A historian assesses the realism of a scene in the 2010 action fantasy movie Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, starring Jake Gyllenhaal as Prince Dastan. The scene shows Dastan infiltrating a city, and historian Roel Konijnendijk, an expert in ancient warfare and battle tactics, breaks it down for realism.
According to Konijnendijk, there is a historical precedent for Dastan’s strategy, which can be traced back to Alexander the Great. However, he is baffled by the use of a crossbow when a ladder would serve the same purpose, and criticizes the characters’ method of infiltrating through the wall.
Despite these concerns, Konijnendijk notes that the idea of opening up a gate from the inside to allow friendly forces to approach the city is a realistic and effective tactic. He rates the scene a 6 out of 10 in terms of realism, acknowledging that while the tactics are questionable, the overall strategy is sound.
It’s worth noting that realism is not a crucial element in Prince of Persia, as it’s an action fantasy movie where Prince Dastan comes to possess a dagger that gives him the power to travel back in time. The movie received poor reviews, but not due to its lack of realism.