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"'Patriot'
Games"
by Scott Mantz
"The Patriot"
Mel Gibson, Heath Ledger
Directed by Roland Emmerich
Try to imagine
this scenario. You've just come home after a hard day's night, you
change into something more comfortable, and you settle down in your
favorite chair. Just when you feel yourself starting to unwind,
you're interrupted, not by some annoying salesperson trying to sell
you a long distance service, but by hoards of soldiers duking it
out right in your front yard. Sound scary? Well, my fellow Americans,
that's what it was like in the soon-to-be United States, circa 1776,
and it's moments like this that give "The Patriot" its real power.
Otherwise, had it not been for a standout performance from Mel Gibson,
the movie would have ended up less than spectacular and more like
a spectacle.
Benjamin Martin
(Mel Gibson) is a veteran of the French and Indian War whose days
of bloodshed are behind him. Since the death of his wife, he's been
more focused on serving his kids rather than serving his country.
When the Revolutionary War hits a little too close to home (literally),
Ben's son Gabriel (Heath Ledger) decides he wants to fight for truth,
justice, and the American way. Considering the direction the war
has headed, it's a decision that Ben is not too happy about. Events
go from bad to worse, and Ben is forced to embrace his own violent
past if he is to protect his family and gain...his freeeeeedom!!!
Sorry about
the little "Braveheart" reference there, but comparisons to that
film are inevitable. Actually, that would be a tremendous compliment,
and it's one that "The Patriot" doesn't quite deserve. After all,
here's a movie about Independence Day from the team who gave us
"Independence Day." While "ID4," as it came to be known, was a surefire
crowd-pleaser that sold tons of popcorn in 1996, their 1998 follow-up,
the immensely disappointing "Godzilla," took filmmakers Dean Devlin
and Roland Emmerich down a few pegs. Now, they're back, and they're
anxious to redeem themselves by embracing the red, the white, and
the blue.
Speaking of
the red, there's certainly plenty of that. In the age of true-to-life
gore and bloodshed, the battle sequences depicted here realistically
capture the horrors of war on the front lines all too well. Just
as "Saving Private Ryan" did with World War II, "The Patriot" struggles
to do with the Revolutionary War, with guns and cannonballs being
fired at point-blank range. While these scenes are powerful, they
would have been much more effective had it not been for so much
down time filled with slow pacing, weak dialogue, and contrived
melodrama.
As for the white,
there's plenty of that, too. Let's not forget that this was the
South in the 18th Century, and slavery was a way of life. Yet we
hardly see any of that, and what we do see is sugarcoated to an
unrealistic degree. If the filmmakers were going to depict war in
all its gruesome reality, then they should have gone the extra mile
to depict slavery in much the same way. Instead, we get yet another
dose of contrived melodrama, with a slave referring to himself as
an "employee" of Ben's. While this notion makes Ben more of a hero
in the eyes of the audience, calling a spade a spade and making
him more of a flawed hero would have upped the authenticity and
the impact of the film.
While we're
at it, let's not forget the blue--as in Mel Gibson's baby blue eyes
that Director Emmerich is quick to focus on whenever he gets the
chance. There's no doubt that this is Gibson's movie, and he carries
the weight on his shoulders with the ease of a pro. Like his character,
Gibson also has seven kids, and he taps into that desperation to
protect them with the utmost intensity. Although he hoped that his
fighting days were over, he is reluctantly called back into action,
and his brutality and fighting skills come back to the surface like
a man getting back on a bike.
As for the film's
villain, Jason Isaacs seems to be more inspired by Alan Rickman's
cold blooded killer in "Die Hard" rather than by anyone from the
his tory books. That may have been well and good for a typical action
movie, but "The Patriot" is based on some of the most important
events in American history. While his snarling viciousness doesn't
have the background to support his actions, it's a role that suits
him well. After a standout performance in the 1999 teen flick "10
Things I Hate About You," Heath Ledger holds his own against Gibson
and would seem to be on his way to big time Hollywood success.
"The Patriot"
starts out with a bang, but after the first 40 minutes, it loses
its firepower. By using historic events as a backdrop for the main
story (an approach that 1997's "Titanic" did with far more effectiveness),
attention is taken away from the more interesting elements of the
film. The sentimentally contrived moments are a stark contrast to
the epic battle sequences. There's even a party scene that instantly
recalls, of all things, the climactic Ewok celebration in "Return
of the Jedi." At times it feels like you're watching two movies
at once, with one being far too underdeveloped, the other being
far too corny, and both being far too long.
Oh, there was
one more color that I forgot to mention--green. Gibson scored his
biggest up-front payday ever by nabbing a record-breaking $25 million.
Between his turn here and his voiceover work in "Chicken Run," June
2000 will no doubt go down in Hollywood history as being the Month
of Mel. In the end, "The Patriot" certainly has its moments, but
its missing that emotional connection to stand out from the rest
of the fireworks on the 4th of July.
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