Hero Holds Family Together

Rating: 8/10 (17 June 2004)

The film begins with Benjamin Martin, played by Mel Gibson, foreseeing the coming of the Revolutionary War. Martin was a hero for the Americans in the French and Indian War and has a personal knowledge of what war is like. While he supports the ideals of the rebels, Martin does not support the war because he fears for his family. One of Martin's sons is then killed by a British Colonel (Jason Isaacs), and this inspires him to join the war effort. Martin and his eldest son form a militia and carry out a series of guerrilla-style attacks on the British. Martin is motivated by revenge on the Colonel and the film culminates in a battle between Martin and the Colonel.
The central idea of the film is to show how war affects people on an individual level rather than on a broader scale, and this approach is very effective. It presents Martin as a man who struggles to hold his family together in the midst of a war. Within the family, the movie focuses on the father-son relationship between Martin and his eldest son, Gabriel, played by Heath Ledger. Through the battles that they fight side-by-side and in their conversation about love, Benjamin and Gabriel become closer than they had ever been. This theme of the family is an aspect to which everyone can relate and allows "The Patriot" to hit close to home.
Many elements of the film are outstanding, including the director's use of the beautiful South Carolina countryside. Also, many scenes are shot at dusk, which causes the viewer to pay more attention to detail. The casting is excellent-Gibson appears to have a connection with the children that only a real father could portray. Especially commendable is the way in which the director uses camera shots to focus on what he wants the viewer to see. Many times in this movie the actions between the characters show us more about their relationships than does the dialogue. "The Patriot" uses these aspects and more to superbly show the effect that the American Revolution had on this family.