#patriotic films

[eilooxara]

All right if you see this post put in the tags a list of all the Wikipedia pages you have open in your tabs no matter how long they've been there

[yocalio]

THE PATRIOT (2000) Dir. Roland Emmerich

[alwaysbewoke]

Did you know that the famous line "And what the hell is that smell?" from 'Independence Day' was improvised by Will Smith? While filming the scene on the salt flat near the Great Salt Lake in Utah, nobody warned him about the strong odor caused by billions of decomposing brine shrimp in the lake.⁠

x

[sugarsxph]

Jason Isaacs as the extremely evil Colonel Tavington ♥︎ 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘢𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘵 (2000)

[tsnbrainrot]

Heath Ledger + Letterboxd Reviews

↳ April 4, 1979 – January 22, 2008

[zegalba]

Yûkoku (Patriotism), 1966 Dir. Yukio Mishima & Masaki Dômot

[glenn-nielson]

[smashing-yng-man]

[twistedtummies2]

Top 10 Portrayals of Inspector Lestrade

Having just finished my list of my favorite fictional detectives, I felt it was time to return to my absolute favorite of the bunch: Sherlock Holmes. In the past, I have done lists related to Holmes himself, as well as his friend and colleague, Dr. Watson, and his arch-nemesis, Professor Moriarty. I recently revisited those three countdowns to see if I would change anything, and…at the moment, no, I think they’re still pretty solidly set. HOWEVER, I’ve never gone over any of the other major characters in the Sherlock Holmes universe since those three. I haven’t covered his other allies, or any other noteworthy antagonists he faced. So, I decided it was time to fix that problem. These lists WILL have descriptions, but they’ll be very brief, partially just because I don’t have a TON to say about most of the characters/portrayals involved. We’ll start off with a Top 10 devoted to Scotland Yard’s most competent detective, Inspector Lestrade.

In the books, Lestrade is one of Holmes’ closest compatriots. While the super sleuth frequently interacts with various Scotland Yard officers, Lestrade is the most recurring, and has the most rapport with Sherlock. Their relationship is an…interesting one, to say the least. On the one hand, the two do care about each other, and there is some level of mutual respect under their respective, prickly surfaces. However, the pair bicker constantly, and always seem to be trying to one-up each other. Holmes concedes that Lestrade is probably the best detective at the Yard, but with the caveat that he is “the best of a bad bunch.” Lestrade, meanwhile, often tries to downplay Holmes’ unique skills in favor of boosting his own ego, and is forever frustrated by Sherlock’s antics. At the same time, he recognizes Holmes is very helpful to himself and the force, and for all his faults, he always manages to help the Inspector catch the crooks in the end. Indeed, the main reason Lestrade usually fails is because he ironically tends to jump the gun: he’s someone who fails to look at the big picture, or else notice the smaller details, which is what Holmes is very good at. If he just took his time more, he could probably get to the bottom of things more quickly…but Holmes can do all that in an instant, so it’s a good thing he’s hanging around. Different interpretations throughout adaptations and reimaginings of the Holmes universe have reinterpreted Lestrade in a number of ways (and with no less than two different pronunciations of his name; “Leh-strawed” seems to be the most common, but a couple choose to say “Less-trade”). Some versions of him are more comical and bungling, while some are more serious but still not quite as brilliant as Holmes. Some make the character more bullheaded and easily angered, while others make him more supportive and friendly. Many of the best find some sort of balance between these disparate elements; while he may not get the kudos that Holmes and Watson get, Lestrade is an interesting character in his own right, with a lot of layers writers, actors, and directors can play with. Having said that, here are some I particularly enjoy. So STOP IN THE NAME OF THE LAW! Here are My Top 10 Favorite Portrayals of Inspector Lestrade.

10. Frank Finlay, from A Study in Terror & Murder By Decree.

Finlay played Lestrade, by sheer coincidence, in two completely different films that have the same premise: Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper. He looks, sounds, and generally behaves exactly the same in both movies, too. It’s rather uncanny, really.

9. Eddie Marsan, from the Guy Ritchie Films.

In the first film, Lestrade is a major character, and the way they play with his relationship with Sherlock is surprising; it’s just a shame he’s little more than a cameo in the second film.

8. Jeffrey Jones, from Without a Clue.

Arguably the most bumbling version of the character on this list. However, since this movie is an outright comedy, I don’t mind this. Plus, Jeffrey Jones is just a lot of fun as an actor, in general.

7. Peter Madden, from the 60s BBC Series.

In some ways, I think this might be the most book-accurate take on Lestrade, especially in terms of physical appearance. Madden only played the character in the first season of the series; in the second season, actor William Lucas took over. Weirdly enough, Madden did appear in the second season playing a completely different character in one episode. Not really sure why he was recast.

6. Dennis Hoey, from the Universal Films.

Alongside Jones, the most bungling version of Lestrade, frequently used as comic relief. In most of the films - not all, but most - he makes Nigel Bruce’s infamously doofy Watson look like a genius in comparison. He’s a lot of fun, though, and the chemistry between the three performers is great every time.

