The confrontation between Jason Isaacs’ William Tavington and Mel Gibson’s Benjamin Martin was a crucial scene in The Patriot, but it was almost entirely different. While The Patriot is far from a true story, the 2000 Revolutionary War movie saw Benjamin as a revolutionary, waging war against Tavington after the British Officer killed his son. Benjamin quickly joins the Continental Army, which prompts Tavington to confront him during a prisoner exchange. The movie was later nominated for three Oscars for Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, and Best Sound.

In an interview with Collider, Isaacs explained that the original script called for a different confrontation. Originally, Tavington would have shied away from Benjamin, after facing threats from the Continental soldier, but Isaacs believed that it would have undermined his character. He approached director Roland Emmerich, and the two agreed to change Tavington’s lines without consulting Gibson. While Gibson initially “looked absolutely furious“, he later expressed that “it was electric“. Check out Isaacs’ quote below:

I remember there was a bit in the middle of the film where we meet face to face. He comes and gets his son back, and as scripted, he steps up to me and says, ‘Before this war is over, I’m going to kill you.’ In the script, it said, ‘For the first time, you see Tavington scared. He steps back.’ But I went to Roland, and I went, ‘Why am I doing that? Why am I scared?’ The film is over if the villain is scared at that point. The whole film’s over. And he goes, ‘Okay, do something else.’ I go, ‘Should I tell Mel?’ He goes, ‘No, no, no.’

So Mel steps up to me, and he goes, ‘Before this war’s over, I’m going to kill you.’ I took my sword out, I turned it around, I offered him the handle, and I said, ‘Why wait?’ He looked absolutely furious. Mel’s eyes went electric. I thought, ‘I’ve really crossed a line here. It’s a terrible mistake. I better grovel.’ He just looked around. I thought he looked over at Roland at the camera, but he looked all around, and he said, ‘Soon.’ And he walked off, and Roland called cut. I ran up to Mel, and I said, ‘Look, I’m really sorry. I wanted to do something, but I didn’t want to tell you.’ He grabbed me, and he went, ‘I ҒUCҜing loved it! It was electric, man.’ Because he’s a proper actor. So, it was a great part, and I didn’t do any of the villains after, which my bank account would have been far fatter for. But I went off and played a drag queen and did a couple of plays because they don’t come like that very often.

What The Patriot’s Changes Meant For Its Legacy

That Scene Is One Of The Patriot’s Best

Isaacs’ decision to change the scene helped to ensure that Tavington would remain a viable threat throughout the entire movie. The final scene culminated in his cathartic death, so undermining the character would only make the ending unsatisfying. By ensuring that Tavington never flinched from Benjamin in this early scene, Isaacs ensured that he could remain appropriately intimidating. His cunning, sadism, and willingness to risk his life for the loyalist cause ensured that the villainous Tavington was one of Jason Isaacs’ best roles, and this scene cemented that.

Isaacs also ensured that The Patriot‘s confrontation was suitably believable. By surprising Gibson, he gave his fellow actor little time to adjust to the improvised line, which enabled him to have a more realistic reaction. Just as Benjamin would understandably pause to react to Tavington’s unexpected reaction, Gibson was able to infuse his real-world reaction into his character. Gibson is already a renowned director and actor, but blurring the lines between the character and the actor made Benjamin even more believable.

Our Take On The Patriot’s Surprising Change

The Improvisation Is Impressive

Improvisation does not always work in Hollywood, but this change was necessary. Benjamin suffers immensely in The Patriot, however, he wins nearly every major confrontation. If Tavington retreated in fear, then Benjamin would never have a true rival, and the movie would lose any semblance of stakes. The immediate “electric” reaction from Gibson was proof that the Tavington line made his character more compelling, making it an absolute necessity. The Patriot needed Isaacs’ change, and he was the perfect actor for the role.

Source: Collider