THE film critics of the mainstream media, and surprisingly also of the Morning Star, have all uncritically lavished praise on the new biopic of Neville Chamberlain: Munich the Edge of War.

Of course, filmmakers, just as writers and other artists should be free to interpret history as they see fit, but we should recognise that in the world of globalised media such depictions can and do often replace a more objective and dispassionate handling of history; fake news can easily become historical truth.

Many people don’t read weighty historical tomes but rely on films such as this for their historical knowledge. In addition, authors of fiction films dealing with important historical events, irrespective of how well made they may be or how brilliant the actors are, have a moral responsibility to stick closely to the truth and not play fast and loose with the facts.