The Patriot - Moviebodega



THE PATRIOT


Roland Emmerich

Robert Rodat

R

Mel Gibson, Heath Ledger, Joely Richardson, Jason Isaacs, Chris Cooper, Tchéky Karyo, Rene Auberjonois, Lisa Brenner, Tom Wilkinson, Donal Logue, Leon Rippy, and Adam Baldwin

If nothing else, say this for THE PATRIOT -- it's the most leisurely-paced action blockbuster of the summer. Torn between its artistic reach for epic drama and its economic need to give provide a rollicking good time for the masses, THE PATRIOT ends up somewhere in between, an odd hybrid of historical lesson and spoon-fed brauvura. In the end, this confusing mix is too much for the short-attention-span audiences of summer, but in its own way, it's a fascinating failure, an attempt to take American history through pop culture and back again.

Leading the charge is Roland Emmerich, the German-born director of Independence Day and Godzilla, who has enlisted the aid of an almost completely non-American cast for this patriotic diversion. His star, Mel Gibson, is Australian, as is Gibson's onscreen son, Heath Ledger. His love interest is Joely Richardson, and his enemies are Cornwallis (Tom Wilkinson) and Tavington (Jason Issacs) -- all performers from Britain. Even Gibson's French ally is Russian (Tcheky Karyo). In fact, it is only deep in the supporting ensemble do you find recognizable American performers, including Chris Cooper, Rene Auberjonois, and Donal Logue. (Upon reflection, even the Americans' names seem foreign.)

Of course, one should always hunt out the best actors for any role, and certainly all of these accomplished performers play their parts well. For a film so thoroughly permeated by all things Americana, however, there seems to be something a bit stilted about THE PATRIOT. There's an urgency missing, a sense of bone-headed pride that Americans often feel about their country and their work. While Gibson And Company hit the mark regarding the universal aspects of the story -- concern for family, trust in comrades, etc. -- they might as well be fighting the Franco-Prussian War as much as the Revolutionary War. There's nothing unique about this experience, nothing to differentiate this conflict from any other. Unlike other American war films -- SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, FULL METAL JACKET, PATTON -- THE PATRIOT is unable to define what is special about its subject matter. In short, it misses the point.

That may be due to the hackneyed elements in its borrowed script, which could be grounds for copyright infringement suits from a dozen other movies. Written by PRIVATE RYAN author Robert Rodat, THE PATRIOT borrows heavily from Gibson's Oscar-winning effort, BRAVEHEART...almost down to the order of the scenes. It also borrows, however, from other recent blockbusters, including a few Costner pictures, DANCES WITH WOLVES and especially ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES. With SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, the weaknesses in Rodat's script were overpowered by Steven Spielberg's stunning visual sensibility. Unfortunately, the workmanlike, formulaic Emmerich is no Spielberg; Rodat's inability to write credible, believable period dialogue is painfully obvious in his latest effort. (Often, Mel Gibson sounds as if he just took a turn off the Santa Monica Freeway before coming to battle the Redcoats.)

For what it's worth, the story centers around Benjamin Martin (Gibson), a colonial farmer in South Carolina who performed legendary feats of heroism -- and brutality -- in the French and Indian War. As the tensions mount between Britain and the Colonies, Martin, who has had enough of violence, does not want another war, preferring to take care of his many children in the face of his wife's death. Still, when Gabriel (Ledger), his son, signs up for the Continental Army, the lines are drawn differently. Leaving his remaining children with his wife's sister, the beautiful Charlotte (Richardson), the battle-weary Benjamin joins the resistance.

He does this, of course, by forming a band of Merry Men -- er, a Militia, made up of the salt of the earth: a preacher (Auberjonois), a racist (Logue), and a runaway slave (Leon Rippy). The militia almost immediately gains a legendary reputation...a reputation that angers the aristocratic Cornwalls (Wilkinson) and the barbaric Tavington (Isaacs). They begin a hunt for Benjamin, one that ends...perhaps you don't know the ending? (Hint: The colonies win.)

The performances are capable, but few are outstanding. Gibson carries himself with Important Picture haughtiness, reminiscent of Denzel Washington's recent turn in THE HURRICANE. The nobility of Benjamin, a murderous saint, is questionable at best, but the golden haze that seems to surround the character never falters. Gibson is a talented star, but he is unable to stamp the role with his personality as he did with William Wallace or Mad Max.

Chris Cooper, as Benjamin's commanding officer and friend Colonel Harry Burwell, adds to his impressive resume. Cooper never capitulates to the soap-operatic script; in fact, the honesty that he brings to THE PATRIOT is quite refreshing. On another level entirely, Tom Willkinson mines gold out of his cartoonish villain Cornwallis, finding layers of meaning in text that isn't nearly as good as he is.

But does any of this really matter? No. The cast is fine. The direction is adequate. If it isn't the epic tale it wants to be, so what? Truthfully, Lawrence Of Arabia wasn't all that factually correct, either. THE PATRIOT is history prepackaged for the Titanic crowd -- the faint brush stroke of actual history, painted over a tried-and-true formula picture. Yes, the rockets' red glare, the bombs burst in mid-air, and the banner yet waves...but THE PATRIOT is less about America's struggle for independence, and more about the struggle for the soul of the megaplex.

Gabriel Shanks - moviebodega@mindspring.com

Screened at Sony Loews New Brunswick, New Brunswick, NJ
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