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The Patriot Customer Reviews (52 - 54 of 119 Reviews)

Bad History
A hilariously bad film, very loosely based on the experiences of Francis Marion, the Swamp Fox. The film wishes to avoid the obvious hypocrisy of slaveholders fighting for (their own) liberty, so planter Marion here becomes farmer Gibson, who has freed his slaves. At the time, the colony of South Carolina was sixty percent black, but here the region is virtually all white, with the exception of a single slave who fights in the state militia in exchange for his freedom. (In reality, the SC Assembly banned free blacks or slaves from serving in the state militia.) Following the burning of his plantation, Gibson then arrives at the plantation of his sister-in-law; she too has freed her slaves. Evidently they are the only two whites in SC to do so. The screenwriter, who wrote Saving Private Ryan, knows better. In fact, this film is so inaccurate that one might fairly regard it as racist.

Damn those redcoats! Wanna see viciousness? Watch this!
This drama is set during the American Revolution. Farmer Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibson) was born and raised in South Carolina, and fought bravely during the French-Indian wars. But since the death of his wife, Benjamin has renounced violence and quietly tends his crops, raising his seven children alone.

In 1776, over Benjamin's objections, his oldest son Gabriel (Heath Ledger) joins the fight against the British. Gabriel returns from battle seriously wounded, with Lord General Cornwallis (Tom Wilkinson) calling for his arrest. A skirmish breaks out on Benjamin's plantation, and one of his children is killed as Gabriel is captured by Col.

Tavington (Jason Isaacs) and sentenced to hang. Benjamin sets aside his vow of pacifism and rescues Gabriel; with the help of his former comrade-in-arms Harry Burwell (Chris Cooper), the father and son form a regiment of Carolina patriots whose cunning and ruthlessness make them heroes among the colonists - and wanted men by British troops.

Loosely adapted from the true story of Francis Marion and filmed on location in South Carolina, The Patriot was the first feature film made with the cooperation of the Smithsonian Institute, who advised the producers on historical accuracy.

Rambo 1776
Formula: 1. Start off with two unsavoury characters from the Revolutionary War, one American one British. Keep the Brit (and his compatriots) as one-dimensional, foppish, nasty butchers, but whitewash the American (and his compatriots) until they become angelic nice-guys who own slaves (but in a very nice way).

2. Portray the Brits committing historically nonexistant atrocites of the sort actually carried out - hundreds of times! - in living memory, by the director's compatriots (German).

3. During filming, let Mel Gibson pick up award via TV linkup from the British Film Academy for something or other (True).

With friends like the Americans, do the British need enemies?

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