June 2000. Copyright, 2000, Graphic News. All rights reserved

GIBSON FINDS NEW FIGHT FOR FREEDOM
By Julie Mullins

LONDON, June 2000, Graphic News:  ÒTHE PATRIOT,Ó an emotionally-charged adventure set during the American Revolutionary War, tells the story of Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibson), a hero of the French and Indian wars turned farmer and family man in colonial South Carolina. Left with sole responsibility for six children after the death of his wife, he refuses to go to war against his homeland and king when the colonists rebel against a series of punitive taxes imposed from Britain, but is reluctantly swept into the conflict when his idealistic eldest son Gabriel enlists. Desperate to protect his son, Martin takes up arms alongside him and leads a rebel American militia into battle against the relentless and seemingly overwhelming Redcoat army.

GibsonÕs character is an amalgam of several Revolutionary War heroes and ÒThe PatriotÓ was filmed near the actual battle sites that would have so impacted the life of Benjamin Martin and his family. Historical accuracy was further assured as the producers consulted closely with the Smithsonian Institute and other experts to ensure that every aspect of the production reflects life and death in the turbulent 1770s as closely as possible.

The movie is directed by Roland Emmerich (Independence Day, Godzilla), while the screenplay is the work of Robert Rodat, Academy Award nominated for another recent celebrated war film, ÒSaving Private Ryan.Ó SpielbergÕs D-Day epic would also appear to have influenced levels of violence in this movie, with enough blood, guts and blown-off limbs to appeal to the goriest of tastes.

But it is the stellar performances of Gibson and fellow Australian Heath Ledger, as Gabriel Martin, that have attracted most attention. Critical response to date suggests the film is on course to be the monster hit of the summer, with Gibson already touted as a likely Oscar nominee for his role as the pacifist thrust into a struggle for freedom against tyranny Ð a role which many have likened to another of GibsonÕs recent successes, ÒBraveheart.Ó Clearly Gibson has it in for the British army! 

While the star no doubt pulled in a hefty fee for the movie, Gibson has denied reports that he received $25 million from Columbia Pictures to star in the ÒThe Patriot.Ó Asked by USA Today about the reports, producer Dean Devlin declined to discuss a specific figure, but told the newspaper that the high salaries being paid to Gibson and other box-office megastars is Òjustified because they usually bring that kind of money, especially worldwide.Ó
ENDS/
Sources: Internet Movie Database, www.thepatriot.com

Release dates:
June 28: United States
July 21: Iceland
July 27: Netherlands
August 4: UK, Denmark
August 9: France