5. Rupert Graves, from Sherlock.

Arguably the most serious version of Lestrade on the list. I love the sort of normalcy he brings to the crazy world of Holmes and Watson, and the way he’s able to just put up with all the nonsense Sherlock shoves onto him, as well as find ways to rein Holmes in.

4. Archie Duncan, from the 50s TV Series.

This Lestrade is able to be extremely funny without actually being a moron; while he always needs Holmes to help him out, it’s mostly just because he’s impulsive and hotheaded, and therefore doesn’t always think things through or notice the details Sherlock notices. (Just like in the books.) Duncan, like Peter Madden, would weirdly play other characters in the show BESIDES Lestrade, including a villain in one story. Very talented performer who was always good to see in action!

3. The Version from Moriarty the Patriot.

This is probably the most friendly and encouraging version of Lestrade on the list, though he still gets righteously annoyed with both Holmes AND Moriarty in the series. I love his energy and the integrity the character has in the show; like Holmes, he’s willing to bend the rules to see justice done, and will never give up no matter what, which explains why they like each other above all else.

2. Akiko Morison, from Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century.

This version is a female descendant of the original inspector, named Beth Lestrade. She actually was more of a standout to me in this show than Watson was! Once again, this version isn’t depicted is an idiot - she’s fiery, strong, and very good at her job, with great instincts. Her problem is that, once again, she doesn’t always pick up on the details or fully understand the situation, which leads to conflict and her need to have Holmes around.

1. Colin Jeavons, from the Granada Series.

The definitive take on Lestrade, just as Jeremy Brett was the definitive take on Holmes, in my opinion. Jeavons plays Lestrade as a slightly pompous and rather sarcastic police officer, but he also seems to be one of the versions of the character who has the best sort of relationship with Sherlock. I love the chemistry between the pair, and how they each seem to sort of admire each other, though neither will ever admit it. At the same time, that competitive rivalry between the two has rarely been showcased better. Altogether marvelous.

[lyledebeast]

Knowledge and Fort Wilderness

I've written before about how disappointing it is that Colonel Tavington knows nothing of Benjamin Martin's conduct at Fort Wilderness, but the more I think about it, the more impossible that seems. Martin ordered the Fort Wilderness massacre while serving in the British Colonial Army, so it is not solely of interest to Patriots just because Patriots (and one surly Frenchman) are the only ones to ever talk about it. It is part of the British history of South Carolina, so of course the British are aware of this incident even before they can tie Martin to it.

Once Captain Wilkins gives Tavington Martin's name, I imagine he's going to make that connection very quickly. Wilkins claims to know everything about Martin up to and including his boot size; is Tavington likely to be content with just the location of his children? No. Once the children are out of his reach, he's not going to stop interrogating Wilkins about Martin until he knows everything Wilkins knows about him. And why on earth would Wilkins sit on information that paints Martin in a negative light? They chose different sides in what was essentially a civil war; they are enemies (even as the film does an absolutely abysmal job of depicting hostilities between Patriots and Loyalists in South Carolina). It would take a person of rare moral fortitude to not shift attention from his own bad actions to those of his hated neighbor (I may have exposed children to danger, but I didn't pay for their scalps!). Not only is Wilkins going to tell Tavington all about Fort Wilderness, but he's going to paint a portrait of Martin that is far more intentionally damning than the one Martin himself paints for his son (which is nonetheless pretty damning!)

But we, the audience, do not know Tavington knows because he never has a chance to confront Martin with what he knows. He and Martin only see each other one more time, and discussion of past tactics is not what either man has on his mind. Cornwallis and O'Hara, with whom Tavington has almost certainly shared this information (whether they wanted it or not), never see him again. It didn't have to be this way. Tavington could have gotten Martin's name before he burned his farm. He could have asked Wilkins for names of local landowners (who would be able to supply a militia!) before the prisoner exchange at which he recognized Martin. There is a reason why Martin is never confronted with his past by his current enemies (Villeneuve is trying to take advantage of Martin's past atrocity for his own purposes in a completely different way). The only justification Martin could provide under these circumstances is the very one Tavington gives for his tactics: they work!

When Martin tells Gabriel about Fort Wilderness, the confession centers his current feelings. I imagine Tavington would find Martin's claim to feel guilt over his past actions, while continuing to reap their rewards, absolutely hilarious. "Yes, well, when I'm governor of Ohio, perhaps I'll ask for forgiveness, too!" He would not just expose Martin's hypocrisy, but relish in it.

We were robbed!

[pedroam-bang]

The Patriot (2000)

[rexxmako]

WHAT DIDYO U DO TO YOUR MULLET /J

[prosperalpanuss]

The Patriot, 2000.

[the-tenth-arcanum]

why had I never seen this scene before

[velveys]

Patriot Games (1992)