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Braveheart is the best movie ever made in history, an absolute sculpted work of art that depicts every emotion of human existence, from suffering, to courage to love, in front of the background of political astuteness and socio-hierarchal analysis.
Telling the quasi-true story of one man's conviction and courage to exact vengeance for the killing of his first wife and father at the hands of the ruthless King Edward the II of England, who in turn inspires his small province of Scotland to rebel and go to war in a real fight for freedom and independence, Braveheart is a stunning depiction of the capacity of the human spirit to overcome the odds, defy tyranny, and achieve justice, respect, and dignity against oppression.
Although its retractors and critics will dwell and harp on the historical accuracy of some of the movie, particularly what part Robert the Bruce played in real life, there is no denying the true power and emotional influence of this movie. It's understandable, particularly for Europeans, how this could be problematic due to their upbringing in studying history, but the movie is not really about being historically perfect; it's a work of art about things much deeper. A documentary it is not, and it's duplistic and hypocritical for the film's haters to dwell on this minor detail, but perhaps allow historical rewriting to slide and give it a free pass in something like Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds or Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
On this topic, one of the dozens of best parts in the movie is when Robert the Bruce plays an important role in one of the battles, and eventually the movie does come around and get Robert's history back on track with more accuracy as to his part and character in the battle for Scotland's independence.
Without trying to get the history perfect, this movie is simply flawless. It's beyond flawless, really. A flawless movie can just be a technical masterpiece with very little power, but the raw power and emotion coming off the screen in practically every single scene in Braveheart is like an inferno.
James Horner's score is one of the greatest scores ever for any movie, and it successfully enhances the drama and emotion of each scene, without coming across as manipulative. It fits perfectly into every single scene it is used.
There isn't one acting role that is not well-done. This is one of Gibson's best acting roles, and the guy who plays Edward II gives an outstanding performance.
This is the greatest epic movie ever created in the history of Hollywood. A few years later, another great modern epic Gladiator came out and drew rightful comparisons to Braveheart, but while Gladiator is a very good movie, it lacks in the emotional depth, power, and ultimate inspiration behind the experience of watching Braveheart.
The final Act of Braveheart is one of the most powerful ever put on film. As a first time viewer, you really have no idea where the story is going to go (even as a repeat viewer it still holds weight). To this day, there is still nothing like it. Just when you think it's over or you know how it will end, it just continues to twist and turn, and then it closes with what is probably the best ending of any movie in history.
In addition to all of this, the body of Braveheart is loaded with outstanding battle scenes, incredible editing, and great dialogue rooted in inspiration, political strategy, philosophy, and stunning human experience of love, desire, passion, suffering, and identity.
When you look at the top rated movies on IMDB, it is laughable that comic book movies and good popcorn-fun movies are actually rated above this. This is without a doubt, hands down, one of the top 25 movies ever made, and in my opinion, it is the #1 best movie of all-time.
This movie is a masterpiece.
10/10
