This is a bit of a tough one. Part of me wishes to sing this movies' praises as a gripping tale, well told. It certainly is that. That said, the movie is completely a-historical. This just isn't, at all, how these events went down. It makes me wonder how we would judge a movie that simply, in a straightforward manner, portrayed WWI with Germans winning. That would be kind of weird... right?! As such I'm going to give it a compromise 7. As a more overt piece of historical fiction, I would give a 9 or 10. But given this drapes itself in a historical gloss, I'm subtracting points.
Now I get those reviewers who will reply that this movie does not bill itself as a documentary... but historical quibbles aren't the issue here. This movie just makes stuff wholesale. You might as well call the king Jason the V, or Fred the V... I could say more, but you have probably gathered my point by now, this movie really pushes the boundaries of narrative "liberties" in the service of relating a historical event a bit too far, I felt.
Now I get those reviewers who will reply that this movie does not bill itself as a documentary... but historical quibbles aren't the issue here. This movie just makes stuff wholesale. You might as well call the king Jason the V, or Fred the V... I could say more, but you have probably gathered my point by now, this movie really pushes the boundaries of narrative "liberties" in the service of relating a historical event a bit too far, I felt.