An Entertaining, Important Film

Rating: 9/10 (3 July 2000)

A hero of the Fort Wilderness campaign, now a widower living in South Carolina, with seven children to raise on his own, is once again confronted with war, this time in 1776, in `The Patriot,' directed by Roland Emmerich, and starring Mel Gibson. When his oldest son, Gabriel (Heath Ledger), joins the Continental Army and soon thereafter runs into trouble from which he cannot escape without his father's help, Benjamin Martin (Gibson) is drawn into a conflict he opposes and would rather stay out of. Though patriotic, and while believing in the cause in principle, Benjamin is troubled by the prospect of leaving his children orphans if he goes off to war, and since Fort Wilderness he has had enough of war and killing. Circumstances dictate otherwise, however, and Benjamin finds out that to save his family he has no other choice than to fight. Gibson gives a commanding, Oscar worthy performance here as Benjamin, deftly capturing the inner conflict of a man torn between principle and necessity. He imbues him with the stoicism needed to shoulder responsibility, but also with the human touch required of fatherhood. Most importantly, Gibson makes it all credible; his Benjamin is real. Jason Isaacs is also outstanding as Colonel Tavington; there's a depth to his performance that truly brings out the bitterness and evil that dwells at the core of the man. Also notable is Leon Rippy, as John billings, a member of the militia. There is nuance he brings to the character that makes him memorable. The supporting cast includes Joely Richardson (Charlotte), Chris Cooper (Colonel Burwell), Tcheky Karyo (Jean) and Tom Wilkinson (Cornwallis). Emmerich has crafted an emotional, well-paced film that brings to life a time of which most of us know mainly through history lessons and books, and which has for too long been taken for granted by too many. As with all wars that are behind us, they too soon become mere footnotes to our lives, as with each new generation the significance becomes that much more diluted, and therefore under appreciated. So many of the people who lived through any particular war would just as soon forget about it as tell the tale. That's what makes such movies as `The Patriot,' `Saving Private Ryan,' `Schindler's List,' and `The Bridges At Toko-Ri' so important. They keep alive infamous and heinous aggression that we, as a society, dare not forget, painful as it may be to many who actually fought in these conflicts. Historically, whether or not `The Patriot' is accurate in detail is not really important. It is, after all, one man's story, a dramatization set against the backdrop of this particular conflict. That it conveys a sense of time, place and importance is what matters, and that it does. What is also important to remember, is that when a movie is as well made as this one, it not only entertains, but can educate as well; there is inspiration here that may well become the impetus that leads one to other sources for factual accounts of the Revolutionary War. This is the importance of movies, and it's all a part of the magic of the cinema. This is an emotionally charged, action packed, memorable film that is at once both intimate and of epic proportions. It is artistically rendered, beautifully photographed, and well acted; I just don't think there's a whole lot more you can ask of a movie. This is absolutely one that should not be missed.