I’ll admit it, I’m a sucker for epic historical films. Grand, sweeping narratives recalling some great event, or really any film where I get to stare at gorgeous sets and costumes. That’s pretty much the reason I went to see Bodyguards and Assassins. I thought, why not learn a little history while I watch some cool martial arts and sumptuous costumes?
Except apparently, this isn’t really historically accurate. And while the film doesn’t explicitly says that it is, that is certainly the impression (I did not learn of the inaccuracies until afterward.) Set in 1906 in Hong Kong, it purports to tell the story of democratic activists fighting against British colonialism on one side and Imperial rule on the other. A group of activists are preparing for the visit of revolutionary leader Dr. Sun Yat Sen, who is coming under the guise of a visit to his sick mother, while in reality meeting to conspire with fellow revolutionaries. But then, this never actually happened, at least this specific event, and while Sun did oversee the defeat of the Qing Dynasty in 1911, his government in China would eventually be overthrown by communism (though his vision of a Republic of China continues in Taiwan.)
