The Patriot Film Review

The Patriot Film Review Historical Accuracy and Inaccuracy The Patriot has quite a few historical accuracies, which is pretty good for a movie. The first accuracy is how they referenced Bunker Hill at the beginning of the movie. The next accuracy is a pretty big one, and it’s how they showed that not all Americans supported the rebellion, which is true in history. The film accurately represented some smaller details like all of the racial and gender biases of the time, as well the clothing, weapons, and vocabulary. The American retreat at the Battle of Camden was also accurate, showing that the Americans were completely decimated. They included the French allying with the Americans, which is another small detail. The final accuracy is the final battle. While they mixed Guildford Courthouse and Cowpens together, they still portrayed elements of each well, with the British firing into their own soldiers, and the battle being the turning point of the war. The Patriot also has quite a few historical inaccuracies, which is to be expected from a movie. The first inaccuracy is pretty obvious, and it’s that Benjamin Martin didn’t exist. The second is that the movie dramatizes a lot of things, like when they have 1-on-1 duels mid-battle, and when they use the American flag for inspiration. The next is the clear good and bad of the war, when in reality there wasn’t. The film also inaccurately represents some battles, like how they took Cowpens and Guildford Courthouse and mixed them together. The final inaccuracy is the death of Tavington (historically Tarleton), who does not die in the American Revolution. Characters/Historical Figures Benjamin Martin is based off of Daniel Morgan, and it shows quite a bit. The main similarity is how they both created and led militias, and their militias relied on stealthy sharpshooting from trees and bushes. For both of them, they targeted the Native guides, and then the British officers, and for both of them this proved very helpful in the war. Some differences are that Benjamin Martin did not want to fight at first, but Daniel Morgan did not like the British army and decided to join the Patriot side quite fast. The last major difference is that Benjamin Martin and William Tavington are arch-enemies in the movie, but Daniel Morgan wasn’t too involved in fighting Tarleton. William Tavington is based off of Banastre Tarleton, but it shows less. The main similarity is how they were both cruel British Colonels, and both killed many surrendered soldiers. There more differences though. The first difference is how Tarleton killed surrendered soldiers to make him cruel, but Tavington killed families too, which makes Tavington more brutal. Tavington also dies in the movie, but Tarleton never dies and moves back to England at the end of the revolution. And as stated earlier, Tarleton and Daniel Morgan never really cross paths. Bias in the Movie The movie has a major bias, and that’s no surprise. The bias is how the Americans are made to seem heroic, and fighting for what’s right, while the big mean British army is evil, cold, and cruel. They show this by all of the actions Tavington does and how Cornwallis just lets it happen. They make it seem like the Americans were entirely right in their actions and only doing what they had to, while the British are greedy and evil. They show the Americans trying to be nice to the British, like when they offer the dogs back, and they also show that the Americans are more intelligent than the British, like how they fool them with the fake officers. This is to be expected, because it’s an American story, adapted by American people, and made in an American studio. Conclusion Overall, this movie can be a good source of information to a certain extent, if looked at properly. There is a very large bias, which can make it harder to find the truth, but it is occasionally overlooked, and you see some British kindness. It is a movie, so there will be changes and dramatizations, but those changes aren’t too big, and the dramatizations are too dramatic. They do get lots of the battles or elements of the battles correct, and this can help. If you have keen observation skills, you will be able to tell what’s true, and what’s false.