After his oldest son Gabriel (Heath Ledger) joins the Continental Army and is captured by the ruthless British Colonel William Tavington (Jason Isaacs), Tavington executes Benjamin's younger son, Thomas, and burns their home.
Watch Benjamin Martin’s initial argument against joining the war for independence:
Driven by revenge and a sense of duty, Benjamin rescues Gabriel and joins forces with Colonel Harry Burwell (Chris Cooper) to lead a ragtag militia.
Set in 1776, the film begins with Benjamin Martin living as a widower raising seven children on his plantation. Initially a pacifist who believes the colonies should govern themselves but opposes going to war with England, his stance changes when the conflict reaches his doorstep.
While the film captures the intensity of Revolutionary War battles, it has been noted for its "ahistorical" and "misleading" narrative elements. It is loosely based on the real-life "Swamp Fox," Francis Marion.
The 2000 historical drama The Patriot , directed by Roland Emmerich, tells the story of Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibson), a South Carolina farmer and veteran of the French and Indian War who is reluctantly drawn into the American Revolution.
Benjamin’s journey highlights the internal conflict of a man who fears that war will destroy the very family he is trying to protect.