Watched "The Patriot" on TV last night...

[jtb33]

I saw it in the theatre when it came out originally, but forgot how much I liked it. Great movie, and really well done. Did anyone else catch it on TV?

[Nightjock]

1. I thought it was above average

Too much of Mel Gibson singlehandedly taking on the British.
They should have called the movie "Lethal Musket."

[bkcc]

2. If you liked the story...

Read about Francis Marion, who was the model for Gibson's character.
He was called the "Swamp Fox" and waged guerrilla warfare against the British in the swamps of South Carolina.

Also, reading the books will save you having to look at Mel Gibson.
;)

[jtb33]

3. Thanks...

I'll have to look him up.

I actually don't care about an actor's political views. I just try to see them for who/what they are in any given movie, and not who the actor/actress is. There are some Republican actors/actresses that I think are horrible actors/actresses and there are some Democratic actors/acresses who I think are horrible actors/actresses and vice versa (being good).

[bkcc]

7. Actually...

I was just expressing my dislike for the actor. Sorry if it came across differently.

But just for the record, I do hate Mel's politics.

[Nightjock]

4. Sounds like you're into history

like I am. I'm a big civil war buff. Don't dress up and re-enact but I see nothing wrong with it.
As far as I know, there are no great Revolutionary War movies. Do you know of any?

[bkcc]

8. Unfortunately, no.

The first thing that came to mind was the musical "1776"...but that's not really much of a historical film. (Nor do I recommend it.)

I'm sure there are some good films out there, but I haven't seen them. I usually get my historical fix from books.

[TheCentepedeShoes]

11. One of my ancestors

served for a time with Marion.

[Ilsa]

5. Jacob Isaacs is particularly good at playing evil incarnate, and

I'm particularly fond of looking at him! So I can handle a few moments of Mel to get a glimpse of JI.

Lethal Musket! I love it! :headbang:

[YellowRubberDuckie]

9. JASON Isaacs is fabulous.

[Ilsa]

17. Oops, it would help if I got his name right!

I don't know where i pulled "Jacob" from, except maybe the Biblical reference of Isaac and Jacob.

[underpants]

6. "The Patriot" roamed his old house as a ghost in Charleston SC

at least that was on one of the ghost tours. The ghost was never seen again after SC seceeded from the Union-the tour host said many thought that he gave up in SC as they threw away everything he fought for.

[Courtesy Flush]

10. Gibson's character was no partiot

I saw the movie while it was still fairly new, and I don't remember the details, but the Mel Gibson character wasn't the least bit patriotic. He refused to fight for freedom, and only took up arms to get revenge after his family was killed (killed? raped? I don't remember for sure)

That's got nothing to do with patriotism. A patriot fights for a cause, not for personal revenge. There were men willing to die for freedom, and he was willing to stand on the sidelines and let them. If the Brits had left his family alone, he'd have left them alone.

[rockymountaindem]

12. That's a good point.

I also thought that the movie portrayed the British as excessively evil. Nobody would ever have thought of burning down a church with people inside. I understand that the Brits are the bad guys in that movie, but they were portrayed far too negatively.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

20. They absoultely would have, and did do that, if not the Britts,

then the various Indian allies they had.
It is documented, especially in the rural south.

Of course, there are no "eyewitnesses" to the event, as no one saw anything, but somehow churches and houses burned with people inside. Many times black people, of course.

Of course both main characters are over the top, that is the only way you can depict stuff like this cinemagraphically.

Does that detract from the entertainment? For some, yes. For most, no.

Go read books if you want research.

[JVS]

13. I saw the part where his kid gets shanked by the guy faking death

I was kind of wondering "Why are these gunshots causing instant death? If modern ones don't what chance do these old ones have?"
Let that be a lesson to everyone. Always use the butt of a gun to smash open the head of what appear to be dead foes, gotta make sure they're dead.

[gpandas]

14. historically, imho, it was laughable. n/t

[jtb33]

15. You watched this movie for its "HISTORICAL" perspective?!

You're only kidding, right? I watched it purely for entertainment purposes, and I thought it was a great movie. When I want historical perspectives from something on the TV, I flip to the History Channel.

[dryan]

16. I liked this movie....

but the life of Francis Marion is far more exciting.

[gpandas]

18. what is the real problem...

with people who make up statements that others never made, and then proceed to denigrate the make-believe quotee based on the completely fictional citing?

[DrWeird]

19. God, what a horrible movie.

It was like Armageddeon, but without the spaceship.

I was half expecting Steve Buscemi to show up and contract History Madness.