Movie “The Patriot” and Historical Reality Essay

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Movies are made to be sold and non history to be absolutely told. If films include a complete history. it wouldn’t be known as a film any longer. However. it would be called a docudrama. which most people get fed up of. So readings. hyperboles and idealistic scenes are added to the film to do it more interesting for the audience. “The Patriot” is a similar movie made during the modern twenty-four hours clip about a clip period in which none of the experienced the existent revolution. Politically. socially. and culturally. “The Patriot” efforts to give a sense of the range of facets involved in the American Revolution. Despite wining in this respect. it still lacks inside informations that reveal the true complexness of the assorted sentiments present in this clip period.

Get downing with the supporter. Marion was originally the lead character in the book. but because of contention and to let for more dramatic storytelling. Martin was introduced. Martin is an merger of several American Revolutionaries ; Francis Marion. Elijah Clarke. Daniel Morgan. Andrew Pickens. and Thomas Sumter.

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Martin’s hit and run tactics and nickname ‘The Ghost’ were inspired by Francis Marion. known as the “Swamp Fox” . while the tactics of utilizing the reserves on the forepart to pull the British in the concluding conflict were based on similar tactics used by Daniel Morgan at the Battle of Cowpens. Thomas Sumter and Andrew Pickens’ influence seems to be that both rejoined the battle after the British burned their places ( Online ) .

Similarly. the adversaries ( scoundrels ) in the film are exaggerated orhave a melodramatic visual aspect in the film.

Adding a pure scoundrel in a film makes it more appealing as people get interested in the film to happen out what will go on at the terminal. Colonel Tavington is based on the historical figure Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton. who was renowned for the force and ferociousness he inflicted on his enemies. He believed in entire war. which meant that civilians who helped the enemy were the enemy. This is accurately shown in the film when he kills civilians in the film who helped the continentals. Before even killing in the film. he declares “Let it be known if you harbor the enemy you will lose your home” ( The Patriot ) . However. one accurate portion can non be matched with the several inaccuracies of the film.

Colonel William Tavington did believe in entire war. but to the point of coming down like an all out evil sadistic scoundrel who can order to fire a church was one of the biggest blooper in the film. Consequently. tensenesss between General Cornwallis and Tarleton were non every bit bad as depicted in the film between Cornwallis and Tavington. “In fact. Tarleton considered Cornwallis his wise man and they stayed in touch for many years” ( Online ) . The biggest defect in the film was that it showed Tavington dice near the terminal of the film whereas “he returned to England safely. became MP for Liverpool and lived to the age of 78” ( Online ) . This portion was fundamentally to a have “happy ending” and to convert the audience that good takes over bad. General Cornwallis. non a existent scoundrel. but still an adversary is another character who is exaggerated.

General Cornwallis was the lone chief character ( Not numbering Greene and Gates as chief characters ) who had the same name in the film. However. one time once more. the character has been embellished. General Charles Cornwallis was non the truly old and proper cat that the film portrays him as being. He was really in his early 40’s. He is besides portrayed to be person chesty. This may non hold truly been the instance. since he frequently stood at the forepart lines in harm’s manner alongside his soldiers. instead than hanging back and watching the conflict from the safety of afar. Villains can be considered a “key to success” of a film and likewise good side vs. the bad side has to be shown.

“The ferociousness of the British habitues is. in the universe of star Mel Gibson. ‘juiced up’ for dramatic effect” ( Online ) . The word picture of the British in the film is rather accurate but there are still some mistakes. They were really barbarous in their actions. They were besides really organized in conflict as shown in the film. and that’s why they didn’t cognize how to cover with militia work forces. However. the ferociousness wasn’t every bit much as shown in some parts of the film. It is done to demo the evilness of the British and so when the nationalists killed any British. it seemed that they are taking retaliation and so the barbarous actions of the nationalists were acceptable. In one scene. the British habitues order the executing of a colonial soldier captured in uniform.

In fact. such war offenses by regular military personnels seldom happened. In the most incongruous scene. the people of the full town are locked in a church which is so set on fire. It is really difficult to believe that any British soldier would really fire a church. because largely everyone at that peculiar clip was either Puritanical or Catholic. To profane such a sacred land would be tantamount to transgress ; something that a British general would ne’er order. nor would his soldiers follow. even if the order was given. As historian Thomas Fleming puts it: ‘Of class it ne’er happened. If it had. make you believe Americans would hold forgotten it? It could hold kept us out of World War I’ ( Online ) . The events that people were exposed to in the movie. were highly violent. non to advert. merely one side of the narrative is given.

The settlers on the other manus were no more humane than the British. even though in the film it tries to demo that they were working on going more humanist. This premise comes from the fact that hatred and force breds hatred and force. The film did non rather represent the war methods of the Patriots. Although the film showed the reserves utilizing un-gentlemen-like war methods. the spectator felt proud when they saw the actions of the Patriots. because their unconventional methods were portrayed as being acceptable. One blooper is that a smattering of work forces could keep off all those military personnels until the French was able to help. In the film the nationalists seemed short handed but in world “the nationalists were numbered 1/5 to the British army” ( Online ) . Not merely was this portion incorrect. the whole film is full of factual mistakes.

Assorted parts of the film were full of factual mistakes and most came during conflicts. One of the biggest error was that the soldiers led by Tavington. the Green Dragoons. wore green in existent life. but in the movie they are given ruddy coats to aline them with the remainder of the British ground forces.

