Review of The Patriot (2000) by Filipeneto — 27 Jun 2018

Roland Emmerich saw Mel Gibson's "Braveheart" and what did he do? He thought the US should have its own Braveheart and called Gibson to help, giving him the lead role. This film begins badly: as I had occasion to refer to when I reviewed "Braveheart", Gibson's film is terribly bad as far as historical accuracy is concerned, however appealing and cinematic it may be (and it is, its undoubtedly epic).

This film is unfortunately not better, at least historically and with regard to the English, who are portrayed in an almost insulting way. Okay, there are atrocities in war but everything has limits, and the British still had, at this time, a mentality very much for the gentlemen's war, at least the officers.

I accept the argument that its fiction and not a documentary, but even if it is, it should respect more its historical background. I believe that many Englishmen did not accept the way this film portrayed their army.

Despite this, the film has some historically correct details, as is the case with all the well built and elegant colonial settings and the costumes, in particular the military uniforms. The way the soldiers fought, quite formal in its essence, is also historically accurate.

As a piece of entertainment, the movie works well. The epic way it was designed is nice, looks great in movies and even on TV. It has an extraordinary soundtrack by John Williams and cinematography, colorful and vivid, looks great.

I also give a word of praise to the actors, Mel Gibson particularly. This actor had an interpretive tone very similar to what he kept in "Braveheart" but without that horrible fake Scottish accent.

Here, Gibson seems more at ease with his character, a man seeking personal revenge in the midst of all the conflict he engages in. Heath Ledger, still young, also gives serious evidence of talent. Joely Richardson and Tom Wilkinson met what was expected of them, even though their characters did not require much.

Jason Isaacs gave life to the villain and, although his character is not credible at all, he can be very sadistic and scary, showing the cruelest side of the war.