In the movie Sargent York there are many accurately depicted scenes. There are also many scenes that were “rewritten” for entertainment purposes. The scene near the beginning showing Alvin as a hell raiser1, drinking outlaw is accurate. York tells in his diary2 of his joys of gambling, tobacco, and alcohol. He also talks about his habit of fist fighting. In the movie York 's salvation came after a really bad day and a night of drinking he was struck by lightening on his way home from the bar. In reality his salvation came for two reasons the desire to make Gracie Williams his wife and his mother happy.3 It also didn 't happen through a bolt of lightening. York said later of this scene “A bolt of lightening was the nearest to such a thing that Hollywood could think up”4. The depiction of the turkey hunts and the shots for parts of the beef are true. The incident of York winning all five shots for the beef did happen. He took the cattle home on hoof5. He did not win it to sell it for the money for the “bottom land”. Both York and Gracie Williams were not very informative about how or when their relationship began.6 Therefore many liberties were taken, by Hollywood, in the formation of the relationship in the film. Alvin York received his draft request June 1917. There is some accuracy involving Captain Danforth 's influence on York 's decision to stay in the army and fight. The movie …show more content…
Sargent York the movie takes a multitude of artistic liberties in the depiction of Alvin York 's life. Not all of them factual though as I have already pointed out. Hollywood didn 't want to shine a negative light on the military. This movie is a pro war movie. I believe that one reason for some of these positive inaccuracies is to glamorize what happened to York, especially since unrest in Europe had began already signifying what would later become World War II. Hollywood used this film to press on the hearts of many Americans that would join the military after watching