Is Your Favorite Movie Historically Accurate?

The Patriot (2000)

We don’t think The Patriot ever tries to be completely accurate in its retelling of the American Revolution. While Gibson’s Benjamin Martin faces off against the British Colonel Tavington, they often discuss the ‘rules of war’. The only problem? They didn’t exist!

The ‘rules of war’ were established in the Geneva Convention around 80 years after the events of the American Revolution. This means they played with some of the key elements of warfare and how people interacted with each other. Still, it made for some entertaining cinema!