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Amazon.co.uk Review
Aimed directly at a mainstream audience, The Patriot qualifies as respectable entertainment, but anyone expecting a definitive drama about the American Revolution should look elsewhere. Rising above the blatant crowd pleasing of Stargate, Independence Day and Godzilla, director Roland Emmerich crafts a marvellous re-creation of South Carolina in the late 1770s (aided immeasurably by cinematographer Caleb Deschanel), and Robert Rodat's screenplay offers the same balance of epic scale and emotional urgency that elevated his earlier script for Saving Private Ryan. Unfortunately, Emmerich embraces clichés and hackneyed melodrama that a more gifted director would have avoided. Instead of attempting a truly great film about the most pivotal years of American history, Emmerich settles for a standard revenge plot with the Revolutionary War as an incidental backdrop. On those terms, the film is engrossing and sufficiently intelligent, especially when militia leader Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibson) cagily negotiates with British General Cornwallis (Tom Wilkinson) in one of the most rewarding scenes. For the most part, the story concerns Martin's anguished quest for revenge against ruthless redcoat Colonel Tavington (played with snide relish by Jason Isaacs), and the rise to manhood of Martin's eldest son, Gabriel (Heath Ledger), whose battlefield honour exceeds even that of his brutally volatile father. At its best, The Patriot conveys the horror of war among innocent civilians, and the epic battle scenes, while by no means masterful, are graphically intense and impressive. And although Ledger's love interest (Lisa Brenner) is too bland to register much emotion, the focus on family (which frequently relegates the war to background history) provides a suitable vehicle for Gibson, who matches his achievement in Braveheart with an effectively brooding performance. --Jeff Shannon
Special Features
2.35 Anamorphic Wide Screen
DVD 9
Hungarian
English
Region 2
Dolby Digital 5.1 English\Dolby Digital Surround Hungarian
Dolby Digital 5.1
Dolby Digital Surround
Animated Menus
Deleted Scene
Feature Length Commentary By Director And Producer
Filmographies
Stills Gallery
4 Featurettes The Art Of War The True Patriots Conceptual Art To Film Comparison Visual Effects
2 Trailers Teaser International
Scene Selections
Arabic\Bulgarian\Czech\Danish\Dutch\English\Finnish\Greek\Hebrew\Hindi\Hungarian\Icelandic\Norwegian\Polish\Swedish\Turkish
DVD 9
Hungarian
English
Region 2
Dolby Digital 5.1 English\Dolby Digital Surround Hungarian
Dolby Digital 5.1
Dolby Digital Surround
Animated Menus
Deleted Scene
Feature Length Commentary By Director And Producer
Filmographies
Stills Gallery
4 Featurettes The Art Of War The True Patriots Conceptual Art To Film Comparison Visual Effects
2 Trailers Teaser International
Scene Selections
Arabic\Bulgarian\Czech\Danish\Dutch\English\Finnish\Greek\Hebrew\Hindi\Hungarian\Icelandic\Norwegian\Polish\Swedish\Turkish
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
If you can get past the super evil portrayal of the British and the various evil deeds they commit then this is a pretty good action film. the villians are so darn evil that you can't help root for the brave nobel yanks in their fight for freedom. A good action film, complete bull aimed at idiots of course but you can't help but be swept along. You'll be chanting U.S.A by the end guarenteed.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Let us not beat about the bush The Patriot has a lot of problems with history. It is therefore highly recommended to nitpickers who will enjoy the film for its rich harvest of error. In this it is no worse (frankly I think it is better) than Braveheart. The film is certainly anti-British in the sense that we are the villains, but what villains my dears, as George III said "I glory in the name of Briton"! The church scene is straight out of the Das Reich playbook.
