Continuity mistake: In the scene where Gabriel is in the tent with Benjamin and another officer, the officer has a jar in his hand and in the next shot he is handing Gabriel a piece of paper then in the following shot the jar is gone. What happened to it?
Continuity mistake: In the scene where Benjamin is meeting with General Cornwallis (when they have captured the "scarecrows"), and making agreements with him, watch the white feather sitting on his desk. First it's facing sideways then it's facing frontward this mistake continues about six or seven times in that one scene.
Continuity mistake: In the scene where Benjamin and his fellow militamen got ambushed, the first wagon is half full with cargo and there are two men driving the cart, in the next scene several British soldiers jump out of the cart.
Continuity mistake: During the final battle scene with Col. Tavington, a close up shot shows Ben Martin holding the last lead ball cast from his son's toy soldiers close to the muzzle of his pistol, about three inches away. The next longer shot of him shows him holding the ball about ten inches from the pistol.
Continuity mistake: After being shot by Col. Tavington, Rev. Oliver collapses, his left hand alternating between shots of him either grasping the forestock of his musket or not.
Continuity mistake: Benjamin Martin's right hand instantly changes from being below the muzzle of his musket to the top as the shots change during the scene in the tent with Harry.
Continuity mistake: When Benjamin Martin grabs the bone out of John Billings' hand, Martin is next to Billings, but when Martin throws the bone to get the dogs out of the wagon, he is at least three feet away from Billings, enough distance to allow the dogs to pass between them.
Continuity mistake: Early in the film, as Benjamin says goodnight to the girls, the candles he's carrying are approximately 3" long and remain so as he descends the stairs. As he reaches the bottom step the camera cuts and from there forward the candles are at least ½" longer.
Continuity mistake: When the movie begins it is 1776 and that is when Gabriel enlists in the Continental Army. In his letter home he mentions the fall of Charleston, which occurred in 1780. After Benjamin gets his commission as a colonel after the pitched battle, Gabriel states that he has been a soldier for 2 years. That would put the formation of the militia in 1778, 2 years before Charleston was captured by the British.
Continuity mistake: In the final confrontation between Benjamin and Tavington, when Tavington is charging and Benjamin is running at him with the flag, during the closeups of Benjamin, he's charging at Tavington, but when the focus shifts to Tavington, Benjamin can be seen in the foreground already kneeling, with the shaft of the flag planted in the ground. This back and forth occurs 2 or 3 times and each time Benjamin's position is different, until he flips Tavington's horse.
Continuity mistake: In the final battle (Cowpens) when the milita are lined up, and Ben says "Take aim!" the first time, watch the guy behind Ben. The camera will show Ben and Jean(French guy). It will then show the line of milita aiming. Then the camera goes back to Ben and Jean. There is a different guy behind them. (02:32:35)
Continuity mistake: In the scene where the boys go down to the river and see the bodies floating, Benjamin tells his daughter to go bring them back. As she is running through the field you see her trip into the grass right before they switch camera shots. where she is standing with her brothers like nothing happened. (00:24:45)
Answer: Guns were less powerful during Revolutionary times and the wounds were more survivable. Deep and ripping knife stabs to areas like the abdomen and the neck area are more likely to be fatal. Tavington may not die instantly, but he would probably bleed out and/or bleed internally fairly quickly.
raywest ★
Would being stabbed in the stomach, and in the throat have been enough to kill a person as tough as Tavington?
Absolutely. A deep stab to the stomach/intestinal area would be very deadly even today. Being stabbed directly in the throat would kill someone very fast due to a lack of air and inhaling blood into the lungs.
LorgSkyegon