a decent shot at an epic movie

Rating: Null/10 (3 July 2000)

The Patriot is by no means one of the greatest movies ever made. Anyone who says so needs to take a look at the AFI list and see some of them. But it is an enjoyable film, and it is a good shot at an epic story.
The film does a fairly good job of balancing the conflict between telling a story about a man and his family and telling the larger story of the revolutionary war. I do not make any claims towards the historical accuracy of the film--as far as I am concerned that is a non-issue--but I do think that as a film working within the confines of a historical-epic-drama genre, it does a good job of handling the Hollywood structure, as formulaic as that may sometimes seem.
I would definitely hesitate to say that this film is Braveheart in the Revolution. Except for falling into the same genre, fighting the same opposing nation, and starring the same lead actor, as movies they are quite different. Braveheart focuses on the passion of William Wallace and his ability to lead a nation to freedom against all odds. It's like Moses in the bible--he leads the people to freedom but can't live in the rewards of it. The Patriot is much more about the personal story of one man and his family in the larger context of America at war for freedom. Benjamin Martin is haunted by the ghosts of his violent past, and must come to terms with them if he is to live in the present. It is about the struggle and determination of Americans to gain freedom, but it is also about coming of age and maturity, the changing relationships of father and son, etc.
One of the things that I liked about this movie, was that even though the antagonist Col. Tavington was genuinely evil, his superior, Gen. Cornwallis, was not depicted as one of the evil redcoats, but rather as a somewhat anachronistic gentleman unable to adapt to the changing rules of war.
On the whole, a decent summer movie. Not spectacular. But fun to watch.