As Independence Day approaches I was trying to think of a movie relatively recently made that could give a flavor of the Revolutionary War. The movie that came to mind was “The Patriot” (2000).
Now there were a lot of critics who derided this movie for its falsification of the historical characters and events portrayed in the film. For instance they argued that they made the southern militia leader played by Mel Gibson too sympathetic a character (covering up all the characteristics that may be considered negative) and painted the British as overly savage.
All of these things may be true but I suggest a person view the film as fiction and not fact although some elements of the story are historically accurate like the uniforms and the way some of the battles took place.
The score and cinematography are rousing and beautiful in this film. The story is also very touching while also being brutish and bloody. This is a combination that takes talent to capture.
I maintain this is excellent story telling on film. The story concerns an American family swept up in the conflict of the revolutionary times in American history.
A British officer murders the son of a farmer who immediately seeks vengeance. The farmer is known for wheeling an ax and his savage tactics in battle in past wars. The murder of the farmers son, the desire of another one of his sons to join the Continental Army and the occupation of the farmers home town by the British leads the reluctant farmer to organize a militia against the British and join the revolutionary cause. This puts his family at risk. The story involves revenge, revolution, and the desire and need for the farmer to protect his family.
The guerrilla tactics practiced by the militia are pretty accurate and many of the major battles involving the Continental Army and militia against the British troops are pretty accurate (although not completely-remember view this as predominately fiction).
Watch how director Roland Emmerich moves this story along using sound, score, screenplay, and cinematography. It plunges the deepest depths of angst and climbs the highest heights of exhilaration.
The story moves the personal pain of this father right along with the public pain of the new nation trying to break free of the shackles of England.
The story does get pretty bloody and violent at certain points, so it may not be for everyone and it does ‘play’ family lose for all its worth, but I feel it poignantly illustrates the savagery of violence be it during war or revenge and it demonstrates the cost of freedom to Americans of that period who dared declare their independence. “The Patriot” is an A grade movie and is worth a viewing especially around Independence Day.
Happy Fourth of July.