Roland Emmerichs The Patriot - An Open Letter to Mr. Mel Gibson :: Movies Film

Roland Emmerich's The Patriot - An Open Letter to Mr. Mel Gibson Dear Mel , Having read the avalanche of outraged articles in the UK press that preceded the UK launch of â€Å"The Patriot†, I readily admit that I was expecting to see a distinctly anti-British Movie. One such headline complains for example about a â€Å"blood libel on the British People†. Some considerable way into the film (which, putting the controversy to one side, was otherwise enjoyable), I found myself questioning whether such criticism was justified. Characters on both sides, including the character you were playing, Benjamin Martin, were portrayed as being responsible for some shameful actions. I really was beginning to question what the fuss was all about. I then watched the scene where Redcoats are depicted as sadists hanging old people. Later came the chilling episode in the Church, when Redcoat soldiers on the orders of the films main villain, Colonel William Tavington (partly modelled on the real-life Redcoat, Colonel Tarleton), deliberately locked a large number of the Colonials, including women and children, inside, before the Church was set ablaze. It was clear from the following scenes that all of the incarcerated victims were burnt to death in the most horrific circumstances. To say the least, this episode was unfortunate, as in reality, no such incident ever occurred. Are there not enough grounds for causing bad feeling without inventing atrocities purely for entertainment value? And having said that, I personally, don't even find the aforementioned scenes entertaining. The Brits are inevitably the first and sometimes the only Country to support America, whatever the circumstances or adversity. It is therefore even more disturbing that the close friendship between two peoples should be potentially damaged purely for commercial purposes. You always seem to be a decent man whenever I have seen you being interviewed. It may hopefully be the case that if indeed you have received the mega millions quoted for playing the lead role, you were perhaps unaware of the fact that history was being fabricated at the expense of the truth. According to what I have read about the history of that unfortunate period, there was surely enough wrongdoing on both sides, without having to invent such horrific events with the British being portrayed as outright sadists. I have read a comment attributed to you in a UK film magazine called â€Å"Total Film† in which you apparently made the following comment about your character†¦ â€Å"it’s based on historical fact but it’s got some stretches in it.