However, I think the film is a bit more than that, despite seeming to endorse the Patriot cause 110% it shows Americans taking a beating, and makes it clear many of the most active guerrillas were on the fringes (and not the polite fringes either) of colonial society. Mel's character makes a good point about fighting a guerrilla war, and his family pay an appropriate price. Narsty old Jason Isaacs has an argument to make about how you fight insurgents (one recognisable to modern soldiers). Just occasionally as the story is dumbed down a notch so audiences can get it in one go (and no-one wants to repeat Dune-like confusion) you spot the script-writers giving you a hint. Yes the flag waving nonsense is going to be popular in the US but there is at least enough recognisable in the final battle for historical fans to see Guilford Courthouse has been reversed into Cowpens. The combat scenes (bar the final mass melée) are a very good feeling for just what it was like; the bouncing cannon ball being particularly notable.
If I have a criticism it is the interminable prosing of the characters but it is balanced by the beautiful photography. I found it enjoyable if at times unintentionally funny, though I recognised that I was not the intended audience. Mel Gibson has a talent and if this is not set at the gut-wrenching level of The Passion it is still good cinema.
However, I think the film is a bit more than that, despite seeming to endorse the Patriot cause 110% it shows Americans taking a beating, and makes it clear many of the most active guerrillas were on the fringes (and not the polite fringes either) of colonial society. Mel's character makes a good point about fighting a guerrilla war, and his family pay an appropriate price. Narsty old Jason Isaacs has an argument to make about how you fight insurgents (one recognisable to modern soldiers). Just occasionally as the story is dumbed down a notch so audiences can get it in one go (and no-one wants to repeat Dune-like confusion) you spot the script-writers giving you a hint. Yes the flag waving nonsense is going to be popular in the US but there is at least enough recognisable in the final battle for historical fans to see Guilford Courthouse has been reversed into Cowpens. The combat scenes (bar the final mass melée) are a very good feeling for just what it was like; the bouncing cannon ball being particularly notable.
If I have a criticism it is the interminable prosing of the characters but it is balanced by the beautiful photography. I found it enjoyable if at times unintentionally funny, though I recognised that I was not the intended audience. Mel Gibson has a talent and if this is not set at the gut-wrenching level of The Passion it is still good cinema.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
The Patriot is based around one Benjamin Martin, an ex-soldier, who now happily living as a family man finds himself thrust into conflict at the break of the American Revolution.
He loves the Brits does Mel Gibson, Gallipoli, Braveheart and here with The Patriot, see the pattern anyone? As with the aforementioned Gallipoli and Braveheart, certain liberties have also been taken with events in The Patriot so as to glossy up for the eager Hollywood contingent. It's not my want to scribble about the facts of Benjamin Martin {Re:Francis Marion}, or William Wallace for that matter, information as such is but a mere click away on the world wide web.
So casting aside the artistic licence factors, is The Patriot any good? Well nearly it is--nearly. Gibson is fine, he shoulders the burden of the film with great gusto and no shortage of emotional depth. It's very easy to accept him as a staunch family man who transforms into a blood thirsty warrior. The problems, acting wise, lay away from Gibbo's central performance. Surrounded by caricature villains {tho Jason Isaacs' Tavington is deliciously vile} and underwritten characters {Chris Cooper wasted and Joely Richardson is but a mere prop}, Gibson has no choice but to hog the screen. So much so it ultimately turns into a one man star vehicle, which for a costume war epic isn't a great thing really.
Roland Emmerich (Independence Day and Godzilla) directs and handles the battle sequences very well, there's lashings of blood as men line up to shoot and dismember one and other. While cannonball's whizz, bang and tear off body parts, it's grim, yet oddly rousing stuff. Not even the overtly flag waving and sloganeering on show can off set the impact of the well constructed battles. There is of course lots of tragedy to be found in the film, and these are some what surprisingly, tenderly handled by Emmerich, but mostly it's via an on song Gibson, who remains one of the few modern day male actors capable of believable grief. All of this given a John Williams score that suitably flits between rousing and ethereal, and things are further boosted by the sumptuous photography from Caleb Deschanel.
