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