Patriot Summary

Rating: 10/10 (11 December 2008)

The Revolutionary War epic, The Patriot (2000), is a story of a father forced to revisit his aggressive nature when his country and his family are threatened by the British Empire. Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibson) is a widower living on his South Carolina plantation with his seven children, when the British Empire attacks the American Colonies in one of the biggest wars in American history. Martin is stuck between being the violent war soldier that he used to be and being a proper father to his children when they only have him to rely on. He eventually decides that his country and his family need his protection and once again he will pick up his rifle and bayonet. The plot of the story is pretty basic and understandable. Martin wants to stay out of the conflict and let others do the fighting for him. He feels he has a loyalty to his family that is more important than his loyalty to his country. But when the time comes that his son (Heath Ledger) is killed by the British army in cold blood, Martin will return with a vengeance that no British soldier will be able to defy. The Patriot has a number of shots and camera angles, but the director, Roland Emmerich, seems especially to love the long shot that gives the viewer a long range view of the scene and then zooms into the real action that is taking place in the story. For example, there is a scene where Gibson and Ledger are staring out a window at a battle; at which point, the camera zooms in and shows a closer up shot of the battle. He also uses the medium shot that gives the viewer a view of the upper body and makes you feel almost like you are a part of the story. The director uses many different camera angles that give the viewer an idea of who the main characters and whom they should keep a look out for. Martin will remain almost always at eye level and gives you the feeling that not only is he an important character but that he is a decent man with a high moral standard. Colonel William Tavington (Jason Isaacs), the man who murders Martin's son, is always shot with a low angle; this tells the viewer that he is someone powerful and in this case very threatening. This would cause the viewer to be afraid of Tavington and to see him as the villain. The movie has some gore and may turn off some viewers. I thought that it had just the right amount to show how deadly war really is, but also keeps in mind the real story behind the war. The story is meant to show the viewer that a man can be loyal to his country, his family, and his beliefs all at the same time and that some things that you don't think are the right choice can sometimes help you in the long run. I suggest The Patriot to any person who can appreciate an action movie. I would give it 5 stars. The movie has a remarkable story line and it takes a look into the history and the making of the United States of America. Overall, this movie is excellent. It's never slow and will always keep you excited and even at times laughing. So if you're feeling patriotic go out and see, The Patriot.