The Patriot (2000 film)

 

The Patriot (2000 film)

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The Patriot
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Roland Emmerich
Produced by	Dean Devlin Mark Gordon Gary Levinsohn
Written by	Robert Rodat
Starring	Mel Gibson Heath Ledger Jason Isaacs Joely Richardson Chris Cooper Tom Wilkinson
Music by	John Williams
Cinematography	Caleb Deschanel
Editing by	David Brenner Julie Monroe
Studio	Centropolis Entertainment Mutual Film Company
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release date(s)	June 30, 2000 (2000-06-30)
Running time	165 minutes 175 minutes (extended cut)
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$110 million
Box office	$215,294,342[1]

The Patriot is a 2000 American historical war film directed by Roland Emmerich, written by Robert Rodat, and starring Mel Gibson, Chris Cooper, and Heath Ledger. It was produced by the Mutual Film Company and Centropolis Entertainment and was distributed by Columbia Pictures. The film mainly takes place in rural York County, South Carolina and depicts the story of an American swept into the American Revolutionary War when his family is threatened. The protagonist, Benjamin Martin, is a composite figure based on four real American Revolutionary War heroes: Joseph Plumb Martin, Francis Marion, Daniel Morgan and Thomas Sumter.

The film attracted controversy, with competing claims made about its relative historical accuracy. Professor Mark Glancy, teacher of film history at Queen Mary University of London has said: “It’s horrendously inaccurate and attributes crimes committed by the Nazis in the 1940s to the British in the 1770s.”^[2] In contrast, Australian film critic David Edwards asserts that "this fictional story is set around actual events, but it is not a history of what America was, or even an image of what it has become - it's a dream of what it should be....The Patriot is a grand epic full of action and emotion....But it's also surprisingly insightful in its evaluation of the American ideal - if not the reality."

 

Plot

During the American Revolution in 1776, Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibson), a veteran of the French and Indian War and widower with seven children, is called to Charleston to vote in the South Carolina General Assembly on a levy supporting the Continental Army. Fearing war against Great Britain, Benjamin abstains. Captain James Wilkins (Adam Baldwin) votes against and joins the Loyalists. A supporting vote is nonetheless passed and against his father's wishes, Benjamin's eldest son Gabriel (Heath Ledger) joins the Continental Army.

Some years later, Charleston falls to the British and a wounded Gabriel returns home carrying dispatches. The Martins care for both British and American wounded from the nearby battle, before British Dragoons led by a ruthless Colonel William Tavington (Jason Isaacs) arrive and arrest Gabriel. When Benjamin's young son Thomas tries to free Gabriel, he is shot and killed by Tavington, who orders the Martins' house burned and wounded American regulars executed. After the British leave, Benjamin gives his next two eldest sons muskets and they ambush the British unit escorting a shackled Gabriel. Benjamin skillfully, yet brutally, kills many soldiers with his tomahawk. A British survivor tells Tavington of an almost unseen man rapidly killing the soldiers, earning Benjamin the moniker of the "Ghost". Benjamin and Gabriel resolve to fight the British, leaving the younger children in the care of Benjamin's sister-in-law, Charlotte (Joely Richardson).

Benjamin meets with his former commanding officer Colonel Harry Burwell (Chris Cooper) and is given the rank of colonel to lead the local colonial militia due to his combat experience, tasked with keeping Lord Cornwallis's (Tom Wilkinson) British regiments pinned south through guerrilla warfare. French Major Jean Villeneuve (Tchéky Karyo) helps train the militia and promises more French aid. Benjamin's militia harass British supply lines, capture goods including some of Cornwallis' belongings, and burn half the bridges and ferries leading to Charleston. Lord Cornwallis perceives these actions as uncivilized and blames Tavington for creating this reaction with his brutal tactics. Irritated at his lack of progress and insulted by Benjamin's clever ploy to free some of the captured militia, Cornwallis reluctantly allows Tavington to use whatever means necessary.

Tavington learns the identities of some of the militia members and proceeds to attack their families and burn their homes. Benjamin's family flees Charlotte's plantation as it is burned and settle on the coast in a Gullah settlement with former black slaves. There, Gabriel marries his betrothed Anne (Lisa Brenner) and Benjamin commits to Charlotte. Tavington's brigade, seeking Martin's secret hideout, rides into the town that supplies the militia. He assembes all the townspeople into the church, promising freedom for the location of the hideout. But after the location is given the doors are barricaded, trapping the people inside. Tavington orders a horrified Captain Wilkins to burn it, killing all inside including Anne and her family. After discovering the travesty, Gabriel races to attack Tavington's encampment and is mortally wounded by him. Benjamin arrives to have his son die in his arms.

Benjamin mourns deeply and briefly wavers in his commitment to continue fighting, but is resolved when reminded of his son's dedication to the cause. Martin's militia, along with a larger Continental Army regiment, confronts Cornwallis' regiment in a decisive battle. The redcoats seemed to defeating the patriots until Benjamin rallies the troops to push forward against the British lines and Tavington personally targets him. The two dueled where Tavington's sword gain an upper hand over Martin's tomahawk. As Tavington prepares to finish him, Benjamin rises up with a musket, wounds him in the abdomen with the bayonet and delivers the coup de grâce, avenging his sons' deaths. The battle is a Continental victory and Cornwallis is forced to retreat. After many retreats, Cornwallis is besieged at Yorktown, Virginia, where he surrenders to the surrounding Continental Army and the long awaited French naval force. After the conflict ends, Benjamin returns with his family and discovers his militia men rebuilding his homestead, previously destroyed by the British Soldiers, whose orders came from Tavington to burn it down.