Earlier than “Halfway,” Emmerich’s solely battle movie was made in 2000, and set through the American Revolutionary Battle. Whereas casting, as famous, shouldn’t be often Emmerich’s sturdy go well with, at the least in “The Patriot” he had the key weapon of Heath Ledger, who elevates issues significantly. This was additionally produced when Mel Gibson was nonetheless in a position to elicit some emotion in his appearing roles, and he is efficient right here as Benjamin Martin, a widowed father of seven reluctantly drawn into battle in terms of his door (not in contrast to Jimmy Stewart in “Shenandoah”). Joely Richardson sadly is not in lots of scenes, however she is a spotlight — as Benjamin’s sister-in-law.

On the British facet, there may be Tom Wilkinson as Cornwallis, a normal with good army ways, however in fact, Benjamin nonetheless manages to get the higher of him. And there is Jason Isaacs, in full scenery-chewing villain mode. His ways of taking pictures youngsters within the again and setting hearth to church buildings full of individuals had been criticized upon launch as not traditionally correct, however let’s face it, these scenes create a personality you like to hate, and for over-the-top leisure, which is what you come to Emmerich for. As with “Halfway,” this battle film covers a few years and plenty of floor, with the passage of time from one occasion to the following not being very clear. It will have benefitted from specializing in fewer key occasions in Benjamin’s guerrilla warfare marketing campaign in opposition to the British. Nonetheless, “The Patriot” is a stable, well-acted drama with a improbable villain in Isaacs, and a beautiful Ledger efficiency.