Anachronism is when a person, object or event of a different time and era makes an appearance in a different time period – Roopa Banerjee

Fans of the movie Back to the Future (1985) will remember the scene when Marty McFly replays rock-n-roll pioneer Chuck Berry’s 1958 hit Johnny B. Goode. This is a carefully placed anachronism — defined as when a person, object or event of a different time and era is consciously inserted in a different time period. For instance, if a story which is set in Victorian England features a shopping mall, it would be an anachronism.

An error in chronology, anachronism originates from the Latin word anachronismus which means ‘an error in computing time or finding dates’, as well as the Greek anakhronismos i.e ‘refer to wrong time’. Ana means ‘against’ and khronos ‘time.’

Writers/filmmakers often use anachronisms to add an element of humour and surprise to a story. Imagine filming a corporate board meeting with people dressed in suits while warriors from the 16th century walk past, with no explanation at all. This would, of course, only be used if the intention is to create humour. The Flintstones, Disney’s Aladdin, and the Shrek film series are all brilliant examples of comical anachronism.

Language anachronism is when modern language is used for films set in the ancient past. This is an accepted style as few would understand a period film if the characters mouthed dialogues written in 14th century English.

Sometimes, anachronisms are included to simplify a scene for the reader. In William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, Cassius says: “The clock has stricken three,” although clocks were not invented until many hundreds of years later.

Nevertheless, Shakespeare mentions the clock because referring to a Roman sundial would have confused the audience and diluted the essence of the plot. This is substantiated by novelist Sir Walter Scott who said, “It is necessary, for exciting interest of any kind, that the subject assumed should be, as it were, translated into the manners as well as the language of the age we live in.”

An example of intentional anachronism is in a scene from Sofia Coppola’s feature film Marie Antoinette where a pair of Converse sneakers is placed next to staid period-appropriate shoes. Coppola clarified that this was intentional to accentuate Antoinette’s youth. She didn’t want the film to be a history lesson, but an impressionist narrative.

Anachronisms can also happen as an error, mostly because of inadequate research or just sloppy planning. A famous example of this is in the cult TV drama series Game of Thrones where viewers were quick to notice a stray Starbucks coffee cup in a scene featuring Daenerys Targaryen. This scene prompted much hilarity and social media memes.

In the film Raiders of the Lost Ark, there is a map showing Indiana Jones’ journey route near Thailand en route to Nepal. This is an unintentional blooper as the film is set in 1939 when Thailand was known as Siam.

Here’s a quiz asking you to recall unintentional anachronisms in popular films:

Quiz

Can you remember a glaring anachronism in these films?

1. Braveheart
2. The Godfather
3. Forrest Gump
4. Veer
5. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves

Answers:

1. Mel Gibson wears a Highland Scottish kilt while playing a 13th-century freedom fighter, whereas kilts started being worn only in the 1700s.
2. Hippies are inadvertently shown in the background when Michael Corleone goes to Vegas in the 1940s.
3. Gump receives a letter from Apple Computers thanking him for his investment in their stock in 1975, while Apple didn’t go public until 1980.
4. Late 1920s-model cars are very conspicuously part of the background in a street scene, despite the film being set in late 1880s/early 1890s.
5. Azeem (Morgan Freeman) rebukes Robin (Kevin Costner) for his ignorance about a telescope while telescopes weren’t invented until 1608. Prince of Thieves is set in the 1200s.

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