The Patriot

The Patriot is a magnificent drama about the War of American Independence (1775-83) in which the 13 colonies broke away from British control.

The plantation-owner Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibson) is against the war, not least because he is a widower and has a large family to support. His eldest son Gabriel does not share his father's beliefs so he enlists to fight for independence.

After a battle Gabriel, who is slightly wounded, seeks refuge at his father's house, but he is captured and taken prisoner by the ruthless Colonel Tavington. When Gabriel's younger brother Thomas tries to come to his rescue, Tavington brutally kills Thomas. From this moment Benjamin Martin can no remain passive: he has a son to free and a son to avenge.

The Patriot has been accused of depicting the English army as sadistic brutes, but the movie is more nuanced than that. True, Tavington is the typical villain, the epitome of cruelty, but the movie does not shrink from showing that bloodthirst and brutality is not limited to the English.