Masterful filmmaking

Rating: 9/10 (16 November 2000)

War is horrific. If there is one message that comes across clearly in this film that is it. `The Patriot' is an extraordinarily graphic and compelling depiction of 18th Century warfare. It is difficult to imagine a scene more terrifying than the sight of thousands of men leveling muskets at you from a distance so close you can see the sweat on their faces. Woven into this revolutionary war film was a human drama about a man and his family and the devastating effect the war had on them.
In an effort to make the audience sympathetic to the hero, Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibson), Robert Rodat (Saving Private Ryan), wrote an overly melodramatic and sentimental script with excessively noble Americans and incredibly evil Brits. Though I didn't have a real problem with this, I can see how many people would be rolling their eyes, especially the ones whose top priority was the war itself. Still, for those who like a good human drama, this film grabs the emotions and makes one scream out in vindication when the bad guys get what they deserve. It is also difficult not to feel a bit patriotic while watching this film. I was put off however, by the preachy, politically correct pabulum regarding the slave soldiers.
Other than that criticism, which is more a matter of personal preference, this film was extraordinary. It was brilliantly directed. With this film, Roland Emmerich (Godzilla, Independence Day) has moved beyond schlocky sensational films and actually assembled a substantial film with a story that wasn't tongue in cheek. If there is one area where Emmerich excels, it is visual effects, and this film is another shining example of that. He created graphic and grisly effects of decapitations and dismemberments that were disturbingly realistic. His choreography of the combat with thousands of extras was magnificent. In some cases, he used computer simulations for panoramic battlefield scenes that were indistinguishable from action created by real humans. The costume design by Deborah Lynn Scott (Wild, Wild West, Titanic) was superlative. She actually went to the Smithsonian Institution to use real revolutionary uniforms as her models for the patterns. The entire period was fantastically rendered. The five-speaker surround sound on the DVD was awesome, especially during the combat, with voices and battle sounds coming from all directions.
The acting was superb. Mel Gibson was completely immersed in his role as the reluctant Colonel, for whom the war was a personal vendetta. He had to handle quite a range of emotions, from the tenderness of a father to the rage and savagery of battle and the seething hatred of the murderous dragoon. He was outstanding in every scene. Heath Ledger (Ten Things I Hate About You) was also excellent as the Martin's idealistic son whose war started as patriotism and became personal in the end. Jason Isaacs was supremely evil as the nefarious dragoon colonel who delighted in the murder of women and children and in burning settlers alive.
This was a masterful filmmaking achievement that went a bit overboard on the sentimental side. It was highly entertaining with a strong and engaging story and characters with whom it was easy to identify. I rated it a 9/10. Be forewarned; it's not for the squeamish.