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The Americans have reached the shores of Europe once again, but this time with the American Revolution. "I have long feared that my sins would return to visit me and the cost is more than I can bear," Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibson), reflects as he packs away his trusty tomahawk, remnant of his experiences during the French and Indian War. John Williams' full-blown notes announce that we are on a journey into the world of Americana right from the opening titles. This personal tale of cruel tyranny against hopeful righteousness manages to surge the spirit, incite hatred, and invite tears as it wends its way through the formation of the world's second democracy. It is an impressive movie. Benjamin Martin enters one of the large homestead's bedrooms with the intention of putting two of his kids to bed when he sees one girl pointing to the night sky and explaining to her sister how to find the North Star. This, coupled with several other "at home" conversations, establishes that everything is extremely family-orientated under their piece of sky, where safety seems secure between four colonial walls. (Mel Gibson captures this essence perfectly, but then he's quite a family man himself.) Trouble, however, is not so very far away. The Charleston Congress gathers in the Assembly Hall to chew their options with regard to the approaching war, realizing that the redcoat Army is rapidly nearing their territory. "South Carolina is not at war," one argues, trying to avoid the responsibilities of fighting alongside other States who have declared their opposition to England's rule. Others believe that their State should accept equal responsibility if the nation is eventually to become truly united in their cause. They've had "taxation without representation" up to their noses. When the inevitability of confrontation is discussed, Benjamin is among those who declare openly that he is not prepared to join in combat: "If you're asking me whether I'm willing to go to war with England, the answer is no. I've been to war, and I have no desire to do it again." Being a single parent with a crop of children to care for (seven in all), he feels he has no other option and explains, "I'm a parent. I haven't got the luxury of principles." Despite any opposition, the levy is passed 28 to 12 and, quicker than you can load a musket, Gabriel (Heath Ledger) Martin, Benjamin's oldest son, signs up to join the front. He feels strongly that the war is justified. In defying his father's wishes, he ironically proves that the acorn has not fallen far from the tree. Once the sadistic Colonel Tavington (Jason Isaacs), leader of the Green Dragoons, discovers Martin tending wounded who have sought refuge on his front porch, he torches the family's plantation home. Before doing this, however, he takes Gabriel (who has recently returned) into custody, accuses him of spying, and condemns him to be hanged. To finish things off in his inimitably cruel fashion, Tavington shoots the younger brother, Thomas (Gregory Smith), and calls him a "stupid boy" as he dies in his father's arms. The lines are now drawn. Benjamin will return to the battlefield, but not before he ambushes the soldiers and releases Gabriel. Stationed in the woods with his fellow family feuders, the shaken father asks them, "What did I tell you, boys?" They uniformly answer, "Aim small. Miss small." Let the games begin. But not before Benjamin, a religious man, offers a word of prayer: "Lord, make me fast and accurate." After slaughtering his son's captors, the pain and anguish he feels (having helplessly watched the murder of his younger son) expresses itself on a bloodied face as he chops away with his trademark tomahawk into the last surviving redcoat. Wandering once again the pathways of war, Gabriel enters a ravaged house with bodies strewn before it, where he quickly views two lines of soldiers through a window (camera rides in, very Hitchcock) beginning battle on the field behind the house. This is what it's like when war is in your own backyard. The 13-star bloodied flag that lays, at one point, across a wounded soldier who defeatedly says, "It's a lost cause" will be mended by Gabriel and return once again, much later in the film, to proclaim the ultimate conquest. With his Cherokee tomahawk, Benjamin Martin is now destined to become labeled as the "Ghost" on reward posters. Considered a rebel on one side, he is known as a patriot on the other. This fighter turned pacifist finds himself once again in the middle of warfare despite being plagued by remorse and guilt about his murderous past. It is only on the battlefield that Gabriel learns about his father's past at Fort Wilderness (during the French and Indian War) since he had always been protected during his formative years from the details of his father's wartime history. Lord General Cornwallis (Tom Wilkinson), an English commander victorious over the American forces at Charleston, is in charge of engagements and tactics. Wilkinson, an actor capable of turning up in almost any role and doing it to perfection, portrays him as an aristocratic officer with the intelligence and know-how necessary to win battles time and time again. Cornwallis doesn't hold a very esteemed view of the American soldiers and is even less respectful of their counterpart, the enlisted civilian Militia. He quite simply believes that "These rustics are à inept." The reputable Lord General is a man of taste who never relinquishes his standards of fair play until he unacceptably loses face to the guerilla tactics of the American and French forces. At that point, he is prepared to let a sick bastard like Tavington, whom he earlier reprimanded, use his dastardly methods of maneuvering and manipulating in order to achieve their desired ends. Colonel Tavington is never beyond destroying homes and attacking helpless civilians, women and children among them. He is an absolute sadist and a killing machine with the goal of a better future hanging like a carrot before him. Totally unethical and immoral, he is written as the ultimate villain and a nasty antagonist to boot. Jason Isaacs says "I can't believe that I got paid to ride a horse around, fire muskets, chop people up, be frighteningly evil, play scenes with Mel Gibson and hang out with an extraordinary bunch of people. It's really been an incredible experience." Mel Gibson, no stranger to heroic roles, turns in another polished performance as the sensitive father and long-suffering combatant. From all reports he's also a joy to work with on the set. Not only he, but also Emmerich and Devlin seem to have a knack for keeping the atmosphere friendly and the event of filmmaking an enjoyable one. You can't help but like Mel Gibson for all the right reasons.
