TBT: Mel Gibson Massacres British Soldiers in The Patriot (2000) with a Tomahawk

Thought I would get in the spirit of Throw-Back-Thursday (TBT) with this graphic action clip from The Patriot (2000), starring Mel Gibson and Heath Ledger. In this scene, Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibson) rescues his son Gabriel (Heath Ledger) with the help of his two under-age sons, though Martin does most of the killing. And the killing is rather savage. Here's the clip...



Gibson's character, Benjamin Martin, is styled after Francis Marion (aka "The Swamp Fox"), but departs from the famous Revolutionary War guerrilla fighter in several ways. Though Marion (like the fictional Martin) hailed from South Carolina, fought in the French and Indian War, and waged guerrilla war against the British in the Revolutionary War, Marion was a slave owner (whereas Gibson's Martin pointedly did not own slaves) and several of Martin's exploits in The Patriot were naturally fictionalized. Some critics of Francis Marion and The Patriot (which they perceive to have glorified him - albeit indirectly) go even further by alleging that the real Francis Marion was a vicious racist who, not only owned slaves, but hunted Native Americans "for sport." Marion has, in his own right, been the focus of past television treatments, most notably Disney's The Swamp Fox. Leslie Nielson played Marion.

Whatever the nature of Francis Marion's legacy, The Patriot has plenty of controversy in its own right. Its depiction of British atrocities (particularly the burning of civilians in a church) understandably outraged many British citizens, though in fairness that brutality was carried out by a rogue cavalry officer styled after the hated Banastre Tarleton.

The film does have great cinematography, costuming, and special effects. And it boasts some of the best battle scenes and action sequences in any recent war epic. The savage tomahawk scene (see above) is among the most memorable. Whether it's realistic for a guy with a tomahawk (click here to see a similar tomahawk to the one Martin used) to take down a dozen British soldiers (the rest, he shot) is a discussion for another time. The scene is nevertheless cool - though it is brutal and helps earn The Patriot an appropriate R rating.

The Patriot is not the most accurate historical film ever made - not by a long shot. But it was refreshing to see the Revolutionary War brought to the Big Screen. Here's to hoping Hollywood does more American Revolution films.

***

The Patriot is available via Amazon on Demand and via DVD. 

Walt Disney's The Swamp Fox is available via DVD.

If you'd like to add a Revolutionary War style tomahawk to your wall (or collection) in the spirit of The Patriot and Benjamin Martin, take a look at this Hand Forged Revolutionary War Tomahawk with Hickory Handles. 

More American Revolution Movies Coming?

Why aren't there more American Revolution movies? Sure, there's the occasional made-for-TV movie, like The Crossing (about George Washington's audacious attack on Trenton when the Revolution was at one of its lowest points). And of course, there's the recent HBO Films' miniseries John Adams, based on David McCullough's Pulitzer-winning bestseller. But...what about the Big Screen?


The Bad News

The reason there aren't more American Revolution movies (or history movies in general for that matter) is that the Big Screen is skewed toward younger viewers. As Shannon Dortch wrote a few years ago in American Demographics: "For the most part, the [movie] industry has placed its bets for 40 years on the people most likely to go to the show--teenagers and young adults."

Movie studios, by and large, know they can churn out Saw X or Alien v. Predator IV or Napoleon Dynamite or The Girl Next Door -- and make a ton of cash from the 15-24 demographic. (Oh, if there were only a way to turn the Titanic with Leonardo Decaprio into a sequel). But will these same viewers (who dominate the movie-going demographic) pay money to see Founding Fathers in wigs debate the Constitution? Unlikely.

That's bad news for history buffs, because...well...young people just aren't that interested in history - unless it's a love story with Kate Winslet and Leonardo DeCaprio on a sinking ship or Russell Crowe taking care of business as a gladiator in Ancient Rome.

This is why Hollywood doesn't produce more American Revolution films - at least not for the Big Screen. There just aren't enough movie-goers willing to pay money for them. Yeah, there's the rare exception, like Mel Gibson's The Patriot. But, come to think about it, that's about the ONLY exception. (Al Pacino's mid-1970s Revolution was a flop and doesn't count).


Good News....Maybe

The good news comes on two levels. First, there IS interest in American Revolution movies (as well as Civil War movies, World War II movies, etc.) in the living rooms of older Americans. What this means is....television. That's right, there's a market on TV for history films. Witness the success of HBO's John Adams as proof.

The good news doesn't stop there, however. The film industry is changing. Like everything else, it is become more niche-oriented, appealing to specific, targeted segments of the population.

And making movies is becoming more cost-effective, provided that studios don't have to bank on Big Name marquee stars. This is why you're seeing more low-budget, independent features achieving mainstream distribution.

Here's an example. Consider Amazing Grace, the story of William Wilberforce's courageous fight against slavery. It appealed to African Americans, evangelical Christians, and history buffs. Niche appeal. And was made fairly cost-effectively. It wasn't a low-budget movie, but it was not a high-cost blockbuster either. We can probably expect more Amazing Grace type movies in the coming years, even on the Big Screen.

And who knows? Maybe....eventually...we'll see George Washington leading the Contintental Army to victory...while we sit in an air-conditioned theater, munching on popcorn. Hey, it's a dream! One can hope.

Farewell Heath Ledger

Last night, as I was surfing the Internet, I was stunned to read of Heath Ledger's untimely passing. A young life cut short. Truly a tragedy.

In memory of Heath Ledger and in keeping with the spirit of this site, I thought I'd post the following picture from Columbia Pictures. Who can forget Heath Ledger from the 2000 film The Patriot? Ledger did a great job portraying Benjamin Martin's (Mel Gibson) restless, pro-revolutionary son, Gabriel.

Farewell Heath Ledger!

p.s. For those inclined, follow this link for an interesting op-ed on Heath Ledger's sudden passing (and its potential message to our culture).