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BENEDICT ARNOLD: HERO BETRAYED

CAPITAL CINEMA CULTURAL EXCHANGE, INC - as PROMO

Documentary - Post-Production 2021

2-hour documentary provides new facts and unprecedented material illuminating Benedict Arnold’s heroic contributions to America's struggle for Independence offering audiences a deeper understanding of the Revolution that shaped world history.

- Year of production
- 2021
- Genres
- Documentary, Historical, Biography
- Countries
- USA, UNITED KINGDOM
- Budget
- 1 - 3 M$
- Duration
- 120 mn
- Synopsis
- For the crucial first three years of the American Revolution, Arnold foils the key British strategy to isolate New England colonies from the rest of the country. The history of the Northern campaign is largely unknown and under appreciated because to reveal its unfolding is to tell the story of Benedict Arnold. His later change of allegiance to the British Crown has so eclipsed his contributions that society today misses an important piece of world history and life lessons.
  
  Benedict Arnold is born into a prominent New England family. When his father’s alcoholism disgraces the family and their wealth is dissipated, he vows to restore honor and fortune to his family. Arnold is forever sensitive to any threats to personal principle. Although he becomes a successful entrepreneur, he is never fully accepted into prominent social circles.
  
  When the fervor of revolution promises a more egalitarian social order than the existing arbitrary aristocratic rule, Arnold becomes an enthusiastic patriot. He organizes and finances a militia unit and has his men pledge to high ideals.
  
  Before war is even declared, Arnold leads an expedition to capture Fort Ticonderoga, a strategic British stronghold. Washington recognizes Arnold’s leadership abilities and sends him on a mission to win Canada over to the American cause. He and his men overcome brutal conditions in the Maine wilderness and Canadian winter at the walls of Quebec.
  
  Next, Arnold is commissioned to build America’s first fleet and uses these vessels to confront the Royal Navy on Lake Champlain — foiling their plan of invasion. Later, his victory at Saratoga is the pinnacle of Arnold’s military career and a personal triumph! Yet it is General Gates who takes all the credit for success at Saratoga — now seen as the turning point of world history. Arnold becomes disillusioned.
  
  Gates’s affront to Arnold’s honor follows his routinely being passed over for well-deserved promotions. The U.S. Congress awards promotions based on politics and Arnold’s rivals lobbied against him. He suffers great disrespect when Congress disputes reimbursement of the money Arnold had personally advanced for military campaigns.
  
  Following the departure of British occupiers, Washington appoints Arnold to Military Governor of the City of Philadelphia. There he restrains the horrific vengeance radical Patriots visit upon Loyalists and neutral Quakers. Consequently, their vitriol is directed against him personally. The radicals force Washington to publicly rebuke Arnold. It’s the final straw.
  
  Arnold’s betrayal by the cause he had joined were rooted in the ideals of an egalitarian society seem to vanish. While living up to the ideals of the Declaration of Independence, others did not. Instead, he encounters an arbitrary system of personal favoritism and cronyism.
  
  Arnold concludes the Revolution had taken a bad turn and Americans would be better off under British rule and he absconds to London, England, where he is buried.