The Patriot

3 Pages 674 Words

Who is “The Patriot”


Webster defines patriot as “one who loves his or her country and supports its authority and interests,” with the synonym “loyalist”, and the antonym “traitor.” Webster defines loyalist as “one who is or remains loyal especially to a political cause, party government, or sovereign.” By these definitions, this movie should have been titled “The Loyalist,” but would probably not evoke the kind of feelings that the chosen one does. The Patriot is a movie set in the times of the American War of Independence. The acting, cinematography, and music are bright points in a movie marred with both historical and editing inaccuracies, as well as a stereotypical American plot.

Mel Gibson stars as a reluctant hero Benjamin Martin, a father of seven children whose wife had died. Ben is against the war until the villain Colonel Tavington, portrayed by Jason Isaacs, shoots his 15-year-old son Thomas. Mel and Jason do an excellent job of acting their respective parts in this film. Heath Ledger acts the part of Gabriel, Ben’s oldest son, and he too is convincing as the brash young patriot, who is too much like his father than can be good for him. Joely Richardson is Charlotte Selton, Tcheky Karyo is Major Jean Villeneuve, Tom Wilkinson is General Cornwalllis, Lisa Brenner is Anne Howard, and Rene Auberjonois is Reverend Oliver. All of these actors render persuasive performances in their perspective roles.

The cinematography, under the direction of Roland Emmerich, was quite impressive. The camera moves from distant shots to close-ups in an unobtrusive manner. Slow motion is used in critical scenes, which is successful in emphasizing dramatic impact. There is one scene where there is a cannonball coming directly at the audience, which is very realistic, and typical of the effective camera work throughout the film.

The music, by John Williams, is one of the best parts of the film. It ...