Heart-wrenching drama

Rating: Null/10 (20 July 2000)

I was simply astounded by this film. From the moment that Mel Gibson brooded over the prospect of his prior sins to the touching ending of the film, I was spellbound by the strength of the characters and the emotion of this film. Mel Gibson presented us with the image of a war-hero who wished that he could undo the past. Unlike the other zealots at the town meeting, he alone saw the dangers of fighting a revolutionary war, and the high prices that the innocents would pay. Yet even his character could not foresee the terrors that his own family would face, and the dear consequenes of undertaking such an endeavor. This film is a testament to the human spirit, a force of reckoning for revolutionaries anywhere. It is such a contrast to learn about the American Revolution in a history class and then to see it reenacted onscreen, with bayonets slicing, tomahawks flying and cannonballs wreaking horrific havoc upon the enemy. Yet what is most moving is the devotion that these soldiers had to their families. Never mind the societal taboo that men cannot cry, for these men cared deeply for their families. I absolutely adored this film, and I strongly urge everyone to see it.