DeBruin controversy
Let's face it, it's not the first time a director has got this wrong, and it won't be the last. James Cameron notoriously did much the same thing with the ship's officer William Murdoch in Titanic, portraying Murdoch accepting a bribe from a rich passenger to get him a place in a lifeboat, then losing the plot completely and shooting another passenger before turning the gun on himself. While all this may have added to the drama and pathos of the film the problem is that none of it was based in fact. Which wouldn't be an issue, if Murdoch hadn't been a real person with living relatives. Same with DeBruin. Cameron, like Herzog, has paid some lip service to the families of these men, saying they weren't in possession of the full facts at the time (which in itself is a poor excuse, and reflects badly on their professionalism); but at the end of the day they don't really care. As far as they're concerned they're artists, and are using artistic license to enhance the impact of the stories they're telling. What they're not concerned with is letting historical facts, or the reputations of little-known historical characters, get in the way of a good story. Maybe a little more legal accountability would encourage them to use invented characters to provide the necessary conflict and drama, or at the very least not to present these films as "based on true events".
It didn't help matters that Jeremy Davies' performance as DeBruin was one of the more memorable aspects of the film.
"Fear is not what you owe me. No Lounds, you and the others - you owe me awe."