Not everyone has background knowledge

Rating: 4/10 (4 March 2008)

Me, I'm not bothered - a piece of colourful escapist nonsense. A popcorn movie, as the producers say. As a Brit in his 50s, the substantial liberties taken with history don't keep me awake at night, because I realise they are simply dramatic licence.
Then I find myself in "discussion" on a website - to do with popular music, nothing to do with film - with a young American gentleman, and a jocular remark suddenly sends him off on a tirade, the gist of which is that he hates the British because of the atrocities we committed during the War of Independence, and he knows this to be the case because he saw it for himself when he watched The Patriot.
OK, so the lad is clearly a bit lacking in the Education Department, and has been even more substantially short-changed in the Common Sense Department, but that doesn't change the fact that he - and, presumably, a not inconsiderable number of others like him - have taken this pile of poo on board as fact.
I don't know what the answer is. Better education? More responsible film-making? Cull the dimwits? (I'm allowed to make this suggestion, after all, I'm a Brit and you know the sort of evil murderous thugs we are - just watch The Patriot!)
Answers on a postcard.