There should have been more thought given to the racial {slaves} aspects in the conflict, and this coupled with the bad errors of under developed characters hurts The Patriot. Not so as to stop it being entertaining, but more to stop it being a one man show. But as it is, thanks in the main to Gibson, and in spite of its faults, it's an above average drama. 6/10
He loves the Brits does Mel Gibson, Gallipoli, Braveheart and here with The Patriot, see the pattern anyone? As with the aforementioned Gallipoli and Braveheart, certain liberties have also been taken with events in The Patriot so as to glossy up for the eager Hollywood contingent. It's not my want to scribble about the facts of Benjamin Martin {Re:Francis Marion}, or William Wallace for that matter, information as such is but a mere click away on the world wide web.
So casting aside the artistic licence factors, is The Patriot any good? Well nearly it is--nearly. Gibson is fine, he shoulders the burden of the film with great gusto and no shortage of emotional depth. It's very easy to accept him as a staunch family man who transforms into a blood thirsty warrior. The problems, acting wise, lay away from Gibbo's central performance. Surrounded by caricature villains {tho Jason Isaacs' Tavington is deliciously vile} and underwritten characters {Chris Cooper wasted and Joely Richardson is but a mere prop}, Gibson has no choice but to hog the screen. So much so it ultimately turns into a one man star vehicle, which for a costume war epic isn't a great thing really.
Roland Emmerich (Independence Day and Godzilla) directs and handles the battle sequences very well, there's lashings of blood as men line up to shoot and dismember one and other. While cannonball's whizz, bang and tear off body parts, it's grim, yet oddly rousing stuff. Not even the overtly flag waving and sloganeering on show can off set the impact of the well constructed battles. There is of course lots of tragedy to be found in the film, and these are some what surprisingly, tenderly handled by Emmerich, but mostly it's via an on song Gibson, who remains one of the few modern day male actors capable of believable grief. All of this given a John Williams score that suitably flits between rousing and ethereal, and things are further boosted by the sumptuous photography from Caleb Deschanel.
There should have been more thought given to the racial {slaves} aspects in the conflict, and this coupled with the bad errors of under developed characters hurts The Patriot. Not so as to stop it being entertaining, but more to stop it being a one man show. But as it is, thanks in the main to Gibson, and in spite of its faults, it's an above average drama. 6/10
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
get some books and read them first?
Read your history Mel and stop further propagandising the (already-dazed-by-all sortsa -bull###t) US public. Read more
Published 5 months ago by D. Herbert
Very Anti British, obviously American.......
I heard that this film was very good and I have always been meaning to watch this movie, but when I did, I was Angry. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Kyle Cottam
Banal, anti-British stereotyping
What is it with Mel Gibson? Seriously, does he actually hate British people for some twisted reason best known to himself? Read more
Published 5 months ago by Felix Farr
Not a history lesson
As a piece of entertainment The Patriot is good. As an accurate account of actual historical events The Patriot is as far from the truth as you can get. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Daz1
Lengthy, enjoyable film of Benjamin Martin's life
"The Patriot" made in 2000 and on DVD in 2001 is Mel GIbson in one of his classic roles, roles which often involve driven characters pursuing their passions, extremists for a cause... Read more
Published 6 months ago by RR Waller
terrible film
terrible film and totally inaccurate, mel gibson took many events from WWII and relocated them to the war of independence.
Published 7 months ago by Mr. Richard Bristol
What a shame...
The movie is fine, no, it's good, but what a shame that half way through it needs to be turned over ? ? ?.
What is the point of having a T.V. Read more
What is the point of having a T.V. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Michael P. Tarry
10 minutes into the film.....One more Brit gets the chop
Hey guys....don't get so worked up...its a fantasy action film set during the Revolutionary war. The Guns of Navarone was a fantasy action film set during world War 2 (where the... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Samuel B. King
Anti-British nonsense
This is one of the worst films I have ever seen. Its clear intention is to be anti-British. Robert Rodat is a terrible screenwriter. Horrible bigotted nonsense. Avoid!
Published 10 months ago by Karezza
excellent dvd
This was bought as a present. We had been looking for it for such a long time but decided to look on amazon. The dvd is watched very often and really good quality.
Published 10 months ago by Benny
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