Film Review: The Patriot (2000)

If you ask an AI chatbot to summarise the plot of a generic Yugoslav Partisan film, the most likely answer would be something like this: The protagonist, played by Ljubiša Samardžić, is a widower and war veteran who lives a peaceful, idyllic life in the countryside with his seven children. This ends in 1941 when Hitler’s hordes occupy the country. However, the freedom-loving spirit within the people cannot be suppressed, leading them to start an uprising. Our protagonist, despite being encouraged by his friend, the political commissar (played by Marko Nikolić), to use his martial skills to serve the insurgents, believes that the Germans are a great power and that opposing them would be futile. His barely adult son (played by Dragan Bjelogrlić), however, has different ideas and, unlike his father, takes up arms without hesitation. Initially, the poorly armed and inexperienced rebels have little success against German forces equipped with artillery, aircraft, and tanks. After one such defeat, the injured son finds refuge at his father's estate. This leads our hero to encounter a Nazi penal expedition led by a sadistic SS colonel (played by Radko Polič). Upon capturing and sentencing his rebel son to execution, the SS officer kills one of his sons, burns down their property, and drives away their livestock. Finally, this once peaceful widower decides to utilise his rich combat experience – after killing a German patrol and freeing his son, he sends the rest of his family into hiding with his former sister-in-law (played by Milena Dravić), who has feelings for him, while joining the ranks of the insurgents himself. Aware that fighting openly against the Germans is hopeless, he quickly organises a guerrilla unit using a “hit-and-run” strategy, inflicting heavy losses upon the Germans. Even Wehrmacht General (played by Peter Carsten), who sees himself as a chivalrous old-school soldier, reluctantly approves of the unconventional and bloody counterinsurgency methods employed by his SS subordinate. Over time, the guerrilla unit becomes so strong that it attracts support from British allies who send a liaison officer (played by Relja Bašić) to coordinate future cooperation. In the end, strengthened, enlightened, and inspired by Allied assistance, the insurgents decisively beat back the Germans and their domestic collaborators. Following the end of the war, our hero swears alongside his comrades that they won’t just rebuild what was destroyed and pillaged but also establish a new society based on social justice, brotherhood, and unity among the nations and ethnicities of Yugoslavia.

If someone asks what the above paragraph has to do with The Patriot, a 2000 American historical epic directed by Roland Emmerich, the answer is very simple. The hypothetical and real films, despite some obvious differences in time and location, are similar. Furthermore, the script by Robert Rodat, best known for his work on Saving Private Ryan has more to do with the fiction of Yugoslav Partisan cinema than with actual historical truth regarding the American Revolutionary War in South Carolina. Emmerich's film is actually most interesting as an example of the lengths Hollywood was willing to go while trying to reconcile two major trends of the late Clinton era – American self-righteousness and "political correctness."

The central character, Benjamin Martin (played by Mel Gibson), is loosely based on real historical figure Francis Marion; however, there isn't much connection for good reasons. Marion is depicted in historical books as a sadistic monster who raped his own slaves and hunted Native Americans for sport. Similarly, the primary antagonist Colonel William Tavington (played by Jason Isaacs), modelled after British Colonel Banastre Tarleton, emerged from the war with a reputation as a hero and spent the remainder of his life as a respected citizen of Liverpool and a long-time member of British Parliament; however, in the film, Tavington is portrayed as a sadistic monster whose atrocious acts against American civilians would make even Nazis uncomfortable. When we add scenes where women and African Americans in 18th-century America appear to enjoy full equality along with the absence of Native Americans—who mostly fought on the side of British—it becomes clear why this film can only be considered historically accurate if we apply a rather creative set of criteria.

On the other hand, just like with Gladiator, viewers who are not overly concerned with complete historical authenticity will be satisfied. Those viewers who have long felt nostalgic for Yugoslav Partisan films would be even more pleased. Emmerich's film fully satisfies all the "rules" of films that were once proudly shown in cinemas and on television in former Yugoslavia. Hence, it is a fairly convincing hypothesis posited by Croatian film critic Jurica Pavičić in Slobodna Dalmacija newspaper that Emmerich watched various Partisan films like Otpisani or Partisan Squadron in his younger days. It wasn't difficult to replace the People's Liberation Struggle with the American Revolution; Germans with Redcoats; and MG42 machine guns and MP38 submachine guns with tomahawks and muskets. Emmerich has at least partially succeeded in this endeavour; casting Mel Gibson—of Braveheart fame—shows the actor’s inclination for such types of films. This is best seen in action scenes which are quite impressive not only for their brutality but also for faithfully reconstructing 18th-century warfare (when speed and range of firearms necessitated using so-called line tactics in set-piece battles).

Unfortunately, Emmerich's film falls short in many aspects when compared to Braveheart. While Gibson's film featured a charismatic villain, here we have cartoonish one-dimensional characters like Colonel Tavington and Lord Cornwallis; this does not improve when portrayed by talented British actors like Isaacs and Tom Wilkinson. Other supporting roles aren't any better either – Chris Klein, Cooper, and Joely Richardson merely work their parts while burdened with clunky dialogue. The younger protagonists fare even worse – handsome Australian actor Heath Ledger in the role of Martin's son serves as a replacement for Leonardo DiCaprio because someone needed to draw teenage girls to cinemas; meanwhile his partner Lisa Brenner is simply awful. Emmerich fortunately possesses a sense of rhythm; thus sentimentally cheesy and predictable segments involving characters' private lives between battles don't last too long. Patriot can be praised for its excellent cinematography by Caleb Deschanel which greatly contributes to the beauty of South Carolina's landscapes and 18th-century costumes. Conversely, for the first time in a long while, legendary composer John Williams completely missed the mark; his score reduces itself to endless repetition that sometimes fails to distinguish itself from late work by his hyper-productive colleague Ennio Morricone.

At the end of the day, Patriot is a film that will entertain you if you don't take it too seriously; two-and-a-half hours in front of screen won't feel wasted. The author of this review cannot escape the impression that Ljubiša Samardžić armed with an MG42 used to show far more charm and effectiveness than Mel Gibson armed with a tomahawk.

RATING: 6/10 (++)

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