don't mess with Oradour sur glane

Rating: 1/10 (15 September 2000)

I give the patriot a vote of 1 (awful) simply for the burning church scene. It's straight out of Max Hastings "das Reich" about the march of the 2nd SS Panzer Division through France in 1944 on its way to Normandy. Elements of the reconnaissance unit rounded up the villagers of Oradour-sur-Glane in the Church and then murdered over 600 men, women and children in revenge for the kidnapping and execution of an SS officer by the Résistance. To put the behaviour of an British Officer (historically a colonial i.e. American) in such a context is not only historically untrue but highly unethical. I was frankly disgusted and outraged. Making a Film about the American War of independence and glorifying the "freedom fighters" is one thing; portraying their opponents as Nazi-style thugs is quite another and Mr. Emmerich should have known better. Much better.