Rousing Entertainment

Rating: Null/10 (30 June 2000)

If you are looking for indisputable facts and accurate history about the American Revolution, you would do better to pick up a book than to see Roland Emmerich's epic "The Patriot". However, if you're interested in seeing a stirring, beautifully acted entertainment set against the backdrop of America's most cinematically neglected war, you couldn't do better than checking out this film as soon as you can.
Mel Gibson stars as Benjamin Martin, a veteran of the French and Indian War who has finally put his bloody past behind him (he's a fairly prosperous planter with seven children) when the rebellion against the British intervenes on his idyllic South Carolina life. Gabriel (Heath Ledger), Martin's oldest son, goes to war against his father's objections; Martin wants peace, and is not willing to sacrifice his family for principles. But when Gabriel is arrested as a spy, and another son gives his life in trying to free his brother, Martin realizes that the safety of his family and the freedom of his country have become intertwined, and he takes up arms to lead the battle against the redcoats and the evil dragoon (Jason Isaacs) that has taken his child from him.
This is a story rife with primal emotions: the bonds of family, the tremendous conflict of interest when the personal clashes with the political, the very meaning of freedom, what it takes to earn it, and what it can cost. Robert Rodat, whose work here I feel surpasses his screenplay for "Saving Private Ryan" (that was more of a director's picture, not surprising, considering the director was Steven Spielberg), does not shy away from facing these questions, and from the true horrors of war. Rodat has become one of our most important historical filmmakers in giving us a chance to step onto the battlefield. This one is radically different from the muddy beaches of Normandy, and it's stunning to see American blood staining American land. We often forget what has gone on within our own borders, and this film brings war back home with a vengeance.
Though Rodat's achievement will, I think, surprise no one, I believe everyone will be shocked by the quantum leap which Roland Emmerich makes here (and this is coming from someone who actually admired "Godzilla", which I felt was a stylish and effective sci-fi thriller). Emmerich is not a subtle craftsman, and sometimes his drama proceeds in fits and starts. But he cannily guides his cast, his staging of the battle scenes is precise and immediate, and his work is most intelligent in that it uses visual pageantry without indulging in it. There are many beautiful images in the film (Caleb Deschanel deserves kudos for his cinematography), but very few seem put into the film for their own sake; the story is really paramount here, and that is as it should be.
The technical crew does deserve plaudits. Costume designer Deborah L. Scott follows up "Titanic" and "Wild Wild West" with another fine piece of period work, and David Brenner's editing of the action is punchy without sacrificing visual clarity (something which the editors of "Gladiator" could have paid closer attention to). John Williams' score is serviceable, but it seems lately that in his desperation to get away from the "popular composer" mold, most clearly manifested in his recent scores' lack of definitive "themes", he has sacrificed some of the soul of his work. I wanted a "Patriot Theme", and was left with something that sounded a lot like a lot of the stuff he's done lately.
Still, the real laurels on this picture go to the actors; there is not a moment from this cast that lacks effect or conviction. Heath Ledger brims with the kind of passion that stoked the nation to greatness, Chris Cooper commands the screen with his weary determination, and Jason Isaacs' villainous British officer burns right through you with his blazing, dead eyes. Still, Mel Gibson IS The Patriot, and he delivers maybe his best performance, full of gentle humor, forthright honor, action prowess, and breathtaking emotion. It surpasses his work in "Braveheart" and stands as a sincere and honest tribute to the type of men who gave their lives in the kinds of battles that Martin wages in their honor.
"The Patriot" reminds us that life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are not just words on an old parchment in the Capitol Building. They are ideals that young men and old gave their own life and happiness for, and that it is just that we honor that sacrifice by trying to uphold what they died for. Pretty noble for a Hollywood Fourth of July; if this is the type of stuff we can expect from summer movies to come, it's going to be an awfully good season for film fans from now on.