History in the Movies: The Patriot The movie The Patriot, released in June of 2000, was a blockbuster film written about the adversities one man comes face-to-face with in the heat of the American Revolutionary War. It is acclaimed for its play on human emotion and for its action-packed scenes that will have viewers sitting on the edge of their seats. Although the movie is based off of this factual, and pivotal, event in America’s history, The Patriot is horrendously historically inaccurate in its representation of the characters, setting, and its periodically incorrect depiction of the events during and surrounding the American Revolutionary War. Firstly, the main character, Benjamin Martin, is a pacifistic family-man who lives in York County, South Carolina with his 7 children. Despite his constant refusal to be a part of a trivial war against the most powerful country at the time, he is …show more content…
In the film, he is portrayed as ruthless, merciless, and a downright monster with little to no remorse for murdering anyone who dared cross him. Tavington is actually based off of Sir Banastre Tarleton, who was General of the “British Legion”, an elite military force in the U.K. that had massive victories in its involvement in the American Revolutionary War (Moran). Although Tarleton was a man of military action, he was nowhere near the malicious man that is portrayed in The Patriot. In fact, in one scene of the movie, Tavington is seen giving orders to his men to lock a group of noncombatant citizens inside a church and set it on fire; there is no recorded history of this event during the A.R.W. The lack of research and/or attention to significant character details severely tarnish the films’ authenticity and historical accuracy, and only further the argument that accuracy is the first thing to go in order to meet Hollywood’s lofty
“Revolutions do not sustain themselves through ideas alone” (Breen 17). American Insurgents, American Patriots is a scholarly novel that researches and tells about the years leading up to the American Revolutionary War from a different viewpoint then normal works on the revolution. It was written by T.H. Breen and published in 2010 by Hill and Wang, a division of Farrar, Straus and Giroux, who have been awarded twenty-one nobel prizes in literature. Hill and Wang focus on historical nonfiction works for the educated reader (Macmillan). The book may appear to be novel like, however, it is a scholarly work and has been reviewed by multiple professors of history at respected universities. Aside from
Elijah Marrs is a former slave who leads African-American troops into battle for the North and later speaks out for black rights. But later on, we don’t hear of his struggles after the war, in which he joined black union leagues in order to resist the white on black violence of Reconstruction Era Kentucky. Sam Hawkins, a coal miner, struggles to provide for his family in Depression-era eastern Kentucky, but there is no mention to the unionization struggles in 1930’s eastern Kentucky coalfields. From Louisville, Muhammad Ali refuses to enlist into the army. But he is justified by the Supreme Court, and then goes on to win his heavyweight title again. But the context of the anti-Vietnam war movement and black resistance is not mentioned here. Writer, Wendell Berry is called the “greatest living Kentucky writer”, in the text, and appears as a force who pleads with Kentuckians to protect their environment. But Berry's activism of the environment is grounded in an established grassroots movement that is not mentioned by the
Alfred Young is a historian who takes a harder look at the life of an ordinary Boston man, George Robert twelves Hewes, before and after the revolution changes in America. The book looks at the developments that led up to the American Revolution through the life Hewes, who goes from a shoemaker to a rebel. Not only was Hewes a participant in the Boston Massacre, he was also involved in the event that later would be referred to as the Tea party. His involvements in these events paint a clearer picture of what can motivate someone to take up arms and fight for their freedom.
On the brink of revolution, the colonies were divided amongst themselves. Two factions with different ideologies “The Patriots” & and the “The Loyalist”, to know these factions we must first know another. Because both parties played a pivotal role in the “American Revolution”.
about the war and his lack of place in his old society. The war becomes
The Shoemaker and the Tea Party examines three main events, The American Revolution, The Boston Massacre, and the Boston Tea Party, and in which ways they are shaped as memories over time. Within the chapter labeled “Taming the Memory of the Revolution, 1783-1820,” Young goes on to discuss what it takes for an event to pass into a public memory. During the time of the American Revolution, so many negative events happened that many Americans did not want to past as memories, such as the Boston Massacre. Young makes a point that instead of remembering all of the negative events that happened, “exchange that Anniversary for Another,” (Young, 1999, 108). With that being said, The Boston Massacre happened on March 5, 1770, while the Declaration of Independence was adopted into Congress July 4, 1776 – the Fourth of July overshadowed March 5th,
The Patriot was a Hollywood version for the story of Francis Marion and the Swamp fox. The swamp fox was a group of men who fought the British Army using Guerrilla warfare. “Marion and his irregulars often defeated larger bodies of British troops by the surprise and rapidity of their movement over swampy terrain”. 2 The Hollywood version of the Swamp fox was quite close; the main Character Benjamin Martin w...
