The Patriot
by Lisa Davis
Word Count: 307
| Set
in the American War of Independence, this film looks at the effects that
war can have on families and communities. Mel Gibson plays an ex-army
officer, Benjamin Martin, who was famous for his bravery during the
French-Indian wars. He is father to a gaggle of attractive children with
perfect teeth, including the rather wonderful Heath Ledger. |
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| Martin has seen enough bloodshed and resists the new war that his family is swept into. It takes a horrible event (don't want to spoil the story by telling you what that is) for Martin to realise that he cannot avoid the war by ignoring it. | |
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For
a film that attempts to code itself as realist, a strange anomaly or two
appear, such as freed slaves, and the total absence of Native Americans.
The story meanders in places, which leads to boring bits and a numb bum
(the film goes for well over two hours). It is also full of rather
unsubtle attempts to stimulate the audience's emotions - unfortunately
embarrassment was more what I was feeling in those scenes, but hey. |
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It is clear that Roland Emmerich wanted to direct a grand narrative but it is as though he couldn't decide which one, so he took a bit from all of them. Gibson, of course, lent it some Braveheart flavour, especially in the patriotic bits and the 'let's ride around in horses and get the men ready for battle' bits. Some parts were reminiscent of the 'Last of the Mohicans' (though, of course, without any actual Mohicans), especially the bits where Gibson ran towards the camera with a tomahawk in one hand and a rifle in the other. Some parts even had a touch of Robin Hood in them - Gibson forms a band of merry men to fight the evil English oppressors, who will do anything to stop him. This wasn't a bad film; it just wasn't a great one. Despite Emmerich's
desire for a legend, I don't think that he found it here. |
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