The Patriot is a 2000 historical fiction film directed by Roland Emmerich. The movie stars Mel Gibson, Chris Cooper, Heath Ledger, and Jason Isaacs in the main roles. The film follows a farmer and his family (played by Mel Gibson) who after getting into a conflict with the British takes up arms and forms a group of his own army to go up against and attempt to defeat the British. I'd waited a while to see The Patriot and upon finally seeing it, I was far from disappointed. This is Emmerich's most mature film to date. Between the performances, characterization, and emotional depth, The Patriot ends up being a very deep and extremely interesting look at how one man who was once a preacher for peace, ended up being a man who lead a violent revolt. Let's talk about the acting: it was great. Mel Gibson was obviously amazing as this lead and is especially decent as the father character. Heath Ledger gives a very heartwarming performance. Perhaps my most favorite role in this entire film was Jason Isaacs as a British "red-coat". This guy is a menace to society and is one amazing antagonist. This film is also wondrously directed. There are many scenes in which I was floored by the camera. This is a greatly shot film and the cinematography and shots are a work of art on their own right. Perhaps my most favorite aspect of the film was how deep it was. For those of you who followed Media World this summer, I published a review on Independence Day (1996). I love that movie, but you have to admit that film doesn't have that much under the surface. It's a really really good film and is an entertaining as hell time, but The Patriot actually had some very interesting ideas under the carpet. The character arch as I mentioned from Mel Gibson was fascinating. Seeing a man go from being a happy family man farmer to a violent rebellion leading man was excellent. That's not to mention the role of the child performance in this film. All of the kids on screen are great. Their very mature in not just their role, but how they fit into the overall narrative. Seeing how these kids are greatly shaped and molded by their father's actions was very effective. My point is that the feelings and the impact they have on the viewer was immense and strongly moving. I suppose my one flaw with The Patriot is the run time. I wasn't turned away from the story at all, but the run time did get a tad too long (especially towards the end). Overall, The Patriot is a solid good film that gives great characters, good emotional stories, and great performances. Three stars
