The first thing i would say about the movie is that almost everyone watches the movie. 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. 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, who is swept into the american revolutionary war when. The patriot, like glory, while inaccurate in its historical details, distills the essence of the nobility, sacrifice, and suffering necessary to found and keep such a republic. At the time of the films release, some historians noted the similarity between this and the. They were combined to create a screenplay that fell. Here is a website that will detail the hundreds of historical inaccuracies in the film. For that reason this is a list of 9 movies when i would have preferred to do 10.
He had lost his wife and joins the revolutionary war due to the loss of his 15 year old son. Benjamin martin is a composite character made up of thomas sumter, daniel morgan, andrew pickens, and francis marion all whom were real people. Patriot, troy, and robin hood are extremely inaccurate. But as an amateur wannabe history buff, there were some significant historical inaccuracies of the patriot that stood out. 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. Benjamin martin is a farmer and was a member of the military during the seven years war. Jan 26, 2011 truth is the first casualty in hollywoods war, read the headline of the london telegraphs take on the patriot. To make matters even worse, filmmakers often claim that clearly fictional horror stories are based on. The director of the film, roland emmerich, helps give an idea of what the war of independence was like in 1776. The patriot is pure, blatant american hollywood propaganda. Historical inacuracies continued historical inaccuracies much of the patriot is not historically accurate.
In fact, the patriot turns a blind eye to slavery altogether, a decision that received much attention from critics including director spike lee. For three hours the patriot dodged around, skirted about or completely ignored slavery, lee wrote in a letter to the hollywood reporter. 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. Historical accuracy of the patriot the patriot by patrick thomas. History is full of noteworthy people and events that are just ripe for the screenwriter s picking and often result in. Which brings us to the films not inconsiderable failures and inaccuracies. Nevertheless, the film did not portray british soldiers, the way people saluted one another and the protagonist benjamin martin accurately. Historical accuracy of the patriot the patriot by patrick. The most serious deficiency of the patriot is its almost complete omission of the loyalists. I love the movie itself its massively entertaining, and heath ledger just kills his role in the film. Though many of these films have been out for years, massive spoilers lie ahead. Benjamin martin is based on a combination of real historical figures. The most historically inaccurate movies ever readers digest. A scene early in the movie where martin wipes out twenty redcoats on his own is undeniably incredible but unlike the nameless extras.
Mark wahlberg filmed a scene for patriots day in april 2016. Gladiator is more accurate but even then so much is changed. For the purposes of this list, the medieval period is considered to have run from the 6th century to the 16th century. Lets take a look at the 15 most historically inaccurate movies ever. However, much of the patriot is not historically accurate in the interpretation of broad themes or in specific details of the campaign in the south and of warfare in. The only actual fort wilderness is at disney world. The patriot, 2000 top 10 historically misleading films. There were also other details in the film that were not accurately shown.
Is the landscape in the film the patriot historically accurate. But as you can see it is more inaccurate than it is accurate. 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 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. As i progressed through my research i was shocked to realize how few of them are accurate historically. 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.
With outstanding performances from mel gibson, heath ledger, and many others, the patriot was hands down the best movie i have ever seen. The popular film the patriot is loosely based on the exploits of several real life historical figures including a british officer, lt. There is absolutely, undoubtedly zero fact outside the basic requirements. 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. In the broad strokes, yeson other levels, it is sheer fantasy. But in providing a complex picture of robert bruce, a man usually idealised in fiction, it brings something surprisingly accurate to the screen.
Dec 03, 2015 killing civilians in this way is was fairly standard procedure for an army occupying a country. Theres no such thing as an entirely historically accurate film. Mel gibson plays colonel benjamin martin, the militia leader, and does his usual superb job. The many historical facts the movie braveheart got wrong. Is the movie the patriot historically accurate answers.
Mel gibson blots his copybook yet again with this account of the american war of. Factchecking the patriots day movie the boston globe. Essay about historical accuracy of the patriot 950 words. This is not historically accurate, said mel gibson. Whether certain liberties need to be taken with the truth in order to tell a certain story or there was just an unfortunate lack of accurate historical information at the time the film was shot, there have been plenty of valid reasons over the years why a movie might need to change parts of history. Patriots day, the newest film from director peter berg and star mark wahlberg, recreates the events of the boston marathon bombings of 20. 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. Sep 18, 2019 the other night, i rewatched the patriot, starring mel gibson. Jared sparks, the life of george washington boston.
Killing civilians in this way is was fairly standard procedure for an army occupying a country. 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. He had lost his wife and joins the revolutionary war due to. Germans did this as well in ww2, if a soldier turned up dead with no real suspect other than the local population, it was common to kill multiple civi. Mackubin thomas owens is professor of strategy and force planning at the naval war college in newport, ri, and an adjunct fellow of the ashbrook center. The other night, i rewatched the patriot, starring mel gibson. Martin is based on a sanitised composite of several historical militiamen, most obviously. Historical accuracy in the patriot 1055 words cram. Historical accuracy of the mel gibson movie the patriot 2000.
I thought it was a good movie, but historically it is not true to history or the time. A significant segment of the population of the carolinas and georgia. The first was entertaining but largely fictional and the second was factually accurate but lacked dramatic tension. Principal among the movies gross inaccuracies is the portrayal of british soldiers as evil, bloodthirsty sadists. The patriot is an action drama not an historic epic so it is not considered historically accurate. Finally, the field artillery available to both sides could not fire exploding shells. The film does a good job in depicting the part militias played in delaying cornwallis. Truth is the first casualty in hollywoods war, read the headline of the london telegraphs take on the patriot. 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. Apr 16, 2014 the patriot is a historically accurate film about the american revolution btw mel gibson is a lunatic. The clothes in this movie are accurate for the time period. In fact, it is doubtful if the purpose of the film was to be historically accurate. Pearl harbor 2001 braveheart 1995 alexander 2004 the patriot 2000 marie antoinette 2006 300 2006 apocalypto 2006 gladiator 2000 jfk 1991 j. The old revolutionary war scenes and battles make this movie a tremendous action film.
He likes to present his view of history whether it is accurate or. 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. 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. 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. 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. The patriot, directed by roland emmerich for centropolis. The persecution of martin by cornwallis army was real and based on francis marion. 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. A few key deviations from revolutionary war history deflate the. Historical inaccuracies of the patriot by roberto loya on prezi.
History is actually more glamorous than the common image lends it to be. This film is believed to be very inaccurate by many critics but i would say that it is somewhat both accurate and inaccurate. 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. Francis marion was known as the swamp fox and he helped. With that being said, there are several scenes and events that take place in the patriot 2000 that are not historically accurate. Historical accuracy of the mel gibson movie the patriot.
461 625 1512 287 1044 415 124 758 316 295 783 1173 431 26 615 834 1441 717 1124 97 92 249 739 667 388 1153 189 1348 949 1394 251 1094 905 534 651 613 1146 9 761 1157 756 883 1066