May impure blood water our fields! (dvd)

Rating: 7/10 (5 August 2011)

I don't know the exact reason but the American Revolution have always interested me (more than mine in 1789). Maybe it's because as a kid i had a wargame called "Yorktown", that was unfortunately unplayable but with a board and pieces fascinating. Last year, i read the novel "New York" from Rutherfurd and the years of this war were among the best pages of the book. In movies, i recall only "Revolution" with Pacino that i sadly rate "1". Thus, my expectations were high with this movie, all the more that it included my best actor behind Pacino, this is to say Mel Gibson.
Mel differs from Al in the sense that Mel is more fatherly but in the meantime more torn by inner madness. Here, his two traits are brilliantly exposed but the movie is far more interesting by the fact that it makes understand how it is to be a civilian victim of war.
Today, war is a TV show and we are faraway of any threats. Here, the battle happens in your garden, your house is destroyed by the first belligerent that comes, your community is shot to make up for the lost battles.
Next, the movie is a great lesson of history: it recalls that France had really been decisive in helping the colons and that it was the only army before 1950 where whites and blacks were fighting together.
With all those facts and a beautiful cinematography, the movie is a very strong drama. On a more trivial note, i only knew Ledger as his Joker part and seeing him naturally and playing a good son was moving.