Some things are worth fighting for.
The Patriot tells the story of Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibson), a reluctant hero who is swept into the American Revolution when the war reaches his farm and the British endanger what he holds most dear. He takes up arms alongside his idealistic patriot son, Gabriel (Heath Ledger), and leads a rebel American Militia into battle against a relentless and overwhelming Redcoat army. In the process, he discovers that the only way to protect his family is to fight for a young nation's liberty.
Please do not denounce this film for not being historically accurate. It is neither a biopic nor a documentary. It is a tale of a father and his love for his family, and what he would do for them, told with the American Revolution as a backdrop.
Having said that, you must watch this movie. It is Mel Gibson at his best. While I was reminded of Braveheart due to the violence and ferocity of his character, I truly enjoyed this movie. At the heart it is about a man and his love for his family and country. Throughout all that happens he is motivated by these two things and nothing makes his character lose sight of this.
The battle scenes are choreographed extremely well, though at times, some battles seem to be fought for the sole purpose of the protagonist to witness them. While not a documentary, or a biopic, there are some historical aspects to the film, such as costume, the militaristic procedures that are followed, and some characters do bear resemblances to actual people.
The costumes are made to look as authentic as possible, actual uniforms were replicated for this, as can be seen on one of the featurettes.
The commentary and deleted scenes are a fine compliment to a fine film. Some of the shots I would have liked to have been included but the film was close to 3 hours as it was, so they had to sacrifice some good ones.
Features
Audio Commentary By Director
Roland Emmerich and Producer Dean Devlin
Battlefield Featurette: "The Art Of War"
Conceptual Art To Film Comparisons
Deleted Scenes With Commentary
By Roland Emmerich
Digitally Mastered Audio & Anamorphic Video
Direct Weblink
English 5.1 Surround Dolby Digital
English Dolby 2 Channel
English Subtitles
Enhanced For 16X9 TV
French Audio
French Subtitles
Isolated Music Score
Photo Galleries
Production Notes
Talent Files
The True Patriots Featurette
Theatrical Trailers
Visual Effects Interactive Featurette
C’s Final Word – PROPER!
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