The Crossing

Hollywood has always had an aversion to the War of Independence. But this imposing made-for-TV account of the Continental Army's conflict-turning clash at Trenton, New Jersey with Britain's feared Hessian mercenaries is an unswervingly patriotic attempt to redress the balance. Cast somewhat against type, Jeff Daniels is clearly conscious of the historical significance of the crossing of the Delaware River and brings a suitably heroic gravitas to the part of George Washington. However, while accepting director Robert Harmon's decision to employ graphic battlefield violence, one has to question the need to demonise the enemy quite as Mel Gibson did in The Patriot.