The Patriot

Rating: 8/10 (16 June 2013)

The Patriot is a fantastic fantasy war saga surely not to be mistaken as an historically accurate account. It takes on the American Revolutionary War and dramatically changes the story for big screen presentation. Mel Gibson's main character, Benjamin Martin, is closely similar to the character Gibson played in Braveheart, and just like Braveheart, The Patriot is a fictional depiction of a past war, a great war fantasy.
The Patriot is a family tragedy in a wartime setting. The film is considerably morbid, and nearly too much so. It has too much startling violence, but the film suggests that this may have been deliberately purposeful. War isn't pretty. The Patriot has limited scope, not completely encompassing the grandeur and majesty it attempts to achieve; it's singularly oriented around its hero's avengeful retaliation.
Heath Ledger supplies the strongest support in a role that allows for little maneuverability. Gibson is not quite in that most elite acting class that Ledger is in, or was in, even though Gibson is great as Benjamin Martin, but by Mel's strong measure this was a relatively moderate performance for Gibson, not one of his finest. I'm not sure that it was Mel's failing or if it was that of the written character, but Benjamin Martin shows little life. Jason Isaacs is well-cast and outstanding as Col. William Tavington. Isaacs acts as the main enemy, although I feel The Patriot would have been greater with Cornwallis as the primary antagonist and Tavington as the secondary villain. The Tavington character is too despised to be revered. Tom Wilkinson was excellent as he should of had a more prominent role. Joely Richardson is well-cast and adequate as the sister of Martin's deceased wife; she's simply stunning. Chris Cooper does a stellar job and I enjoy all of the moments that Cooper shows in The Patriot.
The Patriot has terrific acting, impressive writing, and specifically superb cinematography. One would be proud to have this movie as apart of any collection; it's a must-own. The Patriot is one of the best Revolutionary War movies, not counting too many. It's all fabricated, and it's all very, very good.