The most exciting performance, however, is that of the 20-year-old Heath Ledger, not only because he is a fairly new face on the silver screen, but because he manages to portray Gabriel Martin as a young, innocent, idealistic, ethical defender of human rights who, while having some of these personal qualities damaged, develops into a mature man. As his education progresses through warfare, he undergoes many intense, humane, and even shattering rites of passage. Finally, in having the courage of his convictions and following through on them, he becomes the patriot. The performance is sublime in its depth and reality. Among the various townsfolk who find themselves inescapably tied up with the events of the period are the Martins' freed slave Occam (Jay Arlen Jones), who fights against the English, hoping to achieve his freedom once again, and the Reverend Oliver (Rene Auberjonois), who also joins the Militia to fight beside Benjamin and Gabriel (noting that "A reverend must tend his flock and, at times, fight off the wolves"). The French troupes are strongly represented by their leader, Major Jean Villeneuve (Tcheky Karyo), a man who experiences ample discrimination and finds, at times, sufficient reason to both like and dislike the Americans. In one fell swoop (and three characters), the barriers of race and religion have been dealt with. Of course, there are also those who have taken the side of the English and are not beyond betraying their fellow townspeople in accord with their political convictions. One among them is Captain Wilkins (Adam Baldwin), whose notorious acts come back upon him with a vengeful torment. (Keep in mind that Benedict Arnold's entire reputation was altered when he wound up on the losing side.) Memorable moments in the story, such as the burning of the church, the finding of the North Star pendant, or the departure of Benjamin from his daughter Susan (Skye McCole Bartusiak), are details that pierce the viewer to the core, but do not bear discussion within the scope of a review. This journey through the South should be experienced as it unravels. One devastating moment, which can bear mentioning, is when Martin repeats the opening phrase, "Why do men feel they can justify death? Is it arrogance? I have long feared that my sins would return to visit me and the cost is more than I can bear." Though completely downtrodden and filled with loss and grief, Benjamin Martin manages to return to the field carrying the American flag (13 stars) proudly before him. Very Braveheart. Gibson: "I've seen the epics, and some of them don't touch you because they are these big, sprawling things. They don't reach you on an emotional or human level at all." Commenting on the character, he says, "He is terribly afraid because of his own past and the karmic retribution that might result." "It was a joy to work with Mel," Roland Emmerich says, "He was very committed to concentrating on the acting, and is the most humble person there is."
The filmmaking team of director Roland Emmerich and producer Dean Devlin has shifted from one kind of "Independence Day" to another. "There aren't really a lot of films about that period or about the birth of this country," Devlin says, "and we thought it was an amazing chance to show what life was like for a normal person at that time, how ordinary people faced extraordinary circumstances. Beyond its historical elements, though, the story touches you in an incredible way û it is a human drama in an original visual setting." He adds finally, "It's an interesting time to look back and think about how this country was started." "There's an assumption that everybody's patriotic, and not everybody is. This movie is called 'The Patriot,' but Benjamin Martin is not a patriot. He knows what war is and feels that we should avoid it under all circumstances," director Roland Emmerich notes. Robert Rodat, Oscar® nominee for "Saving Private Ryan," who hails from Newport News and spent his formative years growing up near Jamestown and Williamsburg, wrote the screenplay. Those costumed characters running around the villages have often left a lasting impression on the young. Watching the Visitor Center's film "The Story of a Patriot" (starring Jack Lord) 50 times must have left an even longer lasting effect on young Bob: "What we ultimately came to thematically is that you can't save your own family unless you are willing to put yourself on the line to save the families of all men." "The greater good and the personal welfare are linked, and they require sacrifice." "I think these issues are important, and I hope they will have resonance for the audience in all aspects of their lives." With direct reference to the script, he says, "I thought it would be interesting to have the teacher in this case be the son. Gabriel is a decent, moral guy, and he wears that mantle of principle and responsibility more easily than his father does." Mel Gibson believes that, "You don't have to go very far to realize that history quickly repeats itself. Century by century, decade by decade, it's different players but the same story playing itself out, with all its ugliness and glories, all its victories and defeats." He adds, "This kind of story has been told since people have been dwelling in caves and painting pictures; it's that combination of the ordinary and the divine that inspires us and makes something really hit home for us, I think. Those are the kind of stories I like." Very succinctly put, Mel. An American epic of this scale made it necessary to both search for suitable existing locations (e.g. with wide-open fields and colonial houses) as well as constructing required buildings which either weren't able to be found or would be irreparably damaged or destroyed during shooting. What better place to look for them than South Carolina itself? Production designer