A Scientist at the Movies Reviews by Greg Paris

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Title: The Patriot

Date Viewed: 7/25/00

Details:

Mel Gibson (Colonel Benjamin "The Ghost" Martin)

Heath Ledger

Joely Richardson

Lisa Brenner

Jason Isaacs Colonel William Tavington)

Tom Wilkinson (General Sir Charles Cornwallis)

Director: Roland Emmerich

Score: John Williams

Score: +

The Review: Mel Gibson plays South Carolina farmer and widower Benjamin Martin (and erstwhile furniture builder) at the onset of the Revolutionary War. Against his will and as the result of personal tragedy, both he and his family are drawn into the war as active participants. Eventually he organizes the local colonial militia into something resembling a guerilla unit, and take on the British in a distinctively American fighting form. Interesting combination of history and fiction, with some of the officers historically accurate, others less so. The antagonism between Martin and Colonel Tavington (Isaacs) echoes that between the colonials and a certain renegade British regular who routinely "went beyond the pale." A bit of Martin's unspoken past history (his involvement and rogue/berserk behavior in the French & Indian Wars was so personally distasteful that he never speaks of it) plays a role in his character definition, and in the plot. There's a touch of humor, a massive dose of irony, much tragedy, heroism and patriotism, and the field of honor. Threaded through the background are two separate romantic storylines, which break the otherwise unremitting scenes of battle and carnage. Excellent supporting cast. Recommended.

And while you're at it, re-read the Declaration of Independence: all of it (it takes less than 10 minutes).

Good score by Williams, and good SFX. Indeed, in some battle scenes, the majority of cannonballs and soldiers are computer-generated.

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