Hidden Depths Punny Name Unwitting Instigator of Doom Red Shirt Drugs Are Bad Sealed Evil in a Can Interrupted Suicide Credits Gag Dirty Old Man Parental Incest Tap on the Head The Stinger Together in Death Suspiciously Specific Denial Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil Chase Scene Sole Survivor Anachronic Order Shipper on Deck Coming-of-Age Story Affectionate Parody Psychopathic Manchild As Himself Final Girl Pretty in Mink Kill It with Fire Yandere Only in It for the Money Gilligan Cut Would Hurt a Child Evil Plan Beard of Evil Small Name, Big Ego Alas, Poor Villain It's All About Me Ax-Crazy Adults Are Useless Chekhov's Skill What the Hell, Hero? Chuck Cunningham Syndrome Toplessness from the Back Retcon Shown Their Work Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds Ripped from the Headlines Artistic License – Law Crapsack World Not So Different BFG Brother–Sister Incest Fat Bastard My Beloved Smother Market-Based Title Daylight Horror