exercise artistic license

Meaning

This phrase refers to the freedom of an artist, writer, or director to distort facts, ignore convention, or alter historical details to create a more compelling piece of work. It is often used to defend historical inaccuracies in biographical movies or novels.

Examples

• The director exercised artistic license by changing the timeline of the historical events to make the movie more dramatic.

  The director exercised artistic license by changing the timeline of the historical events to make the movie more dramatic.

• While some historians criticized the film, others accepted that the filmmakers had to exercise artistic license.

  While some historians criticized the film, others accepted that the filmmakers had to exercise artistic license.

• Novelists often exercise artistic license to make historical figures sound more modern and relatable.

  Novelists often exercise artistic license to make historical figures sound more modern and relatable.

• She chose to exercise artistic license, painting the sky bright green to evoke a sense of unease.

  She chose to exercise artistic license, painting the sky bright green to evoke a sense of unease.

• You have to exercise artistic license when adapting a thousand-page book into a two-hour film.

  You have to exercise artistic license when adapting a thousand-page book into a two-hour film.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ The screenwriter made artistic license to change the ending.

  ✓ The screenwriter exercised artistic license to change the ending.

  The correct collocated verb to use with 'artistic license' is 'exercise' or 'take', not 'make'.

• ✗ He exercised an artistic license when writing the biography.

  ✓ He exercised artistic license when writing the biography.

  'Artistic license' is an uncountable abstract noun phrase in this idiom, so it does not take the indefinite article 'an'.

Related Expressions

Practice

• Filmmakers often need to ________ when adapting true stories for the big screen.

  💡 Use the base form after 'need to'.

  Show answer

  exercise artistic license

• The biographer was accused of ________ when he altered key dates in the subject's life.

  💡 Use the gerund (-ing) form of the verb.

  Show answer

  exercising artistic license