The patriot the movie, the patriot, is the story of a south carolina plantation owner, benjamin martin, who leads a local militia against british troops in the south during the beginning of the american revolutionary war. I love the movie itself its massively entertaining, and heath ledger just kills his role in the film. I never learned of any such incidents in school other than the boston massacre and as an american i feel like that wouldve. The most historically inaccurate movies ever readers digest. More seriously from the standpoint of historical accuracy, the 54th, portrayed in the movie as made up largely of runaway slaves like john rawlins morgan. Gibson acknowledged, if one were to adhere to historical accuracy all the way, youd probably have the most. Since, as a historian, i often speak to audiences about lincolns life and his murder, i have been receiving a lot of questions about the film. Sep 18, 2019 the other night, i rewatched the patriot, starring mel gibson. Historical accuracy of the patriot the patriot by patrick. Factchecking the patriots day movie the boston globe. The patriot, directed by roland emmerich for centropolis entertainment, columbia pictures, and sony pictures entertainment, is a stirring account.
The 2004 epic film troy catches quite the break when it comes to historical films. In the movie the british are show burning down a church with. The clothes in this movie are accurate for the time period. In factchecking the patriots day movie, we discovered that the film was born from two screenplays, one that revolved around the manhunt boston strong and one based on a 60 minutes episode about the bombing patriots day. The patriot was released in 2000 and is a mel gibson vehicle check out the poster. Benjamin martin is a farmer and was a member of the military during the seven years war.
The patriot is more or less accurate about the frontier violence in the. Jun 28, 2000 the patriot is a fable arguing the futility of pacifism, set against the backdrop of the revolutionary war. The atrocities committed by the british in the movie never happened, for one the war in s. Certain events, battles, and people are depicted in the patriot for historical accuracy. In the movie s version of events, the revolution is nearly lost because general george washington and the main patriot army are being pursued by a much larger british army in the north, while cornwallis has destroyed the rebel army in the south.
He is last seen fighting alongside the british in the final battle of the movie. The patriot please like comment and subscribe for new videos and let us know which movie you would like us to look at next follow me on twit. Historical accuracy of the mel gibson movie the patriot. What one could mean by the word entertaining is that while it had amazing action sequences. The patriot, directed by roland emmerich and starring mel gibson, offers a fictionalized look at a south carolina militia group comprised of american misfits. The patriot is a fable arguing the futility of pacifism, set against the backdrop of the revolutionary war. People watch all types of movie including action movies, adventure movies, comedy movies, and many other categories, but when it comes to the history movies, people do not think if the story of the history movie is a truly based on our real history or it is just filled with bunch of fiction. The recent furor raised by the release of mel gibsons revolutionary war epic, the patriot, gives currency to such questions. Truth is the first casualty in hollywoods war, read the headline of the london telegraphs take on the patriot. Jul 23, 2009 period and historical films the patriot. Mark wahlberg filmed a scene for patriots day in april 2016.
They were combined to create a screenplay that fell. He had lost his wife and joins the revolutionary war due to the loss of his 15 year old son. They are led by reluctant warrior benjamin martin gibson, a seasoned veteran of the earlier french and indian war, who still regrets his participation in the uncontrolled savagery that. The patriot is a 2000 american epic historical fiction war film directed by roland emmerich, written by robert rodat, and starring mel gibson, chris cooper, heath ledger, and jason isaacs. A few key deviations from revolutionary war history deflate the impact of what. I watched the movie called the patriot and in this paper i will compare the story of the patriot with real history to figure out if the movie contains a. The first was entertaining but largely fictional and the second was factually accurate but lacked dramatic tension. Benjamin martin is based on a combination of real historical figures. Killing civilians in this way is was fairly standard procedure for an army occupying a country. The portrayal of african americans and slavery in the movie has also been a subject of much controversy. Historical inacuracies continued historical inaccuracies much of the patriot is not historically accurate. A significant segment of the population of the carolinas and georgia.
However, using historical facts in a movie calls for the accuracy of shared information and the well inclination of each fact to the fictional story and characters but then in the movie the patriot, critics claimed that there was no accuracy in history as depicted in the movie that may result to false information being shared to the. The statement history has shown that cavalry charges are decisive by a major in the british cavalry early in the film captures the thinking at the beginning of the war, and the cavalry soon learn the hard way. Martin is based on a sanitised composite of several historical militiamen, most obviously the swamp fox, francis marion. Events the following pages listed in order of appearance in the film look at the historical accuracy of events depicted in the patriot. A scene early in the movie where martin wipes out twenty redcoats on his own is undeniably incredible but unlike the nameless extras. Something about the words based on a true story flashing across the screen has the ability to capture a viewers attention unlike anything else. Principal among the movie s gross inaccuracies is the portrayal of british soldiers as evil, bloodthirsty sadists. Francis marion was known as the swamp fox and he helped. This film is believed to be very inaccurate by many critics but i would say that it is somewhat both accurate and inaccurate. The patriot is a 2000 american epic historical fiction war film directed by roland emmerich. The patriot the movie, the patriot, is the story of a south carolina plantation owner, benjamin martin, who leads a local militia against british troops in the south during the beginning of the. The patriot the patriot is a 2000 american historical war film the film mainly takes place in york county, south carolina. The restriction on civil liberties was a major factor prompting americans to rebel.
