first rate action packed drama

Rating: 8/10 (19 May 2001)

Against the back drop of the American Revolutionary War, we follow the adventures of one family in South Carolina during the war. Typical story well written by Robert Rodat & superb performances by Mel Gibson as a widowed father with seven children to bring up & protect in these bad times, Heath Ledger is his oldest son.This young man will become a star, he is that good an actor. The action scenes are brief & very brutal, BUT not overdone (as lets say if it were made by Steven Speilberg), the director Roland Emmerich has the proper attitude in showing violent scenes. He does not linger on open wounds like the above Mr.S, did in Saving Pvt Ryan.
This story is fiction as I do not believe the historical characters behaved in the way they were portrayed here. BUT this is still a worth while film to see as a family drama & not a history lesson my rating is a low ***1/2
as always
jay harris