Stokesbury, James L. A short History of the American Revolution. New York. William Morrow and Company, Inc. 1991.
In the world’s lens during the 1760s, the British empire had a clear and prominent control over the colonies. However, by the mid-1770s the Americans became enraged enough to declare war against the British for independence. Due to Britain’s massive imperial presence around the globe, the British civilians had a strong inclination for a successful outcome. Instead, the colonists pulled a surprising victory from what should have been a swift defeat. While the British had an abundance of advantages, they lost the Revolutionary War because the British army underestimated the colonists’ perseverance for freedom.
The Patriot is a fictional story directed by Roland Emmerich, based on the true events of the American Revolution. Set in colonial South Carolina in the year 1776, the story of a war hero attempting to escape the haunting memories of the French-Indian War is put in a difficult position and is torn between protecting his family and defending his country. Benjamin Martin, played by Mel Gibson, is a widowed man with seven children living a peaceful life at a plantation, who would do absolutely anything to protect his children. When the decision to enlist in the newly formed Continental Army is approached in court, Benjamin says that he absolutely will not fight, and when speaking to Col. Harry Burwell in court he says “this war will be fought not on the frontier or on some distant battlefield. But amongst us, among our homes.” He knows that many innocent people will die, and the safety of his children will be disrupted, so therefore he does not cast a vote. When questioned about his principles, he responds saying that he is a parent, and therefore does not have the luxury of principles; once again confirming that family is the most important aspect of life to him. On the other hand, his oldest son Gabriel, played by Heath Ledger, is the complete opposite; he is extremely eager to enlist in the newly formed Continental Army, and he feels as though it is his duty to enlist and fight for freedom and independence, therefore, against his father’s orders, he enlists immediately. As the war moves forward, Gabriel is seen injured, and along with other wounded militia men, they rest at Benjamin’s home. Colonel William Tavington, played by Jason Isaacs, along with other British soldiers become aware of this and take many militia men as prisone...
... Bobrick, Benson. Fight for Freedom: The American Revolutionary War. New York: Atheneum, 2004. Print.
The movie “The Patriot,” depicts what life was like during the American Revolutionary in the late seventeenth century. Though the movie is considered a historical film, according to some historians, there are many inaccuracies found throughout the plot. Roland Emmerich, the director did want the general plot of the film to be true, so he spoke with historians at the Smithsonian concerning costumes, props, and the set. This is most likely why experts say that the villages, taverns and plantations, all part of colonial Charleston, seem like a historically accurate depiction of the setting. The Fort Carolina set was also called impressive, since the British built many forts that were constructed very similarly to the one in the movie. Emmerich’s
The Patriot, written by Robert Rodat, takes place in South Carolina and reveals a widowed father’s love for his family and trying to keep them together, despite the Revolutionary War that had begun. Trying to keep his demons from reappearing, Benjamin Martin faces his fear of his past coming back to haunt him after serving in the French and Indian War. Martin is a South Carolina farmer who lost his wife, Elizabeth, and reluctantly signs up to join the Continental Army after his eldest son, Gabriel joined the regulars to fight against the British. After a battle began on Martin’s plantation, Benjamin helped wounded soldiers from both sides and was approached by William Tavington, a colonel with the British. During this confrontation Tavington informed Martin that anyone who assisted soldiers of the Continental Army would lose their home. Tavington then threatened Martin’s children and captured Gabriel, a military courier delivering dispatches between Continental Army units, and a younger son, Thomas was killed by Colonel Tavington, while trying to save his brother’s life. And despite Martin’s soulful plea, his son was not spared nor was his home.
Schweikart, Larry, and Michael Allen. A Patriot's History of the United States: from Columbus's Great Discovery to the War on Terror. New York, NY: Sentinel, 2007. Print.
Nelson Mandela was one of the greatest leaders of our time. In the movie Invictus, the devotion and love he had for the South African people is exemplified. The movie was named after a Victorian poem that brought President Mandela strength while in prison. The meaning of Invictus is “Undefeated”, a perfect fit for this movie. The opening scene of the movie shows President Mandela being freed from jail and driving past a field of young boys playing soccer. All the boys start chanting the Presidents name and running to the fences to get a better look. This is the first scene, and an obvious show of support and following for Mr. Mandela. Throughout the movie there are many different styles and approaches of leadership shown. Not only is President