Review of The Patriot (2000) by Mike C — 13 Nov 2010

Mel Gibson provides another compelling performance ad Benjamin Martin, the a widowed farmer and father of six lagged by his brutal military past. Ad the events leading up to the American Revolution unfold, Martin argues against taking up arms against the British because he realizes how awful war can be, especially when it occurs in the towns and backyards in front of their children's eyes. But when the war comes to him through the merciless Col. Tavington, he reluctantly joins the fight - not only to protect his family but also to give his children a country free from the evils he has known in war.

One fascinating thing about the movie was how Mel Gibson's character showed the effects of conscience. His past sins from the French and Indian War have haunted him for years, and he has lived in only relative solace by distancing himself from his past. No real atonement has taken place, so he avoids any talk about war. But when the occupiers attack his own family, he is moved to resist and defend his family. Conscience informs a person about how to seek the good in a particular situation, and for Martin, the highest good was the welfare of his family, which compelled his to confront the sins of his past. Though the blood atonement for his past sins is so great - two of his own sobs die in the course of conflict - there is sense by the film's end that the debt has been paid, and a new life awaits.