Adding more credibility to the historical accuracy of this film was the participation of historians from the smithsonians national museum of american history as. The patriot is a 2000 american epic historical fiction war film directed by roland emmerich, written by robert rodat, and. Some of the most memorable movies of all time are those that explore some element of history. Nevertheless, the film did not portray british soldiers, the way people saluted one another and the protagonist benjamin martin accurately. The many historical facts the movie braveheart got wrong.
The most serious deficiency of the patriot is its almost complete omission of the loyalists. The first thing i would say about the movie is that almost everyone watches the movie. In fact, it is doubtful if the purpose of the film was to be historically accurate. 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. I cant shake this feeling that the patriot has a very antibritish sentiment.
Is the landscape in the film the patriot historically. 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 many historical facts the movie braveheart got wrong and one it got right. Top 10 revolutionary war movies journal of the american.
The patriot historical critique of accuracies benjamin martin is a composite character made up of thomas sumter, daniel morgan, andrew pickens, and francis marion all whom are real people. The british are portrayed as pretentious and effeminate fascists. But as you can see it is more inaccurate than it is accurate. 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. There were also other details in the film that were not accurately shown. What do you think about the historical accuracy of the. The patriot is a fable arguing the futility of pacifism, set against the backdrop of the revolutionary war. Benjamin martin is a composite character made up of thomas sumter. The war, civil rights, renewed relations with china and the aids epidemic are all true. 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. The recent furor raised by the release of mel gibsons revolutionary war epic, the patriot, gives currency to such questions. One of the most common questions i have been receiving from college audiences is, is the lincoln movie accurate.
Further proof this years awards season is on something akin to performance enhancing drugs. In the broad strokes, yeson other levels, it is sheer fantasy. A great deal of that movie was filmed on location in charleston south carolina. 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. Mark wahlberg filmed a scene for patriots day in april 2016. This is also the battle in which general cornwallis is pushed back and the french arrive which ventually leads to an american victory in the revolution.
A scene early in the movie where martin wipes out twenty redcoats on his own is undeniably incredible but unlike the nameless extras. In the movies 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 likes to present his view of history whether it is accurate or. Historical accuracy of the mel gibson movie the patriot 2000. Movie at the new york film festival premiere of the favourite, director yorgos lanthimos told the hollywood reporter, some of the things in the film are accurate and a lot arent. 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. Here you will find unforgettable moments, scenes and lines from all your favorite films. Is the movie the patriot historically accurate answers. The four battles depicted in this movie were taken from five original battles that really happened.
The movie depicts a story of an american who is swept into the american revolutionary war when his family is threatened. Wallace in stained glass at his monument in stirling. 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. Unfortunately, hollywood, for one reason or another, doesnt always get the facts straight. The patriot is more or less accurate about the frontier violence in the.
This is not historically accurate, said mel gibson. 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. Its funny how assassins creed 3 is more accurate than this movie. Which brings us to the films not inconsiderable failures and inaccuracies. Adding more credibility to the historical accuracy of this film was the participation. Factchecking the patriots day movie the boston globe. He was a member of a warrior aristocracy who excelled at the life he was given. Principal among the movies gross inaccuracies is the portrayal of british soldiers as evil, bloodthirsty sadists. 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. At the beginning of the movie when benjamin is taking the children to aunt charlottes house in charleston, there is a woman on the street that does not move, and wearing a big hoop dress. The movie does leave viewers with a mistaken sense that everyone in. I love the movie itself its massively entertaining, and heath ledger just kills his role in the film. What it means is the smaller the target you aim at, the smaller the chance of missing the larger target. Martin, who is a widower with six children and a veteran of.
Like many historical films, the patriot involves a mixture of fact and fiction. 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. Martin is based on a sanitised composite of several historical militiamen, most obviously the swamp fox, francis marion. Overall, glory was an excellent movie, thoroughly enjoyed, and utterly worthy of its ranking. A significant segment of the population of the carolinas and georgia. Historical inaccuracies of the patriot by roberto loya on. Other than taking place during the war for independence its largely dramatized. A few key deviations from revolutionary war history deflate the. 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. If you been to charleston in fact many of those scenes were filmed at middleton plantation which still exist today so yes i would say overall it is historically accurate.
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. The patriot, 2000 top 10 historically misleading films. 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. This is a technique employed by marksmen, especially with less accurate weapons such as the muskets and other muzzle loaded weapons that were used during the american revolution. Essay about historical accuracy of the patriot 950 words. 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. In conclusion, the patriot is a very entertaining film that uses the american revolution in south carolina as a backdrop to tell a story about the way the war affected a fictional family. Michael cieplys piece in the new york times about the historical accuracy of presumed best picture frontrunner 12 years a slave, a film that doesnt even arrive in theaters for another three weeks. There is absolutely, undoubtedly zero fact outside the basic requirements. The other night, i rewatched the patriot, starring mel gibson. Real characters are portrayed by amazing actors, and reallife events are correctly brought to life, however, most of the problems lie in the final scene.
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. Glory is another masterpiece of a war movie, and many of the events portrayed in the film are historically accurate. A few key deviations from revolutionary war history deflate the impact of what. It was very accurate in terms of the politics portrayed within the film, particularly the reactions of the citizens in 1776 when voting to go to war. In the movie, lord cornwallis is portrayed as very old man, which is incorrect because during the time frame of this movie in 1780, general charles lord cornwallis was in his forties. And that is extremely sad in a movie that sells itself as an accurate portrayal of events during the revolution. Historical inacuracies continued historical inaccuracies much of the patriot is not historically accurate. Nicely made with good characters, good acting, a strong storyline and fabulous cinematography. 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. But, to say this movie distorts history would be an understatement. The movieclips channel is the largest collection of licensed movie clips on the web. She is there to hide the fire hydrant on the street underneath her dress. Truth is the first casualty in hollywoods war, read the headline of the london telegraphs take on the patriot. The patriot the patriot is a 2000 american historical war film the film mainly takes place in york county, south carolina.
The patriot, directed by roland emmerich for centropolis. The clothes in this movie are accurate for the time period. To be more descriptive, based on my research i found that cornwallis was born in london on december 31. Historical accuracy of the mel gibson movie the patriot. The song itself is highly emotional and peaceful, becoming nearly heartbreaking when juxtaposed against the chaos and violence of the next day. I thought it was a good movie, but historically it is not true to history or the time.
Starting at the beginning, where they actually tell you theyre planning on telling you lies for the entire movie, we are told the date is 1280 ad, and the narrator says. Perhaps the riskiest departure from the truth was inserting a villain into the story in the guise of cmdr. Principal among the movie s gross inaccuracies is the portrayal of british soldiers as evil, bloodthirsty sadists. Finally, the field artillery available to both sides could not fire exploding shells. Many of the event in the movie forrest gump are historically accurate, as demanded by the star tom hanks.
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