Temperament, Violence, and Masculinity
Many years ago I wrote this post, which I've apparently sought and struggled to find multiple times because it didn't have a title! I wanted to amend that, but also to add some additional thoughts I've been wanting to shape into a meta for a while.
One thing that has always perplexed me about The Patriot is that Benjamin Martin's violent temper is framed as relatable and even endearing while William Tavington's comparative coolness is framed as aberrant and monstrous. I think there's more at play here than just a simple hero: good/villain: bad binary.
When we are introduced to Martin, he's in a barn working on a rocking chair as his children watch from their hiding places. When satisfied the work is complete, Martin sits down . . . and falls on his ass when the chair collapses. The children giggle as he gets up and throws the chair against the wall, where there are several others in similar condition, with a roar of frustration. Some time later, Martin is in a position of disempowerment that hurts far more than his pride. When Tavington commits all manner of violence against his family and home, Martin responds by arming two of his children and taking off to rescue his captured son from the detail of men Tavington ordered to hang him. Assuming all that and killing every soldier in the detail are necessary--which we'll get into later--what is definitely not is Martin hacking into the back of the last soldier repeatedly, again while screaming. Again, his children are watching, but this time in wide-eyed shock.
These are extremely different scenes that display the same character trait. Martin's response to feeling emasculated is violence, not against who or whatever is responsible but who or whatever is on hand. Even Martin's children know that this enlisted man is no more responsible for Tavington's orders than the broken chair is for Martin being a shit chairmaker. If someone's response to things not going their way is to lash out at whatever is within reach, and you live with them, that is cause for concern! And indeed both Samuel, one of the boys present, and Martin's mute daughter Susan are clearly (if temporarily) afraid of him.
Meanwhile, the list of emasculating things that happen to Tavington is very long indeed. At his first meeting with Cornwallis in the extended cut (also included in DVD bonus features), the general belittles him in front of his other officers by feeding his dogs from the same tray Tavington is attempting to eat from while making a premature ejaculation joke about Tavington to his face. In another meeting, their first in the theatrical release, he scolds Tavington for his treatment of Continental troops and makes him promise to give quarter in the future. In yet another meeting, Cornwallis accuses him of being "bested by a bedtime story." Indeed, if the historical Cornwallis has put as much effort into defeating the Continental Army as his fictional counterpart does into humiliating his colonel, we Americans might all be spelling "favorite" and "color" with a "u" today!
He doesn't fair much better with his Colonial enemies. Martin is able to walk/ride away from the two confrontations they have between the one at Martin's farm and the one on the battlefield. One of Martin's men spits in his face when he tries to bribe him. He is only able to survive a confrontation with Martin's oldest son by playing dead. Lastly and most dramatically, he is projectile launched into one of his allies, killing the man with his saber after Martin stabs his horse in the chest.
In spite of all this emasculation and adversity, Tavington never loses his temper, and because he keeps a cool head, his rate of success in getting at least some of the things he wants out of these encounters remains high. By biting his tongue in the Cornwallis scenes, he stays in a position to benefit from Cornwallis's own temper tantrum after Martin emasculates him! He not only grants permission for Tavington to commit atrocities but promises him a reward of land if they are successful. While Tavington does not learn Martin's whereabouts from Rollins, he does get a list of his men's families' addresses, which he uses to effectively stop the militia from blocking supplies leading up to the final battle. His possum tactic allows him not only to survive but to kill Gabriel. After Martin kills his horse, he gets up and kicks his ass. As someone who struggles with anger management issues, I find Tavington's focus on goals over of the moment emotions aspirational!
Obviously, Tavington is also a violent and terrifying figure. The rebels and those who aid them have good reason to be scared of him. His own men are not. He may put them in some irresponsible situations, particularly at the end, but he is not taking out his frustration with Cornwallis and Martin on them as many violent men would. His violence is always intentional and explicitly aligned with his long-term goals. Martin's is often excessive and driven by his emotions. Imagine if he had been as cool-headed and goal focused as Tavington is. Given that his stated goal at the South Carolina assembly in 1776 was to protect his children, would it not have made sense to send all of them to Aunt Charlotte while he went to reason with the officer in charge of the detail taking Gabriel to Camden, the same one who has already thanked him for his treatment of British soldiers, and build a case against Tavington? (Brandon Fisichella explains how this might have worked extensively in this video starting at 30:16.) He might not have gotten to be a war hero again, but he could have saved the lives of all the civilians Tavington kills in response to the militia's actions and the son he actually saves through violent means to boot.
Martin's masculinity is subject to far less stress testing than Tavington's. He is listened to and respected by his superiors as well as the men under his command and his family. When he makes errors in judgement, and there are some big ones, no one ever lays the blame at his door. Moreover, the consequences of his bad temper are ignored or minimized, as we see when Samuel and Susan. In two separate scenes, they conveniently forget their fear of the father at the moment of his departure. Martin's reckless attempt to rescue Gabriel could have resulted in additional headstones in the family plot, but conveniently all the soldiers guarding him are incompetent. Even going back to Fort Wilderness, Martin is extraordinarily fortunate that the Cherokees declared him and his men winners of the Atrocity Games and broke treaty with the French instead of doubling down on attacks against British civilians with them.
Anyone who struggles with anger management, or lives with someone who does, can tell you losing tempers does not solve problems; it creates more and worse ones. In this story, though, an even temper proves to be no match for plot armor. Martin is obviously a very appealing figure for many men even today, and it's not just because he's a father protecting his family or fighting for his country. There were other ways to accomplish both of those things. What Martin represents in the fantasy of consequence-free violent rampages.
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