National Treasure Movie Review Part II

Ben Gates (Nicholas Cage) pays a visit to his estranged dad, Patrick Gates (Jon Voight) while running away from his nemesis, Ian Howe (Sean Bean) & the also the FBI. He & his team, now including the woman, Abigail Chase (Diane Kruger) solves riddles & talk about history. Notice how he is giving his father the middle finger in a sublime way in the National Treasure movie. He is upset in an argument with his father. His action becomes suggestive. It would not work at all had he pulled the glove with his mouth off the index finger for example.

The action would reflect Ben Gates as a person who seized an opportunity in the National Treasure movie. It is evident in many coming scenes, like how he & his father trick Ian to save their own lives. In such a sense, he is more similar to his father, Patrick Gates than he would like to think & vice versa. His father understands that his son is upset with him & seeing the subtle middle finger confirms it. The actor shows his realization well in his facial expression. Hence he is indifferent from his son because it takes one to know one.

It is because of the indifference that Patrick Gates resents his son, Ben Gates for being what he is today, a relentless treasure hunter. In his frustration of not being able to solve & piece together the clues that even his past generations before him failed, he has become unhappy with himself & his son. Also, he resented his ancestry which is a part of him too. Finally, he is able to find solace from his son regarding the issue. You could see that he was intrigued by the treasure too. It is evident when his face lit up when he heard that Charlotte is a ship in the National Treasure movie.

Patrick Gates recommends heat to help uncover the hidden clues behind the Declaration of Independence. It seems to me now that the real star of the National Treasure (2004) movie is not Nicholas Cage's character but rather of Jon Voight's. The National Treasure movie showcases Patrick Gates's struggle to find peace with his father, his ancestry, his son, Ben Gates & most importantly, with himself. His son merely shows him where to go next & he is thankful & proud of his son's achievement even though they thought that they had found no treasure. It seems like finally his prayer have been answered.