#75 Braveheart

In Summary

Mel Gibson's 'historical' epic, Braveheart is the tale of the Scottish struggle for freedom against the wicked English in the late 13th/early 14th centuries.

Braveheart is a simple tale of good and evil. The Scots are a pure, fan and nature-loving folk, the English are arrogant, war-mongering rapists, it is only the character of Robert the Bruce who offers any complexity in this struggle as he flits between good and evil, split between loyalty to his family and to his countrymen.

The central role of the film is William 'Braveheart' Wallace - played by Mel Gibson himself - who is the pivotal figure in the Scottish resistance. It is his task to rally the varying Scottish factions in order to take the fight to the English. Wallace's motivation is that his wife - of whom we see a very brief and pure romance in the opening stages of the film - was executed and nearly raped by the English during an attempt to impose in the king's authority over Scotland.

In contrast to Robert the Bruce - who, in reality, had the 'Braveheart' nickname - William Wallace doesn't have any internal conflicts or complexities. He is the ultimate warrior with a pure motivation, his only challenge is motivating those around him - like a medieval Michael Jordan.

The body of Braveheart as a film is a series of skirmishes between the English and the Scottish interrupted by Mel Gibson's ropey Scottish accent and scenes contrasting the heroic Scottish with the villainous English. The film ends with Wallace executed but his memory inspiring the Scots, led by Robert the Bruce, to victory on the battlefield against the English.

A Memorable Quote

Every man dies, not every man really lives.

Things You May Not Know

• Mel Gibson didn't want to play the lead role of William Wallace as he felt he was too old, however, he could only secure financing for the film by taking up the part.
• There are too many historical inaccuracies in this film to detail one-by-one the biggest include; the portrayal of Robert the Bruce as in any way conflicted about his loyalty to Scotland, the Battle of Stirling Bridge not happening on a bridge, and the Irish depicted as fighting with the Scots instead of against them.
• Most of the film was shot in Ireland, with most of the extras in the battle scenes being reservists of the Irish Army.

One of the Greatest of All Time?
The worst thing about Braveheart is just how brazenly it changes history to tell its own story. While a degree of creative freedom should be permitted, most of the changes made are to the film's detriment, in particular, making William Wallace this uncomplicated Christ-like figure fighting against a comedically dastardly nemesis reduces the level of intrigue in a film that runs at nearly three hours long.

Braveheart is just not a particularly interesting film.