Largely a revenge tale

Rating: 7/10 (4 August 2015)

This film takes the romanticism out of eighteenth-century/Napoleonic-era warfare and lays bare the brutality of musket and cannon fire into packed ranks. And then, of course, the bayonet charges and ensuing hand to hand combat is not really much different than the battles of Caesar's legions. The film is beautifully photographed and well-directed. However, the title "The Patriot" is quite unfortunate, given that it is largely a revenge tale (Mel Gibson's forte) that happens to have the Revolutionary War as a backdrop. Gibson is, by turns, charming and ultra-violent. Joely Richardson was lovely here, although I may not have recognized her in the period costumes. It is a well-made, obviously high-budget, if somewhat gory film, and overall, pretty good, if not a masterpiece.