Thanks.
Mel Gibson shows the side of England that they’d just as soon have everyone overlook. While “The Patriot” was a bit goofy (”Braveheart” comes to America), one of his early acting parts was in a movie (”Gallipoli”) about the battle that helped define Australia as a nation, determined to never again let an English government squander their young men in such an exercise in futility. 25 years later, when the Japanese went on a tear and threatened Australia itself, they had to rely on American troops to protect them since England wouldn’t release their own troops from the war in the desert. Since then, Australia has realized their future lies in the Pacific (including the US), not in Europe.
Where do I start?.
1—It IS a ridiculous film, great fun, but gets just four main bits right.
2—Gallipoli?. You mean the battle where more British and French died than Aussies and Kiwis?. Don’t forget the Kiwis, the Aussies have. They have tried to wipe everyone else out of the battle. As for the film, great film, but again historically biased. It has the Brits sitting drinking tea at Suvla Bay, when in fact the British were getting slaughtered.
3—The Patriot was equally dreadful historically (and not a patch filmically on Braveheart).
4—You DO realise how stretched the British were in WW2?. How we were fighting literally for our lives and country?.
BTW, the British warned Australia in 1937(!) that the couldn’t defend Australia solely, and told the Aussies to start doing more for themselves ie build planes and ships. The Aussies did nothing. They just ignored the UK warning, which makes the complaints of the last 70 yrs so hollow and hypocritical.