Review of Braveheart

They may take away our lives, but they'll never take away - our FREEDOM!!


Many thought that Mel Gibson's decision to star and direct the 1995 movie "Braveheart:, the story of the Scottish rebel William Wallace, was too bold. Some even thought it would sink into film industry oblivion, a topic of taboo for most film critics to even think about. But Gibson proved the gambler and gave audiences worldwide an epic feast: his movie garnered the coveted 'Best Picture' award at the 1995 Academy Awards, as well as the 'Best Director' award for himself, thus proving his acting and directing ability (try seeing "Apocalypto"; it may not be in English, but the way the story is told is enough to keep you riveted to the screen. Besides, there are English subtitles to guide you.).
The movie begins with a narration by actor Angus MacFadyen, who plays the sixth Robert of Bruce, one of the strong contenders for the crown of Scotland. It is through his memory that the tale of William Wallace (Gibson) is told. William was a young boy when the King of England, Edward the Longshanks (Patrick McGoohan), called a peace offering for all the Scottish landlords. They were set to meet in a barn, with only a page in attendance. William's father, Malcolm Wallace (Sean Lawlor) and older brother, John Wallace (Sandy Nelson) were all set to attend, but when they got there, they found all the landlords and their pages hanging from the rafters. Because of that, they gathered an army and attacked the English forces. In the battle, William?s father and older brother were killed.
During the funeral, a little girl noticed William standing over the graves of his father and brother. Moved by pity, she gives him a purple flower before leaving. Their relationship won't blossom until many years later. William was taken care of by his Uncle Argyle Wallace (Brian Cox), who taught him a great many things.
When William returned, it was during the time when Longshanks had proclaimed prima noctre , the right of every English noble to bed a newly married Scottish woman on the night of her wedding. This was his attempt to stop the increase in the Scottish population ("If we can't stamp them out, we breed them out."). Also, Longshanks oldest son Edward, the Prince of Wales (Peter Hanly) was already married to the French princess Isabelle (Sophie Marceau), the daughter of Longshanks' rival. However, the king notes a rather close friendship between his son and one of the courtiers, Phillip (Stephen Billington), so he plans to impregnate Princess Isabelle if his son cannot.
At the wedding of one of the Scottish couples in his land, William sees a familiar face; the young girl who had given him the purple flower years ago is now a beautiful young woman: Murron MacClannough (Catherine McCormack). A mutual attraction quickly develops between the two, and despite the refusal of Murron's father (Sean McGinley) to allow Wallace to court his youngest daughter, the two secretly get married.
Unfortunately their marriage is brief, when one English soldier (and a really scraggly one at that) attempts to rape Murron in the marketplace and Wallace defends her. During the struggle, Murron falls off the horse meant to take her to a secret place and is tied to a wooden post by the lord of their land to force Wallace to show himself. The lord slits Murron's throat to aggravate Wallace even further, and when he does show himself, all the English soldiers and the lord are killed.
The events that follow end up in the formation of the massive Scottish army, their many triumphs against the British (and even French) forces, the knighting of Wallace as the defender of Scotland, and the rift among the Scottish nobles. Wallace is closely aided by his childhood friend, Hamish Campbell (Brendan Gleeson), the wacky Irishman Stephen (David O'Hara), Morrison (Tommy Flannigan), the groom whose bride was taken by the lord under the premises of fulfilling prima noctre and Campbell (James Cosmo), Hamish's father.
In an attempt to secure peace with Wallace and save his other states from being sacked and pillaged, Longshanks sends Princess Isabelle to offer Wallace terms of peace: lordship, titles, and lands of his own. Wallace refuses the king's terms, saying that he never forgot Longshanks' notion of peace. In time, Wallace and Princess Isabelle form a secret affair, and when Wallace is finally caught and sentenced to death by means of torture and then beheading, the princess gives him a potion that would numb his senses and therefore make him feel no pain when he is being tortured. He pretends to drink the potion for her sake, but spits it out as soon as she leaves the prison cell.
As Longshanks lies dying in his bed (while Wallace is being tortured in the scaffolding below his window), Princess Isabelle reveals to him the biggest blow of all: that a child is growing in her womb and it is not the child of Longshanks' son, but the child of William Wallace; a child that will one day rule the whole of England.
The movie is a nonstop thrill ride, from the euphoria of the Scots going to battle against the British forces (the cheeky blighters even mooned the Brits!), the heartbreaking love story of William Wallace and Murron MacClannough, the obvious homosexual tendencies of the Prince of Wales; heck, even Longshanks himself is amusing to watch especially when dealing with his coward son. You may not be a fan of battle epics (the uncut version of the movie has very graphic fight scenes), but I'm sure this one will definitely change your perspective on these type of movies.
Kudos to Mel Gibson and the entire cast and crew of the movie for a stellar job.