A powerful film that leads it's name.

Rating: Null/10 (22 August 2001)

SPOILERS It would certainly be safe to call "The Patriot" controversial. Although I don't believe It mistreats slavery because it's not really about slavery. This is about the American Revolution. Not the Civil War. Although, I don't think I'm really giving anything away here in saying that the closing of the film has symbolism of one of the subjects ahead of the nations history is abolishing slavery. Then there's the other possibly controversial part of perhaps the British being offended. Well, with that, I really don't care. I believe that they were probably an evil force then all over the place, trying to ruthlessly rule the world. So, I find that pretty arrogant. All in the film is probably related to, or exactly, the truth. Americans themselves have poison with African Americans and Native Americans. I certainly wouldn't object to any films showing that.

Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibson) is a farmer living a good life with a seven children. His wife is diseeced. His oldest son Gabriel (Heath Ledger) is full of ambition and wants to join in the war that is springing up. When they are called to Charlston to vote on the levy of having South Carolina be the seventh state to enter the war for independence and to visit their aunt, Martin's wife's sister. To everyone's surprise, he greatly apposes the levy. When the levi is passed twenty-eight to twelve, Gabriel is most pleased and immedialtey gets in line to inlist. When he faces his father, he states "I thought you were a man of principal." He reponds with "When you have a family of your own, perhaps you'll understand." Then his son finally puts "When I have a family of my own, I won't hide behind them."

Two years later, the family continues their prosperity while Gabriel suffers the conditions of war. Eventually, battle gets close to home. Gabriel, who is carying dispathes for Rebels, comes to the house, wounded. They give care to both the Rebels and the Redcoats. When an army spread out with the officers to colect their men, Colneil Tavington (Jason Issacs) orders that Gabriel be killed for his treason of being a spy with dispatches. In an effort to save his brother's life, the second eldest son without any thought of consequence, runs to free his brother from the Redcoats. Tavington, withut haste, fires his pistol, giving him an exit wound from the back. He dies within awhile.

After the British have cleared out, Martin runs into his burning house to get a good number of muskets, some pistols, and his trusty tomahawk from the French and Indian War. He takes two of his sons to a forrest where he almost surprisingly to us says "I'll fire first" as if t weren't expected to put them in their positions. There are twenty British soldiers they are looking at. The shooting is very well done and many of them are shot down. As for others, it is the will of the tomahawk. While his kids watch, he knacks them down. When they're are four Brits left, a soldier keeps hostage Gabriel with a knife to his throat. Martin knack one of the last three. The other, he knocks down with a musket and then as he rises he shoots him through the head. Then there's the very tense moment of taking care of the one on Gabriel. Martin brings the tomahawk back behind him and swings the tomahawk into his forehead. The one left is scared to death and runs away. An obsessed Martin throws the tomahawk into his back and when he gets to him, hacks hims to bits like a savage.

Gabriel insists on joining back with the Continentals. Martin joins up also and becomes eader of the South Carolina Malitia. Another commander is a French soldier who lost his family form the Brits in the French and Indian War. Because of good leadership, the malitia is a great success, hidding and coming out to shoot. These battle scenes are some of the great direction of modern cinema.

The script is written by Robert Rodat. In his earlier years, he wrote the Disney film "Tall Tale" and "Fly Away Home" whcih I consider possibly the worst film ever made. His most recent work "Saving Private Ryan" is, as we all know, incredible. This has similarities with the battle sequences. They're both extremely gorey with blood. This is exactly showing war whether then extravigating it like early war films or not actually showing combat, but just screwing around too much with backrounds that get boring like Oliver Stone.

John Williams' score is brillaint and patriotic. Roland E. Emerech does a fascinating job in directing a wonderful American film while being German himself. The acting is great. Gibson does a great lead. I don't think it's a con if this may be considered an exact sequel to "Braveheart". I can see why The British might not adore him. The cuts of the editing drive this film a lot. They are superb.

This is a film that patriotic Americans should cherish. This has gotten a lot of good hype and bad hype. It should get good hype from the Americans. It is mostly accurate. It's a war film done the way a modern war film should be done. It brings reverence and loyalty to the veteran of the Revolutionary War and the colonists who suffered so musch from the appression of the British that DID take place. This is a film that certainly should have been more of an oscar contender. It bears sililarity to a lot of great films like "Braveheart", "Gladiator", and "The Last of the Mohicans" which in a lot os since, preludes this story. This film is emotional, well put together, and right for a film about thsi war. A great film that leads it's title "The Patriot."