Well done historical fiction

Rating: 10/10 (12 January 2006)

This is a work of historical FICTION, set amidst the Revolutionary War, the story of how a pacifist farmer (played masterfully by Mel Gibson) realizes through tragedy that the only way to protect his family is to fight for the freedom of a young nation. He had been a hero during the French and Indian War, but had seen enough of war's horror and was determined to stay out of the Reovlution until an evil British colonel kills his second oldest son Thomas, and threatens the life of his oldest son, Gabriel (played by Heath Ledger).
Remember, this is a work of fiction, not a documentary, and viewed as such it works well. There are areas where the script takes liberties with history (for example, a black slave fights alongside white men: in the South this would not have happened). It can even be argued that this movie succeeds as a history-related piece: it might just inspire the youth of America to read and learn more about the REAL heroes and history of the American Revolution. The acting is superb, the cinematography is excellent, and the soundtrack is well done too. Look for great performances by Rene Auberjonois (as a church pastor forced to go to war to "fight off the wolves") and Jason Isaacs (as the chief villain, Colonel William Tavington).
*****SPOILER ALERT***** I loved the scene in the end where Mel's character grabs a faltering American flag and uses it to inspire his troops on to victory when some of them have already started to retreat.
10/10 stars.