The Patriot: Hollywood's Depiction on the American Revolution

The 2000 movie The Patriot was a very intriguing and action filled film depicting the American Revolution. The film was accurate on most points of the war. The depiction of the Colonies urge for freedom was accurate and astounding. It is amazing how Hollywood can create such an accurate film from such a critical time in our history. The Patriot movie tells the story of former French and Indian War hero who starts the militia and introduces "Gorilla Warfare" to the war.

According to the web site www.patriotresourse.com the patriot movie depicted some of the battles in the revolutionary war. Although the movie was made in a Hollywood style, the names of some of the battles were the same. The web site http://www.pbs.org/ktca/liberty/chronicle.html tells of the important battles of the revolution and some of those same battles were depicted in the movie. There was not actually a Kernel Martin and his family but they made parts of the war come into the television.

In the Patriot movie, Kernel Benjamin Martin was a former French and Indian War Hero, who settled down after the war in South Carolina. Next the smell of another war was in the air, and Benjamin's son, Gabriel enlisted in the army against his father's will. Finally, after a rampage from the redcoats capturing his son Gabriel, murdering his other son Thomas, and torching their farm and home, Benjamin was rampaged. Benjamin was out for revenge and armed his final two sons. They went and took over the redcoat soldiers that had Gabriel in custody.

Benjamin and Gabriel went out riding throughout the village collecting militia soldiers to fight for freedom from King George and the redcoats. They collected many men, some experienced soldiers, and some barely knowing how to fire a musket.

Kernel Benjamin melted down his dead sons lead soldier toys in order to make ammunition for the muskets. This act had to be hard for a father to do but it was necessary in order to have ammunition in order to fight the redcoats.

Benjamin had angered Cornwallis by tricking him into turning over captured bluecoats in exchange for fake redcoat officers. General Cornwallis decided to go for the rest of Benjamin's family. They torched his sister's plantation, trying to kill Benjamin's family. Gabriel came and rescued his brothers, sisters, and aunt taking them to another safe location.

The redcoats received a list of Benjamin's men. They burned the men's homes and killed some of their families. Some of the men became so emotional that they went crazy. One soldier even took his on life in grief of loosing his family. After the suicide, Kernel Benjamin gave his men one-week's pass to go and spend time with their families that survived.

It was a time of reconciling with families and finding love. Gabriel married his girlfriend Ann. They had a nice party after the wedding. Benjamin fell in love also. Benjamin made a breakthrough with his younger daughter. He promised his daughter that he would return home to be with her soon.

As Benjamin returned from their time with their families, it seemed that only a handful of his men had rejoined him. Slowly more of his men returned to him in aid. They went into the town to find all of the townspeople burnt up in the church. This outraged Benjamin and his men.

Benjamin and his men went on a rampage killing the redcoats. Gabriel died in this rampage by the same redcoat that killed his younger brother Thomas. This made Kernel Benjamin thrive for victory even more. The men came together and planned a large attack on the British redcoats. It was not looking victorious for the bluecoats in the beginning of the battle, but they had a trick up their sleeves. They had their entire army over the hill and they victoriously won the battle. This battle was the turning point in the war. Kernel Benjamin got his revenge on the redcoat that killed his sons and the colonies claimed the victory.

The web site http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/revolution says that the American Revolution began in the year 1775. The site speaks of Paul Revere and William Dawes leaving Boston to warn the colonist about the war. The shot heard around the world on April 19 at dawn was also mentioned on the web site. The American Revolution is one of the most important wars that we have won the war for our freedom.

The Patriot is one of Hollywood's best depictions of the revolutionary war. I would recommend anyone who desired to see a good movie about the revolutionary war to watch The Patriot. The movie is a good example on how our country won their freedom against the British. The Patriot is truly one of the best war movies that I have seen thus far.