The Alamo and The Patriot’s script grasp two important historical events in American history. While The Alamo focuses on the battle Texans fought against Santa Anna in 1836, The Patriot takes place in the eighteenth century during the American Revolution. The filmmakers of both films are artist who interpret meaning and not state facts like reporters. As a result, these films fail to make good history because their filmmakers manipulate the plot to where it is centered only around the American perspective. This is evident in both films through the impartial screen time each side is given and the biased development of characters.
If the filmmakers from both movies had decided to interpret the history differently and had only shown the Mexican and British perspective, the roles would have been swapped, …show more content…
This is evident in the screen time each side is given in both films. By giving unequal screen time to both sides during a film, the filmmakers conceal the truth from the audience and do not allow the opposing side to justify their actions. In The Alamo, Santa Ana is presented in scenes only where he uses his power to remove the vulnerable Texans out of the Alamo. Further, in The Patriot, Col. Tavington is shown burning down buildings and killing innocent people. These are all expected actions of a villain in a story which follow the model that causes viewers to root for a main character against that character's enemies. Benjamin Martin, the American patriot in The Patriot, is given more screen time to justify his actions and show the audience he is only acting to defend his family’s wellbeing. Santa Ana and Col. Tavington, are the only strong leading characters from the opposing side in each film which creates a biased development of characters. Their upper hand figures and cruel characteristics create a fixed viewpoint that keeps the audience from the truth of both
If the filmmakers from both movies had decided to interpret the history differently and had only shown the Mexican and British perspective, the roles would have been swapped, …show more content…
This is evident in the screen time each side is given in both films. By giving unequal screen time to both sides during a film, the filmmakers conceal the truth from the audience and do not allow the opposing side to justify their actions. In The Alamo, Santa Ana is presented in scenes only where he uses his power to remove the vulnerable Texans out of the Alamo. Further, in The Patriot, Col. Tavington is shown burning down buildings and killing innocent people. These are all expected actions of a villain in a story which follow the model that causes viewers to root for a main character against that character's enemies. Benjamin Martin, the American patriot in The Patriot, is given more screen time to justify his actions and show the audience he is only acting to defend his family’s wellbeing. Santa Ana and Col. Tavington, are the only strong leading characters from the opposing side in each film which creates a biased development of characters. Their upper hand figures and cruel characteristics create a fixed viewpoint that keeps the audience from the truth of both