On screen, however, it\u2019s a different story. One of cinema\u2019s most untrustworthy presences, Isaacs honed his villainy throughout the 1990s in BBC series (Taggart<\/em>; Inspector Morse<\/em>), TV movies (Loved Up<\/em>), plays (1953<\/em>), and Paul W.S. Anderson joints (Soldier<\/em>). Primarily niche audiences saw those performances, but in summer 2000, millions of moviegoers experienced his odiousness in Roland Emmerich\u2019s The Patriot<\/em> (which turned 25 on June 28). Despite going on to play a variety of roles, including a drag queen immediately afterwards in Sweet November<\/em>, this meaty supporting turn introduced Isaac\u2019s vile qualities to the masses and established him as a reliable antagonist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From the instant his Col. William Tavington appears, The Patriot <\/em>experiences a noticeable tonal shift. A fictionalized version of British Legion commander Banastre Tarleton, this man with deep-set eyes and a resting frown, walking down the freshly seized Charlestown, South Carolina courthouse steps beside Gen. Lord Charles Cornwallis (Tom Wilkinson) looks oddly reptilian, as if he’s part velociraptor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yet before we even know Tavington\u2019s name and the evil he’s capable of, the filmmakers stack the deck against him. Though viewers know the outcome of the Revolutionary War, all but the most cynical are rooting for the Continental Army and opposed to any Redcoats (and loyalists) standing in their way. Plus, Robert Rodat\u2019s script makes it downright impossible not to be invested in the survival of kindhearted widower Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibson) and his seven children, particularly once Tavington causes them pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to such vicious actions as ordering the Martins\u2019 house and stables burned as punishment for the hosts harboring rebels \u2014 disregarding that they were severely injured, cared for alongside wounded British soldiers \u2014 Tavington solidifies his loathsome nature by murdering young Thomas Martin (Gregory Smith) for boldly attempting to free his captured soldier brother Gabriel (Heath Ledger) from being dragged away for hanging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Few crimes are more despicable than child homicide, and the lack of remorse Isaacs conveys during and after this horrific deed suggests that we\u2019re dealing with a sociopath. And it\u2019s not as if this is SOP for the British Army. The shock this killing elicits in the first British officer on the scene \u2014 who thanks the Martins for giving his comrades medical attention \u2014 and Cornwallis\u2019 subsequent reprimand of Tavington\u2019s \u201cbrutal tactics\u201d after witnessing the Colonel slicing at enemy soldiers with a saber show that his conduct is unbecoming of an officer in King George\u2019s service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sidelined and forced to play by the rules, during which he sulks about like a chastised schoolboy, Tavington is given a second chance to break bad after Benjamin embarrasses Cornwallis. And, boy, does he capitalize on it! Endorsed by his superior to go rogue, Tavington punishes the militia under Benjamin\u2019s command by attacking those they love most \u2014 an easy task for someone seemingly without a family and incapable of love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With his piercing blue eyes, arched brows, and sharp facial features, Isaacs wields an almost unfair naturally villainous appearance and often accentuates it with a simple narrowing of the eyes or a snarl. As Tavington ramps up his revenge, Emmerich amplifies these qualities through numerous close-ups of Isaacs and by employing multiple uses of slow-motion, stoking viewer hatred for this repugnant excuse for a man and occasionally making one wonder if he is indeed human. A walking insult to the fledgling United States of America themselves, Tavington is essentially a British Terminator who can only be stopped via elimination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Though The Patriot<\/em> received modestly positive reviews, Isaacs\u2019 performance was frequently cited as one of the film\u2019s strongest assets. And after it became the 15th highest grossing domestic release of 2000, earning $113 million in the U.S. and $215 million worldwide, Isaacs was predictably offered numerous bad guy roles but didn\u2019t accept any until the one-two punch of Lucius Malfoy in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets<\/em> (2002) and Captain Hook in Peter Pan<\/em> (2003).<\/p>\n\n\n\n When Isaacs\u2019 casting in each film was announced, it was tough to fault the decision. Unlike the wealth of disposable summer blockbuster evildoers, Isaacs\u2019 Tavington left such a strong impression that, a handful of years later, anticipation for these projects grew thanks to the value added by his involvement. And a similar optimism has endured throughout Isaacs\u2019 career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While he\u2019s typically featured in smaller supporting parts, whenever and however Isaacs shows up, it\u2019s instinctual to approach him with hostility, presuming him guilty until proven innocent. In the event that such fears are realized, one\u2019s Isaacs-specific Spidey-sense merits praise for correctly being on high alert. But even when he plays nice, the suspenseful anticipation that his current character just might flash a little Tavington elevates the overall work in that hyper-specific way \u2014 and we have the urtext of The Patriot<\/em> to thank for that inherent distrust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “The Patriot” is available for digital rental or purchase<\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/crookedmarquee.com\/stage8\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/patriot2-1024x575.webp\")
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