The Patriot

The Patriot

I still remember the first time I watched “The Patriot.” I was in my first year of middle school, and our class for social studies was particularly interesting because our teacher decided to take us on a journey back to the Revolutionary War period by showing us this movie. One can say that the movie was a bit too much for middle school students and one may be right. The movie pictures an ample amount of war and bloodshed in which deaths and severed heads of soldiers flooded the screen. But that was my favorite part of it and I am still considering that film as one of the best movies I have ever watched.

“The Patriot” tells a largely fictional account of the life of radical revolutionary Benjamin Martin, an American Independence War soldier played by Mel Gibson. As a commander in the British army, Benjamin had already served in the French and Indian War. However, the story begins just 30 years later and the colonists seek independence from the British. At first, Martin, who now has to raise seven children after losing his wife, has no desire to participate. His eldest son Gabriel, played by Heath Ledger, however, does go on to become a soldier in the American Army.

Following a battle, Gabriel finds himself at his father’s residence where he witnesses his father assist both British and Colonial soldiers. However, quite soon they come face to face with British Colonel, William Tavington, portrayed by Jason Isaacs. Colonel Tavington ontogeny purposes in capturing Gabriel and taking him for execution accusing him of being a spy, killing the wounded Colonial soldiers and burning down Martin’s house.

Thomas Gregory has a brother and he is desperate to save him, attempting to charge towards Tavington but is cut down by a shot from the Colonel. Martin, who has changed his views on fighting the battle, takes two of his sons with him to locate Gabriel and beats the British soldiers with a tomahawk. From now on, he joins the army and fights to free America and to take vengeance for the death of his son.

“The Patriot” is a perfect action film amongst rows of other action films. It presents the protagonist who has strong shoulder muscles with a single-minded obsessive compulsive disorder who is not frightened to go the extra mile and do bad things to achieve what is more important than his own being. As Kissinger once explained, it is always much ‘thicker’ at the bottom. The villain is hissing with pure evilness, yet is a joy to watch. And lastly, the setting of the film is the Revolutionary War which means action action action. The ingredients are all in the right quantities and are used extremely well.

Known for the works he’s done with Will Smith for the film “Independence Day”, it is Roland Emmerich who is behind the direction of the film. Emmerich throughout the film demonstrates that he is well versed in shooting and directing action. The film is quite gruesome because of the different killings that happen throughout it. Although, it can be said that most of the more gruesome events in the film are more fiction than historical fact, this conceivably fits the purposes of the film in order to show the brutality of the war which is preferable.

Also “The Patriot” benefits from its’ dramatic moments as it is always in the perfect balance. Gibson delivers a great performance that shows him not only as an honourable commander of his troops but also as a heavy-handed beast. Isaacs’ performance is excellent giving us a nice clear bad guy we love to hate who gets what’s coming to him.

There is really no fowl acting in this film save for perhaps a few scenes. Even some of the child actors make some of the scenes great. Skye McCole Bartusiak, who is the youngest daughter Susan, in the movie loses her words after the tragic death of her mother and cannot speak the entire film. This all changes one day when she talks to her father in a scene that is so emotional it would bring tears to anyone’s eyes.

But it would be fair to say that film’s overall quality leaves something to be desired. The nearly three hour film length may be too much for some and especially when there are dramatic moments not staring the lead characters. Some of these scenes could have been cut back so as not to over saturate the movie.

To add on to that, the title of the film is also a misrepresentation if you consider it. Character wise, Benjamin Martin is no true patriot. For a large portion of the film, the man is even anti-war. He changes his mind only after one of his sons is shot by a British colonel. Had this incident not taken place, he would have fought under any other pretexts. In fact, it is his son Gabriel who is more such patriot than him.

He is someone who was willing to fight from the beginning and didn’t need any other circumstances to convince him. Though he is a great character, Benjamin Martin is first and foremost a man with a vendetta and only in the later stages decides to take part in the revolution too.

“The Patriot” is an engaging action movie featuring many excruciating visuals and superb performances. It may step away from historical fact a little bit and could be considered slightly lengthy but this movie is worth watching.

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