Working on "The Patriot", a Columbia Pictures film starring Mel Gibson, was an "experience". The movie, about the Revolutionary war, is due to be released sometime this summer. It was fun, dangerous and hot! I saw lot of guys carried out on stretchers, some had powder burns, cuts, broken bones, and some were trampled by horses. I managed to get a few pix, even though cameras weren't allowed on the set. I should've done what some of the other guys did and carried a disposable camera, they got better pix. You can click on the thumbnail to view full size photo.
Men,...Take up your arms!
More than anything else it seems, we stood in line. I guess this guy wasn't listening to the part about, "these are real muskets, don't put your fingers over the barrel!".
"I don't know why we have to clean these muskets, they're just gonna get dirty tomorrow when we chase those bloody Colonials off the battlefield! Did I mention that I was a Red Coat?
A proud member of the King's 133rd afoot, I served in the war against the rebellious colonial's. As luck would have it, I went AWOL before the Continental army defeated us. I took a hit in one of the battle scenes and at the "cut", I realized I was lying on top of a "Flash Pod" (10 lbs. of gunpowder), probably the only one that didn't blow. I noticed that the Director, for authenticity (?), conveniently forgot to make us aware as to the whereabouts of these explosives. Well, I guess I'd had enough of Hollywood, I decided to go AWOL right then and there! An eerie note: Later that day my wife was telling me about a weird experience she had had that day. It seems that when she was in our yard, "everything got completely quiet, you couldn't even hear a bird or anything, then all the dogs started "howling" (something they almost NEVER do), it was disturbing". When I asked her about what time it happened, turned out it was (probably exactly) the same time!
Doo da doo da, do da do da...
These guys were good, the "accidents" weren't their fault, or the horses. The guys I saw trampled (head and throat), were Continental soldiers "dead" on the battlefield, and they were trampled after the Director had an entire battalion of Red coats, brandishing muskets with bayonets, charge the horses!
I was one of 200 "core" soldiers chosen to attend a training camp. On the big battle days they brought in the regular "extra's" that were put in the back of the ranks and told to "do what they do", what a cluster*!#%! We fell in, marched, and learned Musket (?) drills . We learned hand to hand combat skills under the instruction of stunt coordinators. We watched as some fell out from heat exhaustion, while others sustained injuries of varying degrees. We marched in unison, like one big machine. We fought together. At some point, I started to feel like a Revolutionary war soldier! I imagined, no, I experienced what it must have been like to be trying to pour gunpowder down a barrel to load one round while the enemy is "coming down" on you. I understand now why most of these battles were fought "up close and personal" with bayonet and bear hand. Prior to this movie, I had no military experience. It's weird but I truly feel like a Veteran! I tell people I served in the King's 133rd afoot, and then watch their expressions.
You people are the finest %*#%/&% army in the world!
My fifteen minuites?
I sure hope my scenes make the cut, but then, you're the only one I've told!
By the way, this is a really bad picture of me. I looked much better in me wig and me stockings!