Post #2: Patriotism

September 25, 2007 eunkyungan

The Patriot is a movie written by Robert Rodat and directed by Roland Emmerich filmed in 2000.  This movie is about Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibson), a former war hero owning a plantation with his family in the late 18^th century South Carolina, who gets swept in to the American Revolution when the war reaches his home and the British Colonel Tavington (Jason Isaacs) destroys his home and kills his son, Thomas Martin.  The central historical message of The Patriot is how the Americans won the American Revolution and gained independence from the British through patriotism.

The first character we see portraying patriotism is Benjamin Martin’s eldest son, Gabriel Martin (Heath Ledger).  From the vary beginning of the movie Gabriel is eager to join the Continental army although he’s father is not approving of the American Revolution.  When Gabriel returns home wounded, he still wants to go back fighting.  And when Benjamin tries to stop him from going back to fight, Gabriel says, “I’m going back.  I’m a soldier, it’s my duty” [1].  This quote is a good example of Gabriel’s patriotism for the nation.

We also see patriotism from the main character of the movie, Benjamin Martin.  Although in the beginning of the movie he is against the war because of his family and personal reasons, he ends up being patriotic.  After the death of his second eldest son Thomas Martin, he joins the war, but at this point he is fighting for the hatred and revenge of the death of his innocent son.  However, towards the end of the movie, his eldest son, Gabriel is also killed and as he sees the American flag that Gabriel has been carrying around, he finally finds the Patriotism that has been with him inside all along.  And in the last war scene, he is fighting for the death of his sons and family, but also for the love, support, and defense of the country.  He says in the end, “I take measure of what we have lost and what we have won. My hope and prayer is that the sacrifices born by so many will spawn and fulfill the promises of our nation” [1]. 

Another minor character in the movie that illustrates this patriotism is Occam, the African American slave.  In the beginning of the movie he fights with the promise of freedom, but even after his tweleve months have passed in serving, he still ends up staying.  As one of the men fighting says , “its october now…. it’s more than 12 months, you are a free man” Occam replies, “im here now on my own accord”[1].  This short conversation between them shows his patriotism for the county.

With the Patriotism shown by the people and with the help of the French, the Americans were able to win their independence from the British.  Although the characters were fiction, i believe that there were people like Gabriel Martin, Benjamin Martin, and Occam who were patriotic to the nation and fought.  In addition, eventhough the American Revolution maybe not be correctly exact historically, i think that they got the main idea of the war and how they won the American Revolution correct.

[1]The Patriot. Dir. Roland Emmerich. Perf. Mel Gibson, Heath Ledger, Joely Richardson, Jason Isaacs, and Chris Cooper. DVD. Columbia, 2000.

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