But in spite of its mission to recreate the American Revolution, history is not the movie's strong point. The "buxom wench" look (see also Sleepy Hollow) appears to be in fashion during this era, as evidenced by Joely Richardson's cumbersome, never changing wardrobe.īy bringing the battles onto American soil in the midst of simple townfolk, The Patriot casts the birth of our nation into a harsh perspective, driving home the fact that America was not always the pristine sanctuary we sometimes think it to be. He is therefore an excellent on-screen villain-twisted, intimidating, and perfectly evil. He shoots children without remorse, he has a church burned to the ground, and he revels in extreme cruelty. To the dismay of his military superior, he violates the rules of warfare in favor of getting the job done. Jason Isaacs turns in an excellent performance as the central villain: the ruthless English Colonel Tavington. He joins the militia and fights alongside his oldest son. Eventually, the battle comes to their home and affects them firsthand, and it's at that point that Benjamin realizes he must take action. Benjamin knows the harsh realities of war, and doesn't want his son to follow in his footsteps, but despite all his pleas, Gabriel goes off to war. His oldest son, Gabriel (Heath Ledger), enlists in the local militia, gung-ho at the prospect of shedding blood for his country. He refuses to fight, and because of this, some of his sons believe him to be cowardly. He is an idealist who wants to resolve America's grievances with England through politics. Benjamin Martin is a man who doesn't want to go back to killing. The story, while hardly original, is engaging from beginning to end. Cannonballs smash into people with brutal consequences, breaking off heads and limbs in the most gruesome manner. Guns of this era are short range weapons that must be reloaded after every shot, allowing for God-knows-what to happen before you can squeeze off a second blast. It's absolutely grizzly, and may very well be the most graphically violent scene in mainstream movies this year.įor the action enthusiast, The Patriot has an abundance of fighting scenes that have an unnerving sense of realism attached, thanks to the primitive depiction of war. Watching Gibson's character take out twenty men is truly a sight to behold: he shoots them, he smashes them with the barrel of his gun, and he hacks them to bits with a tomahawk. While he has his two kids lay down cover fire for him, he sneaks up on the soldiers and slaughters them all one by one.
![the patriot free movies the patriot free movies](http://images.moviepostershop.com/the-patriot-movie-poster-2000-1010211778.jpg)
![the patriot free movies the patriot free movies](https://www.hdwallpapers.in/download/american_sniper_movie-1280x800.jpg)
He salvages all the weapons from his house, takes two of his surviving sons, and tracks down the British squad responsible for the carnage. Mel Gibson, enraged by the death of his son, goes completely Mad Max.
#The patriot free movies movie
In the process, the redcoats, led by the cruel and merciless Colonel Tavington (played with perfect villainy by Jason Isaacs), destroy his house and kill one of his sons.Īt this point, some 30 minutes into the story, the single greatest action moment of the whole movie occurs. But his intentions to lay down the sword are dashed when the British march through his hometown and kill members of the local militia who are fighting for freedom.
![the patriot free movies the patriot free movies](https://i.jeded.com/i/the-patriot.26060.jpg)
He is tormented daily by the memories of what he did to the French during the war, praying for forgiveness and trying to avoid conflict. Mel Gibson plays legendary war veteran Benjamin Martin, a single father with a large family. The Patriot is a historical drama focused on the American Revolution. But despite these early strikes against it, I have to admit that The Patriot was a solid movie that will easily be amongst the top films of the year. I have also seen Mel Gibson fight for freedom in Braveheart and Chicken Run, so the prospect of him battling for independence yet again didn't seem all that interesting. Going into this movie, I knew I was in for a long, historical epic-and I generally hate long, drawn out dramas. The Patriot lacks originality and is mired by movie conventions, but still manages to be a well crafted film that is thoroughly entertaining. In this dramatization of the American Revolution, an ex-war hero (Gibson) is forced to fight and kill again when his family and home are threatened by the British. Starring: Mel Gibson, Heath Ledger, Joely Richardson, Jason Isaacs Radio Free Movie Review: The Patriot (2000)