They became known as the Green Dragoons because their uniform was preponderantly green with ruddy trim. instead than the recognizable ruddy uniform with the add-on of green trim as in the film. ( Online ) Another alteration that may rag historiographers is the meeting of two of import 1781 conflicts – Cowpens and Guildford Courthouse – into one. Although they were about the same in some facets. one can non merely blend two conflicts and have a consequence as one. The arms were another really inaccurate portion. The cannons used in the concluding conflict scene were 32 lb guns.

These weren’t used in the field at that clip. The right gun was the much smaller 6lb gun. “While solid cannon balls and other missiles such as ironss were used to rend through conflict lines as in the film. explosive missiles had non yet been invented” ( Online ) . This shows that “The Patriot” . although seeking to be accurate. is a modern film and the manager thought that bigger roars will be hold a dramatic consequence whereas world would be merely little roars holding no consequence on the audience. Similarly. some of the battleground tactics were wrong. The film shows that reserves charged armed British soldiers. This ne’er happened during the revolution.

There is no manner reserves would of all time bear down armed British habitues. they about ever ran the other manner – unless the British had been routed and they had the proper support of Continental troop. ( Online ) Furthermore. the deficiency of French and Spanish soldiers was slightly wrong. Merely one French soldier was depicted throughout the film ; the Spanish triumphs along the Mississippi were ignored wholly. The muskets were shown to be so much accurate in the film ; nevertheless. in world. they were so inaccurate that “misfires were common” ( Online ) and conflict calls at Bunker Hill started that “Don’t fire until you see the Whites of their eyes” ( Gordon s. Wood ) . Similarly. in the film Martin advices his boies “aim little. miss small” ( The Patriot ) which clearly meant that the muskets were extremely inaccurate.

During the portion in the film when Martin and his two boies fight for delivering Gabriel from the British. it is shown that both the childs shoot really accurately and confidently. In world. the musket shooting had such a difficult back-kick that the childs would hold propelled backwards. An on-line web site provides us with the information that “old manner muskets and cannon would frequently backlash doing serious hurts to the Whitemen” ( Online ) . This clearly explains that there was no manner a kid would fire a musket. Even more. a child wouldn’t be able to transport a musket as muskets were truly heavy. Although holding many inaccurate parts in the film. one accurate portion is shown. In the Colonial epoch. ground forcess fought by standing shoulder-to-shoulder in a line. fire at one another and this is. somehow. accurately shown in the film. Traveling back to characters. slaves and adult females were one of the biggest defect in the film.

The biggest defect in the film occurred due to the Acts of the Apostless of the slaves shown in the film. During the eighteenth century freed slaves were nonexistent but in the film. the black workers on Martin’s farm introduce themselves as “free” and able to come and travel as they please. This is a entire blooper. This point is used to do Martin stand out as a hero from the start and to do the audience sympathize with him. Another error is the word picture of the black community that seems to be a stretch. The living conditions may hold been realistic. but the fact that Martin hid his household within this cantonment seems impractical.

During those times. the inkinesss would be non willing to assist and would be in concealing from a Patriot. Furthermore. during that clip. many slaves fought on the British side to derive freedom from their merciless Masterss. In the film. Tavington states “By order of King George. all slaves of the American settlements who fight for the Crown will be granted their freedom with our triumph. ” ( The Patriot ) . Equally of import. “Pursuing the promise of freedom. at least 50. 000 inkinesss served the British…” ( Dibacco. 100 ) . However. no slave can be seen in the film combat for the British.

Equally of import to the Acts of the Apostless of the slaves. the Acts of the Apostless of the adult females were every bit good a large error in the film. The adult females in the film didn’t seem to be refined or ready for a war. They didn’t want to take part in the war and one can see no adult females on the battleground. However. in world. adult females went to the battleground with their hubbies.

Whatever their ground. adult females busied themselves rinsing. cookery. nursing. stitching. and repairing. A few adult females joined their work forces on the battleground. Martha Washington was the most celebrated of those who followed their hubbies in the ground forces. ( Dibacco. 99 ) The sister of Benjamin’s dead married woman was a function which was wholly incredible. She seemed to be single. and she seemed to hold a batch of wealth. For that clip no adult females was allowed to have a land and unrecorded single. Women didn’t have enough or possibly no rights at that clip. This besides shows that The Patriot is a modern twenty-four hours movie because today. adult females have a batch of rights.

Another large blooper is when Gabriel enters a church to garner work forces to organize a reserves. As no church member complies with Gabriel. a immature adult female stands up and reprimands the work forces in the church and indirectly calls them dissemblers and cowards. The response of the church was to so move in conformity with Gabriel Martin by take parting in a reserves. In historical 18th century no adult female would make bold talk out. particularly during church. and if one had. likely she would be punished. So it could be clearly seen that adult females were a large mistake in the film book.

On infinite occasions in the film. one can clearly indicate out an mistake. From characters to conflicts. legion errors can be counted if compared to world. Regardless of its false beliefs. “The Patriot” still represents the scene of the Revolutionary War really good. The set of the film characterizes the period with the little towns. the churches. and Martin’s plantation. The vesture of the characters is typical for the 1700s and the soldiers’ outfits resemble the existent uniforms really closely. The spectator is intrigued by the action scenes of the conflicts and is taken into a journey of battle. hurting and decease. all in the name of freedom. Although the film can give an thought of the revolution. it is still wholly colored and can’t be trusted as a historical beginning.

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