Factual error: In the scene at Lord Cornwallis' outdoor party celebration, right after Benjamin Martin and his Continental Army blows up a British Ship, one of Lord Cornwallis' Captains throws back a big gulp of his drink from his Martini glass in grief and disbelief - the problem is this movie takes place in the mid 1700s and the Martini Glass wasn't invented until the 1920s, during the Roaring Jazz days.
The Patriot (2000)
Plot summary
Directed by: Roland Emmerich
Starring: Mel Gibson, Chris Cooper, Jason Isaacs, Heath Ledger, Joely Richardson
Late 18th Century Mel Gibson is a widower raising seven kids, Gabriel the oldest is anxious to join the American forces fighting the Brits in the war for independence. Against his father's wishes Gabriel does join up only to return home wounded as he is carrying dispatches between commanders. The war has come to their piece of the world and the family entire, gets caught up in it. Mel's second son is killed trying to free Gabriel as he is taken prisoner which forces Mel to first free his son and then join up. Mel takes the battle to the Brits leading his rag tag band of farmers and ex-Indian fighters as the Americans defeat the British and he gets his revenge on the one who killed his son.
More mistakes in The Patriot
Colonel William Tavington: Kill me before the war is over, will you? It appears that you are not the better man.
Benjamin Martin: You're right. My sons were better men.
Trivia: The character Benjamin Martin was based very strongly on the real life militia leader Gen. Francis Marion, the "Swamp Fox". In the original drafts of the script even the character's name was to be Francis Marion. However, during filming certain historical sources revealed that Francis Marion was perhaps a very dubious character who was accused of hunting Native Americans for sport and raping his female slaves. Historical debate rages over the veracity of these accusations; but Sony Pictures changed the name of the character to Benjamin Martin to avoid any potential controversy around the film.
Question: Who was the baby in Charlotte's arms in the closing scene? Why was the baby not alluded to previously?
Answer: Additionally, in the film Charlotte says to Benjamin "I am not my sister," alluding that they were different people as Benjamin gets closer to her. As colonials were religious given the time, in the Bible in Leviticus 18:18 it says "do not take your wife's sister as a rival wife and have sexual relations with her while your wife is living." Since his wife was dead, this no longer applied and they believed in starting over, as the above post states.
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Answer: At the end of the film, it is implied that Charlotte and Benjamin Martin have married and had a child together. It wasn't alluded to earlier because it is meant to show that a person's life can start over, even after tragedy and loss.
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