R | 2h 45min | Action, Drama, History | 2000
The United States of America has often been involved in a number of back-to-back wars, such as World War I (1914–1918) and the Russian Civil War (1918–1920). Often members of the military who participated in one war and experienced its horror were resistant to become involved in the next. As the French and Indian War (1754–1763) was followed in relatively quick succession by the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), many who fought in the former weren’t exactly thrilled about becoming involved in the latter. The 2000 war drama “The Patriot” illustrates this resistance to continual warfare—at least initially.
The film’s first act unfolds in the year 1776 as eight of the 13 American colonies rise up in protest against the British Empire’s policy of taxation without representation. Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibson), a hero of the French and Indian War, has settled into a relatively tranquil life in South Carolina. He’s also a widower who is raising seven children and believes that it is his duty to care for them.
However, his oldest son Gabriel (Heath Ledger) is a staunch believer in the American colonists’ cause, so he joins the Continental Army over his father’s objections. Martin senior has had enough of war, and unfortunately, his prediction that the upcoming war with the British will be fought in his and his neighbors’ fields comes true.
Lord Gen. Cornwallis (Tom Wilkinson), commander of the British Redcoats, attacks and subjugates Charleston, South Carolina. Soon, a contingent of his troops engages a group of the Continentals within sight of the Martin family’s front porch.
One of Cornwallis’s more brutal subordinates, Col. Tavington (Jason Isaacs), is given carte blanche to deal with the Americans. Unlike his more gentlemanly cohorts, Tavington believes in war without limits and has decided to kill any Americans he comes across, regardless of age, when it suits his goals.
Tavington sets his sights on the Martins and proceeds to terrorize the family. This results in Martin’s second oldest son Thomas (Gregory Smith) being shot to death, and Gabriel being hauled off by the Redcoats to be hanged.
But the Brits underestimate who they’re dealing with. They’ve just awakened a sleeping tiger with a plethora of combat experiences. The savage assaults upon his family unleash the guerrilla warrior in him, and he takes partial revenge by carrying out a ruthless ambush on the Redcoat convoy in the woods to save Gabriel.
Martin decides that he can no longer stay neutral. After placing his children in the care of their Aunt Charlotte (Joely Richardson), he reports with Gabriel to his old buddy Col. Harry Burwell (Chris Cooper), who is with the Continentals.
Burwell instructs Martin to form the South Carolina militia and puts him in command of the regiment. Martin’s militia turns out to be quite a capable regiment that undermines the entire English campaign in the area and that also plays a decisive part in the grand finale battle.
Fiction Based on Truth
Scriptwriter Robert Rodat (“Saving Private Ryan”) effectively conveys the tumultuous period of the American Revolutionary War. Paired with Roland Emmerich’s (“Midway,” “Independence Day”) excellent direction, Rodat’s script soars.In this fictional account, we see a wide range of events that happened during the epic conflict: black people earning their freedom by joining the militia, the French aiding the colonial rebels, the resistance of some of the American settlers to join the fight, and some of the dastardly actions carried out by those loyal to the British.
Emmerich doesn’t shy away from some of the more brutal aspects of the Revolutionary War. We see the chaotic, in-your-face craziness of 18th-century warfare as well as the tremendous loss of civilian lives—those who were caught up in the savagery of the bloody conflict. In other words, the film definitely earns its “R” rating, so parents need to be mindful if sharing it with their young ones.
One fascinating aspect of this film is the turmoil in Martin’s soul. He’s a deeply conflicted man, on one hand, wanting to adhere to his beloved wife’s wishes to give up the ways of war, while on the other, feeling compelled to fight for his family and country’s safety and independence. It’s quite evident that he carries around a colossal burden of guilt for his savagery during the French and Indian War.
Martin doesn’t want to revert to the person he was during that previous war and also doesn’t want his family to pay for his past deeds. At one point in the movie, he even says: “I have long feared ... that my sins would return to visit me. And the cost is more than I can bear.”
“The Patriot” is an outstanding war drama with excellent acting all around by its superb cast. It’s an ultimately uplifting film about paying for one’s sins, unabashed patriotism, familial love, and eventual peace within a former sinner’s soul.
