The Patriot (2000)

There is a scene fairly early in the movie The Patriot where British officers are trying to dragoon some of the black men on Mel Gibson's plantation into military service by promising them their freedom. One of the black men informs the British that they are already free and just work for Mr. Gibson's character. At that moment the movie had lost me, you just know some Hollywood suit was like "If the audience knows Gibson's character owns slave, it won't be as fun to root for him so let's make the blacks on the plantation free". I'm sorry Mel is playing a plantation owner in 1770's South Carolina, that man would own slaves, there is no getting around it. A short time later there is a scene, were needing to rescue his oldest son Heath Ledger, Gibson instructs his younger sons to start shooting the officers and work their way down. At that moment the movie won me back.

The Patriot is not an exercise in historical authenticity, rather it is rousing adventure tell to pump American audiences up and make then feel extra good about our revolutionary war. Their are two principle British villains in this, Tom Wilkinson as a slightly buffoonish Charles Cornwallis, all ego and fancy duds, while Jason Isaacs is Colonel William Tavington, who is basically Lucius Malfoy. They are fun to watch, Gibson is fun to watch, as is Ledger, Rene' Auberjonois and the others. This is the kind of spectacle Gibson did well at the height of prowess, box office and social acceptability. A fun movie, expertly handled, probably Roland Emmerich's best directorial work.***1/2