I am a third-year Computer and Business Studies student at Warwick University. I do my best to rate...
I am a third-year Computer and Business Studies student at Warwick University. I do my best to rate the opinions of those who have rated mine, and will try especially hard in the case of those who have provided helpful comments on my reviews.
Member since:16.01.2001
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Many people see this movie as a second "Braveheart", with Mel Gibson as a patriotic hero fighting the evil Brits in both films. There are, indeed, numerous similarities to be found, such as the vivid battle scenes, the numerous atrocities committed by the English, and Mel’s blood lust (only emergent after the British violently encroach upon his simple life as a man who works the land). However, “The Patriot” is in other ways radically different from its (incorrectly) perceived predecessor, sufficiently so to definitely be worth watching - though I must admit that on the whole I found “Braveheart” the superior of the two films.
An often heart-rending drama proceeds throughout the picture, easily enticing enough to maintain the viewer’s interest. Mel Gibson is, as one would expect, the star performer in the picture. He brilliantly fits into the role of a former war veteran whose family is to be torn apart by the colonial war, and whose strong patriotic principles are at first suppressed in an effort to save them. Gibson is also marvelous in numerous combat scenes. Though the predominant battlefield weapon in the late 18th-century was the musket, there are more than enough close-combat scenes with bayonet and tomahawk (!) to whet the appetite of those who loved “Braveheart”, and to show Mel’s talent at choreographed fighting.
Many people, after viewing the massive set-piece battles in the movie, scoff at the supposed unrealism of their portrayal. They simply cannot conceive of war where lines of infantry “take turns” firing musket volleys at each other. However, those who are familiar with even a little period history will know better. I think Roland Emmerich has done an admirable job of keeping the well-filmed battles historically accurate, where others before him have spurned this in favor of action that appeals to a wider audience. In addition, advances in computer graphics enhance the whole experience. Ricocheting cannonballs shearing off heads and limbs, scenes that I had never seen before in a full-length picture, are not merely inserted to increase the gore and violence, but were frequent occurrences on period battlefields, and are essential to a realistic portrayal.
The only flagrantly unrealistic combat in “The Patriot” is that directly involving Mel Gibson. Not once do we see him fire and miss an enemy target, despite the woeful inaccuracy of the musket that is touched upon time and time again in the DVD’s special features. One scene, involving Mel Gibson and his two sons taking out an absurdly inept British column of over 20 men, picking them off one by one with uncanny 100% accuracy, is plain ludicrous. Then again, this sort of thing was always to be anticipated in such a movie, and does not really harm the overall storyline.
The atrocities committed by the principal British villain, played quite excellently by Jason Isaacs, are also the subject of much criticism, for they may seem to portray the English as far too wicked and brutal. One must remember, though, that such incidents happened regularly throughout the conflict, as bad as is seen in the film. Also, only Isaac’s character can realistically be termed truly evil, and there certainly were several deviant officers of his caliber in the actual war.
Though not quite a brilliant movie, “The Patriot” is nevertheless well worth viewing. The Region 2 DVD, released in the UK on January 8, 2001, contains a reasonable amount of extra features, including 4 “featurettes” (two of which are about ten minutes in length), feature length commentary by director and producer, trailers, a picture gallery, talent profiles, and of course the deleted scenes. These significantly increase the appeal of an already valuable collector’s item.
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An excellent opinion here, very well written, contains everything an opinion on a film should and a lot more, it was very detailed and very interesting. Well done! Keep it up! Good film too!
Advantages: Great battle scenes, will appeal to fans of Braveheart, Gladiator, Spartacus. Will appeal to Americans for sure! Disadvantages: Facts in the film are wrong, characters are too one dimensional, you might not like it if you are an English patriot
Mr.Writer 20.03.2001 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
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