Section 1: Plot Overview
The Patriot, a film directed by Roland Emmerich in 2000, depicts the American Revolution (late 1700’s) from the point-of-view of a French and Indian War veteran named Benjamin Martin. The other main character substantially involved in the American Revolution from Benjamin’s family is Gabriel Martin, who is played by the actor Heath Ledger. Both characters inhabit a farm in South Carolina maintained by “free servants.” Benjamin’s decisions throughout the film are colored by his past experiences in the British army during the French and Indian War. While serving for the British, Benjamin was assigned “Fort Wilderness,” where he was involved in brutal acts that left him ashamed of his service. However, these experiences …show more content…
In other words, Britain’s violence in The Patriot (2000) suggested Benjamin’s militia was entitled to murder entire convoys and seek revenge for the Martin family. Besides, devotion to the American ideal is one of the major intrigues of the film, and the “cruel British” enhanced the story’s conflict substantially. The American Revolution’s reputation as a textbook example of American propaganda relieves Emmerich of some blame for propagating the idea that the United States dominated WWII.
Another outstanding historical error in this film was the depiction of slavery in the late 1700’s. While The Patriot (2000) portrays the state of slavery in a progressive, positive light, the reality of slavery was much the opposite. The film has been accused of outright ignoring the relevance of slavery during the time, and altering details to hide America’s vast participation in the slave trade (Owens, …show more content…
While true, the surrender was the effect of prior political arrangements that had happened before the battle of Yorktown. The militia’s success against the British at Yorktown can be attributed to support provided by foreign countries such as France that were previously defeated by Britain. In fact, George Washington’s army was primarily French officers and soldiers. Foreign aid may have been the bridge needed to finally sign the Treaty of Paris in 1783, effectively ending the war for America’s newly recognized independence (Duiker & Spielvogel,
The Patriot, a film directed by Roland Emmerich in 2000, depicts the American Revolution (late 1700’s) from the point-of-view of a French and Indian War veteran named Benjamin Martin. The other main character substantially involved in the American Revolution from Benjamin’s family is Gabriel Martin, who is played by the actor Heath Ledger. Both characters inhabit a farm in South Carolina maintained by “free servants.” Benjamin’s decisions throughout the film are colored by his past experiences in the British army during the French and Indian War. While serving for the British, Benjamin was assigned “Fort Wilderness,” where he was involved in brutal acts that left him ashamed of his service. However, these experiences …show more content…
In other words, Britain’s violence in The Patriot (2000) suggested Benjamin’s militia was entitled to murder entire convoys and seek revenge for the Martin family. Besides, devotion to the American ideal is one of the major intrigues of the film, and the “cruel British” enhanced the story’s conflict substantially. The American Revolution’s reputation as a textbook example of American propaganda relieves Emmerich of some blame for propagating the idea that the United States dominated WWII.
Another outstanding historical error in this film was the depiction of slavery in the late 1700’s. While The Patriot (2000) portrays the state of slavery in a progressive, positive light, the reality of slavery was much the opposite. The film has been accused of outright ignoring the relevance of slavery during the time, and altering details to hide America’s vast participation in the slave trade (Owens, …show more content…
While true, the surrender was the effect of prior political arrangements that had happened before the battle of Yorktown. The militia’s success against the British at Yorktown can be attributed to support provided by foreign countries such as France that were previously defeated by Britain. In fact, George Washington’s army was primarily French officers and soldiers. Foreign aid may have been the bridge needed to finally sign the Treaty of Paris in 1783, effectively ending the war for America’s newly recognized independence (Duiker & Spielvogel,