The Patriot
2000 · Directed by Roland Emmerich
Original language: English
- drama
- history
- war
- action
The story
After proving himself on the field of battle in the French and Indian War, Benjamin Martin wants nothing more to do with such things, preferring the simple life of a farmer. But when his son Gabriel enlists in the army to defend their new nation, America, against the British, Benjamin reluctantly returns to his old life to protect his son.
What it’s like
Warm golden-green Carolina farmland, wide pastoral vistas and sweeping crane shots that give way to smoky, muddy battlefields of grey and rust, all bathed in the saturated, slightly glossy sheen of a big 2000 studio production. Its vibe is stirring, earnest and elegiac, with a rousing orchestral score by John Williams-style swells and drum-driven marches set against quiet domestic scenes of family supper and sunlit fields. The pacing alternates between long, lingering reflective stretches and abrupt, loud bursts of combat, with close-up handheld chaos during the battle set pieces. Its violence is heavy and frequent: prolonged, graphic wartime carnage, bayonetting, shootings and burnings, with blood and gore that land hard, plus a few harrowing scenes of civilian cruelty and a child's death. Emotionally it follows a reluctant, grieving father who sets down his peaceful life to fight for his family and country, and the bond between him and his sons is the story's core. It suits a serious weekend watch for people who want a patriotic, large-scale historical war epic with heart and a strong sense of family loyalty, not something gentle or light.
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