Review of The Patriot (2000) by Timm S — 16 Oct 2015

This film kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time, and was filled with lots of action and suspense! As a piece of entertainment, this film was very enjoyable to watch and I would definitely watch it again.

Mel Gibson did an excellent job as militia leader, Benjamin Martin. However, this film is somewhat historically inaccurate. Its major flaw in historical accuracy is how the British were portrayed; they were portrayed to be cruel, cold-blooded killers or even like German Nazis.

The commit inhumane, genocidal acts such as shooting innocent people and children, burning colonists' houses, and even burning churches filled with people. The British soldiers in the 1770s would never commit such acts, as they would've been brought up on severe court charges or even executed.

They also knew that doing acts like these would anger the colonists and cause them to rebel even more. For example, one of the most widely known events of the British doing harm against the colonists is the Boston Massacre.

The British troops were instructed to maintain civil order within the colonies. When colonists rioted and provoked the British soldiers, they opened fired and five were killed. This act does not way in comparison to how British Colonel Tavington and his soldiers in "The Patriot" locked at least 50 innocent people in a small church and burned them all alive.

Again, the British would never do this, which is why this film is historically inaccurate. The writers portrayed the British like this simply for adding more emotional impact on viewers. But, I enjoyed this movie very much anyways and would recommend it, especially if you enjoy historical or action and war movies.