The Patriot

Revolutionary War films are surprisingly hard to come by, so when a lavish, big-budget epic like The Patriot (2000) comes along you're tempted to embrace it. A colonial reworking of Friendly Persuasion mixed with Braveheart (and a major debt to Drums Along the Mohawk), The Patriot is enjoyable but highly problematic, mixing well-staged action and period detail with overwrought storytelling and laughable characterizations.

South Carolina farmer Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibson) served heroically in the French and Indian War, but he's determined to sit out the Revolutionary War even as son Gabriel (Heath Ledger) joins the Continental Army. Martin becomes drawn into the conflict, however, when Gabriel is captured, and another son killed, by the ruthless Colonel Tavington (Jason Isaacs). Martin rescues Gabriel, and the two form a guerilla band that harasses British General Cornwallis (Tom Wilkinson) as he advances through the Carolinas. Unable to bring Martin to heel "honorably," Cornwallis reluctantly unleashes Tavington, whose resultant atrocities goad Martin into an epic showdown.

The Patriot is certainly a handsome film. Roland Emmerich is best-known for bombastic blockbusters like Independence Day, but shows a remarkable flair for period drama. The costumes and sets are lavish, the battle scenes are handsomely staged (with lots of gorey squibs and decapitations), Caleb Deschanel's photography beautiful and John Williams's score rousing and vibrant. Aside from wretchedly-obvious symbolism (melting toy soldiers down for bullets - seriously?) and some egregious slow-motion, there's nothing to complain about here, even if there are a few too many action scenes.

The film's historicity is laughable, not the least in its conflation of the Battles of Cowpens and Guilford Courthouse during the finale, but there are other problems. The British soldiers are red-coated Einsatzgruppen, led by a mass-murderer who'd make Reinhard Heydrich blush (even replicating an infamous SS atrocity). Tavington shrugs off multiple gunshot wounds, blows to the head and stabbings like a foppish Terminator, roasts women and children alive, shoots wounded men and no doubt drowns kittens in his spare time. He even gloats of his atrocities a la Joaquin Phoenix in Gladiator. Anything short of being eaten alive by piranhas would be too good for this bastard, but Tavington's actions are so over-the-top it's impossible to take him seriously. (Then again, the hero's singlehandedly wiping out an entire platoon with muskets and tomahawks, and impaling horses on American flags...)

Robert Rodat's script is a melange of ideas good and bad. One of the best scenes is the prisoner exchange, where Martin dupes the arrogant Cornwallis in a most creative manner. Tavington and Cornwallis's tactical disagreement and personal rivalry provides the film's meatiest drama. The staging of battle scenes in farmers' fields (with civilian audiences) is an effective if overused conceit.

Other neat ideas (Martin's struggle with bloodlust, the civil war between rebels and Tories) are short-changed in the rush for repetitive ambushes and atrocities. Supporting characters get the shaft: a Continental Colonel (Chris Cooper) and Tory officer (Adam Baldwin) are given prominent introductions, then all but vanish, while a French Major (Tcheky Karyo) and token black guy (Jay Arlen Jones) merely provide color. Parallel romance subplots are poorly-handled and the movie awkwardly skirts the slavery issue by having "free" blacks till Martin's farm. Yeah, sure.

Mel Gibson is a fine tormented hero, if not as inspiring as his William Wallace. Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight) is adequate in a boring role. Jason Isaacs (Green Zone) is coldly over-the-top in approved Alan Rickman fashion. Tom Wilkinson (Valkyrie) is at his irascible best, an honorable but proud soldier easily goaded into rash action. The rest of the cast doesn't register much: Joely Richardson is completely useless as a kinda-sorta love interest for Mel, and familiar faces like Chris Cooper (The Town), Adam Baldwin (Full Metal Jacket), Donal Logue (Zodiac) and Tcheky Karyo (GoldenEye) get glorified bit parts.

If all you're seeking is an 18th Century action flick, The Patriot is fine if you've seen Pirates of the Caribbean one too many times. Anyone looking for a really great Revolutionary War film should look elsewhere.