See it--it's the patriotic thing to do.
"The Patriot"
Overall Rating: ****½
As you've probably gathered from my selection of movies and my reaction to them, I'm a fan of action films. Two of my favorite from that genre are "Stargate" and "Independence Day"--both directed by Rolland Emmerich. Shortly after the disappointing "Godzilla," I learned that Emmerich's next project was "The Patriot," a movie based on the life of Francis Marion. The Revolutionary War is an historic period of particular interest to me, so I'd been eagerly awaiting this film for two years. I was not disappointed.
The film opens with Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibson)--who is based extremely loosely on Francis Marion--quietly praying that his past sins will not come back to haunt him. A veteran of the French and Indian War and widower, Martin now wishes to lead a quiet life on his plantation. The events of 1776, however, will not allow this. His life is disrupted when he is called to the South Carolina Assembly to vote on a levy to support the Continental Army. There, he argues that while he believes in American independence, the time isn't right to fight for it. Despite his opposition, the measure passes, and his eldest son Gabriel (Heath Ledger) enlists in the Colonial Army. Two years later, however, Charleston has been captured, and the war is at the doorstep of the Martin plantation.
Many people have attacked "The Patriot" for how it deals with history. Mainly, the complaints are that Francis Marion wasn't really a heroic figure, that "The Patriot" glosses over slavery, and that it exaggerates the British brutality. The criticism about Marion is irrelevant since the movie centers around fictional characters. The other criticisms are not really fair: though the movie deals slightly with the issue of slavery, that's not what it's primarily about, and the worst act of brutality by the British--the only one that could really be called an exaggeration of what the British actually did--is committed by a fictional, rogue officer. This is not to say the movie is perfect in its history. The movie makes two wild gaffes in its history: the British didn't take Charleston until 1780, and the film's climactic battle doesn't correspond to any real battle.
It's strange that while the film makes these big mistakes, they seem to get the details right. "The Patriot" feels like a walk through the streets of Colonial Williamsburg or in Independence Hall. The attention to detail on the sets are only one aspect of the excellent special effects. As exhibited in his previous action films, Emmerich knows how to blow stuff up, and knows how to make it exciting; "The Patriot" does not disappoint on that count.
Where "The Patriot" differs from most action films, however, is in Martin's internal conflict. Martin has a brutal past, and fears his own brutality. His rationalizations about the time not being right for independence and his desire to protect his family are clearly--if subtly--not his main reason for wanting to stay out of the fight. Gibson deserves great credit for making apparent something that his character doesn't state--and may not even fully acknowledge.
"The Patriot" has very little strong language, and no strong sexual content (only an innuendo in one place). The main reason for its R rating is violence: the film has many battle sequences, including one where children fire on British officers. If I'd been rating the film, I might have given it a PG-13, but the film is certainly borderline.
"The Patriot" is easily the best film so far this year. Though it makes some historical errors, the film is an excellent production providing an engrossing story.
Title: "The Patriot"
Release date: June 28, 2000
Overall Rating: ****½
As you've probably gathered from my selection of movies and my reaction to them, I'm a fan of action films. Two of my favorite from that genre are "Stargate" and "Independence Day"--both directed by Rolland Emmerich. Shortly after the disappointing "Godzilla," I learned that Emmerich's next project was "The Patriot," a movie based on the life of Francis Marion. The Revolutionary War is an historic period of particular interest to me, so I'd been eagerly awaiting this film for two years. I was not disappointed.
The film opens with Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibson)--who is based extremely loosely on Francis Marion--quietly praying that his past sins will not come back to haunt him. A veteran of the French and Indian War and widower, Martin now wishes to lead a quiet life on his plantation. The events of 1776, however, will not allow this. His life is disrupted when he is called to the South Carolina Assembly to vote on a levy to support the Continental Army. There, he argues that while he believes in American independence, the time isn't right to fight for it. Despite his opposition, the measure passes, and his eldest son Gabriel (Heath Ledger) enlists in the Colonial Army. Two years later, however, Charleston has been captured, and the war is at the doorstep of the Martin plantation.
Many people have attacked "The Patriot" for how it deals with history. Mainly, the complaints are that Francis Marion wasn't really a heroic figure, that "The Patriot" glosses over slavery, and that it exaggerates the British brutality. The criticism about Marion is irrelevant since the movie centers around fictional characters. The other criticisms are not really fair: though the movie deals slightly with the issue of slavery, that's not what it's primarily about, and the worst act of brutality by the British--the only one that could really be called an exaggeration of what the British actually did--is committed by a fictional, rogue officer. This is not to say the movie is perfect in its history. The movie makes two wild gaffes in its history: the British didn't take Charleston until 1780, and the film's climactic battle doesn't correspond to any real battle.
It's strange that while the film makes these big mistakes, they seem to get the details right. "The Patriot" feels like a walk through the streets of Colonial Williamsburg or in Independence Hall. The attention to detail on the sets are only one aspect of the excellent special effects. As exhibited in his previous action films, Emmerich knows how to blow stuff up, and knows how to make it exciting; "The Patriot" does not disappoint on that count.
Where "The Patriot" differs from most action films, however, is in Martin's internal conflict. Martin has a brutal past, and fears his own brutality. His rationalizations about the time not being right for independence and his desire to protect his family are clearly--if subtly--not his main reason for wanting to stay out of the fight. Gibson deserves great credit for making apparent something that his character doesn't state--and may not even fully acknowledge.
"The Patriot" has very little strong language, and no strong sexual content (only an innuendo in one place). The main reason for its R rating is violence: the film has many battle sequences, including one where children fire on British officers. If I'd been rating the film, I might have given it a PG-13, but the film is certainly borderline.
"The Patriot" is easily the best film so far this year. Though it makes some historical errors, the film is an excellent production providing an engrossing story.
Title: "The Patriot"
Release date: June 28, 2000
MPAA rating: R
Overall rating: ****½
Overall rating: ****½
Aprox. run time: 164 min.
Director: Rolland Emmerich
Writers: Robert Rodat
Stars: Mel Gibson, Heath Ledger, Jason Isaacs (plays Col. William Tavington)
Original URL: http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Mansion/7045/Patriot.htm
Director: Rolland Emmerich
Writers: Robert Rodat
Stars: Mel Gibson, Heath Ledger, Jason Isaacs (plays Col. William Tavington)
Original URL: http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Mansion/7045/Patriot.htm
Added to blog site: 8/3/09
Labels: Movie review, ReviewsbyJohn
posted by John at 9/08/2000 05:51:00 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home