This movie is gruesome at times, but it is fantastic. It is definately inaccurate historically, but it is badass so i can live with it.

"The Patriot" is hardly a "patriot". Even director Roland Emmerich admitted that the title doesn't make sense in correlation with the storyline since "the patriot" is actually the least patriotic of everyone around him. He's the only one of the rebels who doesn't have any interest in fighting, being too much of a family man. Harrison called the storyline, when offered the lead role, some type of "melodrama about one man's revenge". It focuses too much on Benjamin Martin's personal revenge instead of the war as a WHOLE. Also, at the part where Tavington takes Gabriel prisoner to have him hanged, he never explains to Benjamin what "the rules of war" are. When he asks him if he'd like a lesson about them, all that comes of it is Benjamin telling him that "no lesson is necessary."

Released in 2000 and directed by Roland Emmerich, "The Patriot" is stars Mel Gibson as peaceful South Carolina farmer Benjamin Martin who is driven to lead the Colonial Militia during the American Revolution after a wicked British colonel (Jason Isaacs) murders his son. The late Heath Ledger plays the older son with cutie Lisa Brenner playing his wannabe girlfriend. Rene Auberjonois is on hand as a pastor-soldier for the Militia while Tchéky Karyo appears as a French officer on the side of the Americans. Joely Richardson plays the sister of Martin's late wife, and potential love-interest.The basic plot was taken from 1965's "Shenandoah," but there's more than enough difference for "The Patriot" to stand on its own. As my title blurb points out, the movie successfully brings the Revolutionary War to life, focusing on the Carolina campaign. Speaking of which, the South Carolina locations are excellent, particularly the Old Spanish Mission swamp encampment, shot at Cypress Gardens, Moncks Corner. The only part shot outside South Carolina was the British Headquarters, filmed at Stratford Hall Plantation, Virginia.I'm not a big Gibson fan and there are too many Hollywoodisms for my tastes but, other than that, "The Patriot" is an entertaining way to acquaint yourself with the Revolutionary War. Read some articles and books for more accurate details.The film runs 165 minutes (175 minutes, extended cut).GRADE: B

Mel Gibson's second stab at fighting the British follows on the success of BRAVEHEART for a historical epic that feels both similar and different to the Scots blockbuster. Once again, Gibson plays a family man who has no interest in war and fighting who faces personal loss and turns into a vengeance-fuelled fighter determined to make the enemy pay for their actions. THE PATRIOT doesn't have the scope, drive or excellent scenery of BRAVEHEART, but it is still a very well made movie. Despite the three hour running time the story is never less than engaging and the focus on an individual family (with the War of Independence as the background) makes it more than watchable.I watched this on my Blu-ray player and was struck by the quality of the visuals and the excellent scope of the battle sequences. While not particularly gory, the bouts seem brutal and realistic, with the kind of money behind them to make them feel authentic (something the low-budget SHARPE adventures that ITV made could never achieve). Still, this isn't really an action or war film per se, and for the most part we stick with Gibson and either his family members or his men (there's a Robin Hood feel to the militia as they hide out in the swamps from the enemy).One of the things that makes it so watchable is Gibson himself, reaching new levels of emotion as the guy struggling with overwhelming loss and his desire for revenge. He's backed up by a stalwart cast, with fine turns from Chris Cooper, Joely Richardson, Tcheky Karyo, and Rene Auberjonois as his allies and Tom Wilkinson and Jason Isaacs as the dastardly British. To be, the script isn't perfect, and historical accuracy is low on the list of priorities (the church burning never happened – at least in this war – while Benjamin Martin was far from the clean-cut good guy he's made out to be here). Nevertheless this is director Roland Emmerich's most mature and accomplished film, an old-fashioned war epic full of entertainment.