Action-packed, Colorful, Exciting . . . and Fictional

Rating: 9/10 (29 October 2014)

Benjamin Martin is a South Carolina widower and well-to-do plantation owner with seven children. He was a brave veteran in the French and Indian War (1754-1763) that was fought on the frontier away from the settled families. Knowing that the new War of the American Revolution (1775/1776) will be fought on the "home front," he is reluctant to fight. There will be a heavy price to pay. His oldest son Gabriel, who has already joined the Continental Army, returns home wounded from a nearby battlefield. Before long the homestead is overrun by British forces, and Ben's family cares for both the American and British wounded. Gabriel though is taken prisoner. Brutal British Colonel Tavington (obviously the infamous Banastre Tarleton; he even wears green) orders his men to kill the entire Continental wounded, condemns Gabriel as a spy, and orders the burning of the family house. While attempting to save Gabriel's life, another son of Ben, Thomas, is shot dead by Tavington. Incensed, Ben and two other, younger sons tail a 20- man British platoon that has taken Gabriel away for execution. When the dust clears from Ben's ambush, the English are cut to pieces (all are lost save one) and Gabriel is freed. Back home Ben witnesses a significant defeat of the Americans under General Horatio Gates in an unspecified battle (it would have to be The Battle of Camden, even though it occurred later, in 1780). Gates' tactics and heavy use of militia against British regulars were disastrous. With the fastest steed, he made a quick escape. His temporary replacement is Colonel Harry Burwell (in reality serving under the most capable General Nathaniel Green of RI, George Washington's second-in-command). Meanwhile British General Cornwallis, the victor at Camden and Charleston, chastises Tavington for his cruelty, and orders him to take prisoners alive rather than shoot them.
Ben now decides to join the war effort with his son Gabriel. His surviving children are sent to his dead wife's sister, the youthful Aunt Charlotte. Ben and Harry somberly discuss the strategic situation: there is no American force between Washington's in the north and their own in the south. If the southern army is defeated, Cornwallis can move north and hem-in Washington's troops, possibly ending the Revolution. In addition the Continental Army in the south is still composed mainly of militia. Determined more than ever, Ben's forces break up into smaller bands that harass and ambush the British (a la Francis Marion, the famous "Swamp Fox"). Military recruitment is increased; slaves who enlist receive their freedom at war's end and receive five shillings per month. Over time the tide seems to be changing. There is still hope for help from the French: "Absolument" insists French officer Villeneuve.
The disappointed Cornwallis again calls upon Tavington; the latter says he can turn the tide again but "What did you say about brutality?" The officers know that Tavington's return to his evil ways will ensure that he will not be able to return to England at war's end. Perusing a color map, they discuss the new western land of Ohio. (In reality Cornwallis was no fan of Tarleton.) Tavington's return to viciousness is with a vengeance. He orders the population of a captured small town into a church. The doors are padlocked and the building set ablaze along with the congregation (fiction). Gabriel's new wife is one of the victims. (In reality Tarleton was never as evil as Tavington's portrayal although he certainly destroyed homes and provisions). Then, during a subsequent encounter with the British, Tavington sets a trap and turns the tables. The result is that another of Ben's sons dies (Gabriel), and many Continental officers are captured. Ben is devastated. After a thought process Ben overcomes his grief and leaves his surviving family with a slave settlement. He tricks Cornwallis and recaptures the officers by a ruse.
The time is fast approaching for the climatic battle to determine the victor of the southern sector. In one of the most exciting Revolutionary War battle scenes ever filmed, the battle sways back and forth. At a critical moment, Ben picks up an American flag and charges into the British ranks. The retreating Americans follow to a great victory (unspecified in the movie, but a fictional version of the Battle of Guilford Court House, 1781). Actually what had happened was that the British, after mopping up in Georgia and South Carolina, sustained two unexpected battle reverses (King's Mountain and Cowpens). To change matters, Cornwallis eagerly fights the Battle of Guilford Court House, which he actually wins. But the victory is Pyrrhic as he lost one- quarter of his entire force. General Greene, who actually chose the battle site, withdrew his unbroken Continentals in very good order. Then the British general moved through North Carolina to Virginia on to coastal Yorktown. In the movie events are indeed fast-forwarded to the Yorktown site. There the British field army is trapped by land and by sea. The northern Continental Army under Washington has already force-marched the allied troops from Newport, and are besieging the British by land. And, for once at the right place and at the right time, the French navy is shelling the hapless British. The latter's position is hopeless as they cannot stop the relentless allied bombardment of their positions. While the subsequent British surrender does not immediately stop the conflict, the writing is on the wall. With the long war finally over in 1783, Ben returns to his family and his new love interest (Charlotte). He will help rebuild the new nation.
While The Patriot is not always accurate, one cannot deny that the movie is exciting and the action terrific. The cinematography is gorgeous, and who can deny those excellent set designs and costumes? The director masterfully recreates America in the late 18th century, although life was not quite as hygienic. Give kudos to the great acting. For all of these reasons the picture is recommended.