The Patriot

Directed by Roland Emmerich, The Patriot follows Mel Gibson’s Benjamin Martin as he reluctantly joins the American Revolutionary War after his son (Gregory Smith’s Thomas) is callously murdered by a vicious British officer (Jason Isaacs’ William Tavington). Filmmaker Emmerich, armed with a script by Robert Rodat, delivers a predominantly engrossing piece of work that benefits from its sweeping atmosphere and raft of above-average performances, with, in terms of the latter, Gibson offering up a phenomenally compelling and commanding turn that goes a long way towards smoothing over the narrative’s periodic lulls (eg a less-than-engrossing stretch detailing Benjamin’s efforts at training inexperienced men in the art of war). (It’s clear, however, that Isaacs’ terrific and gleefully over-the-top turn as the movie’s mustache-twirling villain remains an obvious highlight within the proceedings.) The progressively enthralling atmosphere, which is perpetuated by a recurring emphasis on mesmerizing sequences and set-pieces (eg Benjamin almost singlehandedly takes out an entire platoon of British soldiers), paves the way for a final third that’s as spellbinding as it is heartbreaking, while the thoroughly satisfying climax ensures that the whole thing concludes on a seriously positive note – with the end result a top-tier historical epic that rarely (if ever) feels as long as its 165 minutes (ie this thing just breezes along, mostly).

**** out of ****