Dime Store Patriotism. And Mel's Stuck in a Rut!

Rating: 6/10 (5 July 2000)

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD.
In THE PATRIOT, Mel Gibson portrays `Benjamin Martin,' a former `hero' of the French and Indian War, now wants nothing more than to raise his large family on his South Carolina farm, and wants no part of the `revolution' being waged around him. However, Mel's oldest son, Gabriel ( ) is seduced by the siren song of `adventure' and `patriotism.' Soon, Gabriel discovers first hand the horrors of war; and, though the `romance' and `adventure' is lost to him forever, the germ of `patriotism' grows to full bloom, symbolized by his repairing of a tattered `Betsy Ross' flag.
While performing his duties as a dispatch rider, Gabriel is wounded and returns to his father's house for assistance. Meanwhile, a major battle rages just beyond Martin's farm. Gabriel awakes to find the battle over, won by the British, and his father lending medical assistance to BOTH British and American soldiers. Gabriel prepares to leave, when he discovers that his father has turned the dispatch papers over to the British. Though the British Lieutenant is a decent man, the British Colonel is as cruel as he is stupid. The writers of this film would have us believe, that this Colonel would drive off Martin's livestock and `field workers' (Mel is the `good guy;' perish the thought that he would have slaves!), burn his farm, shoot all the wounded American prisoners, except for Gabriel (whom he plans to hang) and kill Mel's fifteen year old son for resisting, but leave Mel unharmed, and not even search the house for weapons! DUH!!!! For almost three sluggish hours, Gibson plays cat and mouse with this horrid Colonel. The film is a revenge tale and little more. Only in the last five minutes of the film does Gibson display even a symbolic interest in the outcome of the war. He passes up an opportunity to dispatch his enemy to carry the flag his son repaired and lead the American troops in a rout of the British. Even then the movie cheats, the British Colonel comes after Gibson, setting himself up for Gibson's revenge (mighty nice of him).
During the course of the film, we discover Mel's `heroism' during the French and Indian War consisted of torturing and dismembering French and Cherokee whom had massacred American men, women and children. As they say, what goes around Â…
This is not to say THE PATRIOT is without its pleasures. Mel is charming, as almost always, even if he IS playing pretty much the same character he usually plays. The film abounds with some terrific performances, particularly among the subplot characters. Special note must be given Heath Ledger (Gabriel) and Lisa Brenner (Anne Howard). These two have tremendous careers ahead of them, hopefully in movies better than THE PATRIOT. Unfortunately, many of our favorite characters are dispatched in especially cruel ways (think Waco) during the course of the film. The historical inaccuracies (as well as the brutality) prevent this film from inspiring what should have been its target audience (young people with little sense of America's history). THE PATRIOT, alas, is revenge and brutality, served up as `dime store' patriotism. If you really want to show your family inspiring movies about the revolution, try THE DEVIL'S DISCIPLE or the director's cut of 1776. Both are pretty bawdy, but both are historically accurate and have a genuine feel for what truly was at stake in the American Revolution.