Kirk M. Petrucelli, with the assistance of art director Barry Chusid and set decorator Victor Zolfo, turned Emmerich's vision into reality with such memorable sets as Freshwater (the Martin homestead). The meticulous detail is visible everywhere, right down to the replica of Cornwallis' snuff box (at his HQ in Fort Carolina). The Williamsburg Foundation and the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts assisted with information, but the Smithsonian Institution served as Historical Consultant (and you can't do much better than that). Devlin explains, "We tried to keep all the events of the movie true to events that happened in the American Revolution û they may just not have happened in the same way or in the same place. But the spirit of everything in the film can be drawn from real events throughout the American Revolution." Petrucelli has succeeded beautifully in making the different settings reflect the characters' personalities housed within them. In general, the colonists are in harmony with their environment while the English find themselves in more rigid and formal surroundings. One has the chance to watch the decadent antics of an English party at quayside that are "rudely" disturbed by the American bombardment of a recently arrived English ship. (This scene was shot at Middleton Place, home of "America's oldest landscaped gardens.") What may appear to many as a restful seaside resort is actually the territory of the freed and escaped slaves (shot at Botany Bay Plantation on Edisto Beach) where the Martin family escapes for a week among thatched huts and fish-filled waters. These realistic and atmospheric locations are fascinating and more captivating than many seen in previous epics dealing with Americana. An added plus must have been having tradesmen, artisans, craftsmen, and extras that hailed from the actual surroundings and could proudly take part in the recreation of their own history as well as managing to earn a pretty penny. Among this group were the re-enactors, history buffs who make regular work of recreating simulated wars around the country. As for historical accuracy once again, re-enactor coordinator Riley Flynn comments, "History is a judgement, and it evolves. The same is true of the re-enactments. What we hoped to do on this project was to present the period and to be honest to it. We may not always be specifically honest in all of the tactics. For instance, some of our cannons were properly designed cannons from the period, but were probably too big to have been used on the type of battle that we depicted. But we didn't use machine guns." Stunt coordinator R.A. Rondell, on the other hand, felt he had to ensure that all offensive moves in fighting were historically accurate as well as seeing that they were executed safely.
Cinematographer Caleb Deschanel, whose magnificent panoramas are already familiar from "Anna & the King," allowed the drama to dictate the style of the film while simultaneously drawing upon ideas from both John Ford as well as Howard Hawks. Frequently using multiple cameras, he would often shoot the same take at different speeds. The mixture of lighting tones along with calculated imaging often tells much of the story for each scene. Special FX coordinator Yves de Bono organized exploding cannonballs (watch your heads!), muskets and mortars on battlefields, in woods, and on waters, all with the help of colored cards that Emmerich could cue for detonation. Although the large- scale battles are quite impressive, they often lack the force and impact brought to bear by the more personal, intimate confrontations that take place within the tale. The only questionable device in the plot is the weeklong furlough taken after a crisis occurs. It serves to give a peaceful moment in the middle of the war (for both the family and the viewer) during which people can fish, joke, and even get intimately involved with each other. This is very nice and exceptionally human, but one must ask whether Martin would really suggest a furlough for the Militia with the redcoats breathing down their necks. The hunt is on and that would make it seem a rather dangerous undertaking. With the elements in place for a good movie, one might well ask why the English are so upset about this film. After all, many Americans have English backgrounds. It is part of the heritage of America that its citizens hail from all over the world (lots of homeless, tired, and wretched refuse). Obviously, the portrayal of Colonel Tavington as a sadistic monster has many of our British brothers up in arms. War is not nice. Sadists do exist (and are not indigenous to any specific nation). Sadists can be at home in war. They can get away with murder. Is anything so new about these concepts? Perhaps it is the fact that the antagonist is written so directly as being an embodiment of pure evil that makes it disconcerting. But, the fact remains that these kinds of people still exist today. Luckily, one British actor has comprehended this and delivered a flawless performance in the role. And, when all is said and done, shouldn't praising the ideals of righteousness, equality, and freedom be put more into the spotlight than the country from which they originate? These moral issues are not truly dealt with in the script (which depends for its appeal to a vast degree on the prevalent and accepted norms found within the family unit), but one must remember that this movie does not pretend to be a political analysis about the founding of a nation, but rather offers a private drama reflecting a specific people's experiences during the turbulence of wartime. It certainly doesn't seem to be pointing any fingers. Nationalism diminishes in contrast to larger values every day as the world grows smaller. Ever hear of the melting pot?
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