The 2016 film Patriots Day is a docudrama that is largely based on factual events but employs dramatic license for narrative purposes. The central events depictedthe Boston Marathon bombing, the subsequent investigation, the identification of the perpetrators, the murder of an MIT police officer, a carjacking, and the final shootout in Watertownare all grounded in the real-world timeline and known facts of the case. The film incorporates actual news footage and surveillance video to enhance its authenticity.
The primary area of fictionalization lies in its characters. The main protagonist, Sergeant Tommy Saunders (played by Mark Wahlberg), is a composite character. He does not represent a single real person but is an amalgamation of several different Boston police officers who were involved in various aspects of the response and manhunt. This narrative technique allows the film to present a cohesive story through a central viewpoint, consolidating the experiences of many individuals into one. Similarly, while many characters like Police Commissioner Ed Davis, FBI Special Agent Richard DesLauriers, and carjacking victim Dun Meng are real people, their private conversations and specific moment-to-moment interactions are dramatized interpretations.
Therefore, while the film accurately portrays the sequence and procedural elements of the historical event, it should be viewed as a dramatization rather than a documentary. It prioritizes capturing the emotional truth and the spirit of the city's response over a strictly literal, moment-by-moment reenactment. The use of composite characters and dramatized dialogue is a standard cinematic tool to make a complex, sprawling true story accessible and compelling for an audience.
