The Patriot should become a classic.

Rating: 9/10 (3 July 2000)

I had been waiting for a long time for the release of The Patriot. But, because of recent reviews, I had some reservations about the film and if I would see it at all. Besides being a movie buff, I'm a history nut and Family Genealogist, so the haggling over historical accuracy was a factor influencing me. Unlike most people, too much playing with the facts would turn me off Very much. Well, I'm happy to say that The Patriot, despite some minor transgressions, is a Very Entertaining movie and should be a classic in its genre for years to come. Sure, it doesn't emphasize just how much loyalty to England there was in the south, hence the reason England shifted their strategy there. How Loyalist militias were involved. Nor do they show the approx. 80% support the blacks gave the British as well, making the refugee hideout very unlikely. Logistical errors, such as large mortars at inland campaigns during the Revolutionary War, can be forgiven since it didn't figure prominently. The story is about his family and the events that effect them. It's about Personal sacrifice and principle. This is where the story makes its biggest statements. If most people stopped and realized that the Revolutionary War was NOT a popular war, but one fought by a minority of people dedicated to the cause, they would probably be shocked. Such was the sacrifice those people made to create the first real Democracy since ancient Greece. Martin's character is Not based just on one person, as some critics try to claim in order to deflate the film because of the background of that person, but on a composite of at least four people. The idea, after all, is to present the movie based on the events of the time. It's not a documentary. In this sense, it fulfills its purpose very well. Excellent entertainment with some minor historical alterations doesn't hurt this film. Ignore the over sensative hupla about the "errors" and enjoy a very good film. Ladies....bring some tissue. There were very few dry eyes amongst the ladies I seen leaving the theater.