Jul 06, 2017 i know this wasnt the man thrust of your question and i think youre correct about no car being flipped, but one thing that disappointed me. Mel gibson blots his copybook yet again with this account. Germans did this as well in ww2, if a soldier turned up dead with no real suspect other than the local population, it was common to kill multiple civi. The british are seen as gentlemanly fops or sadistic monsters, and the americans come in two. Benjamin martin is a composite character made up of thomas sumter, daniel morgan, andrew pickens, and francis marion all whom were real people. But as an amateur wannabe history buff, there were some significant historical inaccuracies of the patriot that stood out while the costumes worn in the film, as well as the firearms used, are very accurate, many aspects of. The four battles depicted in this movie were taken from five original battles that really happened. Historical inaccuracies of the patriot by roberto loya on prezi. Roland emmerich and dean devlin, the directorproducer team responsible for such scifi blockbusters as independence day, stargate, and godzilla, take a step back in time with this drama set.
History is full of noteworthy people and events that are just ripe for the screenwriter s picking and often result in. Historical inaccuracies of the patriot by roberto loya on. Historical accuracy although it is primarily a movie about a horse and his human, there are several superb battlefield scenes. The persecution of martin by cornwallis army was real and based on francis marion. But as you can see it is more inaccurate than it is accurate. Like many historical films, the patriot involves a mixture of fact and fiction.
The movie depicts a story of an american who is swept into the american revolutionary war when his family is threatened. The first thing i would say about the movie is that almost everyone watches the movie. A scene early in the movie where martin wipes out twenty redcoats on his own is undeniably incredible but unlike the nameless extras, british regulars were trained to use their bayonets and would have stuck him like a pig. Looking at its historical accuracy, we can find the good and bad representations as well as the truly ugly decisions that truly twist history. Essay about historical accuracy of the patriot 950 words 4 pages.
But as an amateur wannabe history buff, there were some significant historical inaccuracies of the patriot that stood out. You can view samples of our professional work here. It is rousing and entertaining, and you get your moneys worth, but there isnt an idea in it that will stand up to thoughtful scrutiny. The patriot, 2000 top 10 historically misleading films. So as i write this, the movie the patriot is on tv, and i always wondered how accurate were the depictions of atrocities committed against the colonists.
Benjamin martins quote to the south carolina assembly. Principal among the movies gross inaccuracies is the portrayal of british soldiers as evil, bloodthirsty sadists. There were also other details in the film that were not accurately shown. He disrupted antish line of communication, captured scouting and foraging parties, and intimidated loyalists. Historical accuracy of the mel gibson movie the patriot 2000. The old revolutionary war scenes and battles make this movie a tremendous action film. Essay about historical accuracy of the patriot 950 words. With outstanding performances from mel gibson, heath ledger, and many others, the patriot was hands down the best movie i have ever seen. The film mainly takes place in rural berkeley county, south carolina, and depicts the story of an american colonist, nominally loyal to the british crown, who is swept into the american revolutionary war when.
Although the historical advisor for the film is the smithsonian institute it does not seem to have noticed that the toy soldiers used in the film some in superb closeup are all dressed in uniforms of the mid to late 19th cent. I know this wasnt the man thrust of your question and i think youre correct about no car being flipped, but one thing that disappointed me. Marion was originally the lead character in the script, but because of controversy and to allow for more dramatic storytelling more fiction, martin was introduced. What are some historical inaccuracies in the movie the patriot. The movie does leave viewers with a mistaken sense that everyone in. The movie, the patriot, begins in 1776, in south carolina. I tend to come down on the side of the defenders of historical integrity, but i understand why movies take liberties with the truth. However, much of the patriot is not historically accurate in the interpretation of broad themes or in specific details of the campaign in the south and of warfare in the american revolution. Martin, who is a widower with six children and a veteran of. One situation that people were particularly angry about was the part when a whole bunch of people were locked in a building and then the building was burned. Jan 26, 2011 truth is the first casualty in hollywoods war, read the headline of the london telegraphs take on the patriot.
This is not an example of the work produced by our essay writing service. Patriots day, the newest film from director peter berg and star mark wahlberg, recreates the events of the boston marathon bombings of 20. The patriot is one of the most polarizing recent historically based movies. What are some historical inaccuracies in the movie the. Dec 03, 2015 killing civilians in this way is was fairly standard procedure for an army occupying a country. Although the movie has done reasonably well at the box office, it has been attacked for its historical inaccuracies, particularly as they relate to race relations during the revolution. The other night, i rewatched the patriot, starring mel gibson. Historical accuracy in the movie the patriot essay essay.
The patriot 2000 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. One of the most common questions i have been receiving from college audiences is, is the lincoln movie accurate. Adding more credibility to the historical accuracy of this film was the. Carolina was brutual, but it was basically a civil war between. However, much of the patriot is not historically accurate in the interpretation of broad themes or in specific details of the campaign in the south and of warfare in. The movie portrays the colonists rebellion against the british as a way of leaving injustice. They had received them in a cardboard box from leaker daniel ellsberg after the new york times had been temporarily banned by the government from publishing any more of the documents. How accurate is the watertown shootout scene in the movie. Like in the post movie, the true story confirms that the journalists camped out in ben bradlees library to sort the papers, which werent organized well. The patriot examines a recent feature film about the american revolutionary war, helping viewers decipher which aspects are drama and which are accurate reflections of the past. The film mainly takes place in rural berkeley county, south carolina, and depicts the story of an american colonist, nominally loyal to the british crown. William gilmore simms and hugh rankin have written accurate biographies of marion, including simms the life of francis marion.
The patriot is a movie that seems to have been made as historically correct as possible while adding a personal and emotional side behind it. The character senarnin martin is based on a real life historical figure, francs marion loya, robert. Dec 29, 2016 patriots day, the newest film from director peter berg and star mark wahlberg, recreates the events of the boston marathon bombings of 20. The popular film the patriot is loosely based on the exploits of several real life historical figures including a british officer, lt. He had lost his wife and joins the revolutionary war due to. The most serious deficiency of the patriot is its almost complete omission of the loyalists. Francis marion was an american revolutionary soldier who fought using guerilla tactics. The patriot, directed by roland emmerich for centropolis.
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