Der Patriot (2000)

Der Patriot: Directed by Roland Emmerich. With Mel Gibson, Heath Ledger, Joely Richardson, Jason Isaacs. Peaceful farmer Benjamin Martin is driven to lead the Colonial Militia during the American Revolution when a sadistic British officer murders his son.

“The Patriot is based around one Benjamin Martin, an ex-soldier, who now happily living as a family man finds himself thrust into conflict at the break of the American Revolution.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eHe loves the Brits does Mel Gibson, u0026quot;Gallipoliu0026quot;, u0026quot;Braveheartu0026quot; and here with u0026quot;The Patriotu0026quot;, see the pattern anyone? As with the aforementioned u0026quot;Gallipoliu0026quot; and u0026quot;Braveheartu0026quot;, certain liberties have also been taken with events in u0026quot;The Patriotu0026quot; so as to glossy up for the eager Hollywood contingent. Itu0026#39;s not my want to scribble about the facts of Benjamin Martin (Re: Francis Marion), or William Wallace for that matter, information as such is but a mere click away on the world wide web.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eSo casting aside the artistic licence factors, is u0026quot;The Patriotu0026quot; any good? Well nearly it is — nearly. Gibson is fine, he shoulders the burden of the film with great gusto and no shortage of emotional depth. Itu0026#39;s very easy to accept him as a staunch family man who transforms into a blood thirsty warrior. The problems, acting wise, lay away from Gibbou0026#39;s central performance. Surrounded by caricature villains (though Jason Isaacsu0026#39; Tavington is deliciously vile) and underwritten characters (Chris Cooper wasted and Joely Richardson is but a mere prop), Gibson has no choice but to hog the screen. So much so it ultimately turns into a one man star vehicle, which for a costume war epic isnu0026#39;t a great thing really.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eRoland Emmerich (u0026quot;Independence Dayu0026quot; and u0026quot;Godzillau0026quot;) directs and handles the battle sequences very well, thereu0026#39;s lashings of blood as men line up to shoot and dismember one and other. While cannonballu0026#39;s whizz, bang and tear off body parts, itu0026#39;s grim, yet oddly rousing stuff. Not even the overtly flag waving and sloganeering on show can off set the impact of the well constructed battles. There is of course lots of tragedy to be found in the film, and these are some what surprisingly, tenderly handled by Emmerich, but mostly itu0026#39;s via an on song Gibson, who remains one of the few modern day male actors capable of believable grief. All of this is given a John Williams score that suitably flits between rousing and ethereal, and things are further boosted by the sumptuous photography from Caleb Deschanel.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThere should have been more thought given to the racial (slaves) aspects in the conflict, and this coupled with the bad errors of under developed characters hurts u0026quot;The Patriotu0026quot; as a filmic exercise, not so as to stop it being entertaining, but more to stop it being a one man show. But as it is, thanks in the main to Gibson, and in spite of the overtly evident faults, itu0026#39;s an above average drama. 6/10”