The Patriot (DVD)

...their favourite male actor and the name Mel Gibson will crop up time and again. I'm as susceptible as any woman; the combination of his good looks, startlingly blue eyes and his acting talent makes him a favourite in my eyes. So it's no surprise that over the years I've probably seen every film he has made. My video collection houses about 50% of all his films, I dread the day when I finally have to go over to DVD because to replace each film would ...
...to the cinema is no longer a pleasure to me with cramped seating and long films with no intervals. The last film of his I saw at the cinema was "The Patriot", released in 2000, not one of his best films but certainly worth watching for reasons I will sum up later.

Synopsis
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The year is 1776 and the war for American Independence is well underway stirring up young people across the ... more

If you take a cross-section of women and ask them who is their favourite male actor and the name Mel Gibson will crop up time and again. I'm as susceptible as any woman; the combination of his good looks, startlingly blue eyes and his acting talent makes him a favourite in my eyes. So it's no surprise that over the years I've probably seen every film he has made. My video collection houses about 50% of all his films, I dread the day when I finally have to go over to DVD because to replace each film would cost a small fortune, but times have changed and going to the cinema is no longer a pleasure to me with cramped seating and long films with no intervals. The last film of his I saw at the cinema was "The Patriot", released in 2000, not one of his best films but certainly worth watching for reasons I will sum up later.

Synopsis
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The year is 1776 and the war for American Independence is well underway stirring up young people across the South to join up to the rebel cause. Benjamin Martin is a landowner and a widower with seven young children, a respectable family man with a haunted past. Hailed as a hero for his actions in the French-Indian war all he wants is a quiet life but when his elder son Gabriel joins up against his wishes his past is destined to catch up with him. While he second eldest son Thomas longs to follow in Gabriel's footsteps, Benjamin struggles to keep out of the war and keep his other six children safe. When Gabriel arrives home wounded Benjamin strives to keep him safe but the arrival of Colonel William Tavington, a malicious and cruel man in the British army, sets off a train of motion, which not even Benjamin can stop. When Tavington finds out that Gabriel is a dispatch rider he sentences him to death by hanging and as Thomas bravely flings himself upon the colonel he is shot down in cold blood.

A grieving father, Benjamin watches as his house and fields are burnt to the ground and his (freed) slaves are marched off against their will. While the younger three children are sent away to stay with Charlotte, their aunt, Benjamin takes his two younger sons with him to ambush the party taking Gabriel away. Gabriel is saved but in the process Benjamin shows just why he once was a feared man and his children see his savagery for themselves.
Now he is a hunted man with vengeance in his heart, his only way to fight is to round up a band of militia carrying out swift and secret retribution on the English Redcoats. He teams up with a Frenchman, Jean Villenenuve, and so the fight for survival begins with ill-equipped and inexperienced men, but what they lack in fighting skills is more than made up for by their courage.

Dubbed as "The Ghost" Benjamin has a price on his head and Tavington has a personal score to settle with him before the turning point of the war. To add more would to be spoil the plot for anyone who hasn't seen the film, expect many surprises along the way but beware, this is a film with a lot of gore and some harrowing scenes before the end.

Personal Appraisal
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I've seen many films where Mel Gibson plays the role of a half-crazed man but usually with a lot of humour thrown in as in the "Lethal Weapon" series. There is little humour to be found in this film, it's a rather stark look at war and the brutalities that occur when men become little more than fighting machines. There are some moments of light relief with some love interest between Charlotte, the sister of Benjamin's late wife and also Ann, Gabriel's wife. But apart from Mel Gibson the children really steal the show with convincing performances by very young actors. It's hard to imagine the impacts on such young performers but no holds are barred when the true horror of war is unleashed.

The part of Colonel Tavington is a meaty role loosely based on General Cornwallis's right-hand man and I can only imagine how such atrocities were allowed in a war where British soldiers were supposed to act under a code of ethics.
A special mention has to be paid to the role of Jean Villeneuve a Frenchman whose role was to keep up morale whilst waiting for the French fleet to arrive.
I was surprised the film was only rated as 15; the battle scenes are very realistic with body parts being blown off and mass slaughter of women and children. I found the whole film a dark look at the lengths men will go to when their family are slaughtered in front of their eyes, how would I react, I'm not sure?

Credits
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The film was directed by Roland Emmerich, a German director with such credits to his name as Independence Day and Godzilla. Writing credits are by Robert Rodart, his main other screenplay being "Saving Private Ryan".
Cast
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Benjamin Martin….. Mel Gibson
Gabriel Martin……...Heath Ledger
Colonel William Tavington……Jason Isaacs
Jean Villeneuve……..Tcheky Karyo
Thomas Martin………Gregory Smith
Nathan Martin……….Trevor Morgan.
Charlotte Selton………Joley Richardson
Ann Howard………Lisa Brenna.

You may recognise Jason Isaacs from some of the Harry Potter films. I haven't listed all the cast only the main players.
Musical score by John Williams.
Nominated for 3 Oscars but only picked up some minor awards.

Summary
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I did enjoy the film although I wouldn't class it as a blockbuster; it's more the sort of film to watch at home with a takeaway and bottle of wine or some beers. The action is fast and holds the attention but somehow it lacks the impact of such films as "saving Private Ryan" or Gibson's "We were soldiers." Nevertheless, Mel Gibson gives a fine performance as the family man turned avenger. Gibson is a family man so the part he played added that extra appeal, I don't think another actor could have played the role better. What spoilt the film was the blatant use of American propaganda towards the end of the film, spearing a man with a rebel flag was just too over the top for me.

Trivia
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Originally the film was cast as Martin having six children but Gibson decided to add another one to match his own family of seven children.

Robert Rodart played a very minor role in the film.

The house belonging to Charlotte (Martin's sister-in-law) was the same house used in "Forrest Gump".

Prices
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You can pick up a copy at Amazon at £7.97 or team it with another DVD such as "Braveheart" for about £13. As usual e-bay offer many bargains either as a single DVD or as a pair.
My recommendation drops one star due to the rather clichéd ending.

Thanks for reading
Lisa.

 

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