We flash back to 1996 when it is awards season. Many were talking about Apollo 13, Babe, Sense and Sensibility getting many accolades for its work. But, the little engine that could made it more interesting as Braveheart was coming into the fray as it was getting a few big awards like Best Director and was gaining momentum. It was a serious Oscar contender where it was nominated for ten Oscars and won five, including Best Picture and Best Director for Mel Gibson. It was another night where a traditional actor won for director. It was the the third actor to win that award during the span of 1990-1996, with Kevin Costner winning for Dances with Wolves and Clint Eastwood winning for Unforgiven.
Well, even though the movie has gotten massive praise for its battle sequences and inspiring elements to overcome the odds, the movie was without some controversy for its historical inaccuracies. Of course, it is nearly impossible to find a 7-foot actor to portray William Wallace. So, I'd cut them a break on that aspect. It was from some inconsistent wrong dates to certain events like the affair between Wallace and Princess Isabella to details like belted plaids that was worn by Wallace and his men. Mel Gibson defended his choices as a director to show the First War for Scottish Independence as a cinematic event than a historically accurate film to bring in the audience to feed off of that inspirational tone. I now underline this movie as inspirational many times because it gets you not to solely overcome the odds but fight for the greater good or what you believe in. And for a three-hour epic, it moves swiftly from the innocent romance to the epic warfare that gets you sucked into the world of 13th-century-14th century Scotland.
In 1280, King Edward "Longshanks" (Patrick McGoohan) has invaded and conquered Scotland which leaves the Scots farmers conversing as to fighting for their lands as young William Wallace is witnessing the meeting. They all agree to fight. As William's father and brother head off with the other farmers to fight against the English, he stays behind to look after the farm. But, very few of the Scots return and William is emotional as he sees his father and brother dead. After the funeral, his Uncle Argyle (cameo by Brian Cox) takes him on a pilgrimage through Europe to be educated, both mentally and physically (fighting and using a sword).
Years later, Longshanks grants his noblemen land and privileges in Scotland, whereas instituting Prima Nocte in which a newly married Scottish wife has to sleep with an English soldier on the first day. The rule angers the daughters' fathers and husbands. Meanwhile, an adult and educated William Wallace (Mel Gibson) returns to his homeland willing to live in peace. He reunites with his childhood friends, Hamish (Brendan Gleeson) and Murron (Catherine McCormack). William forms a loving relationship with Murron as he and she secretly marry because of the instituted English law. Later, William rescues Murron from being raped from English soldiers but after the second attempt, Murron is captured and executed. In retribution, William and the clan of Scotsman attack and defeat the group of English soldiers, starting a rebellion against the English.
Word spreads to many parts of Scotland and to King Edward Longshanks that William is waging war against the English in order for Scotland to become a free country. Wallace leads his army to victory in the Battle of Stirling and he sacks the city of York, killing Edwards' nephew. He seeks the assistance of Robert the Bruce (Angus Macfayden), the son of Robert the Elder who is contention for the Scottish crown. However, Robert the Elder wishes for his son to secure the throne by submitting to the English. Worried about the rebellion, Longshanks sends dispatchments to other countries while he sends his son's wife, Isabella of France (Sophie Marceau) to make peace with William. Enamored by William, Isabella helps him out by warning of another English invasion.
SPOILER ALERT!
There's innocence in William Wallace where peace in Scotland has been threatened by the English. As he is a young adult, he wants to live like his father and brother without any harm with a family with education and training under his belt. His innocence is balanced with the small amount of peace left in his life and Murron is the innocence and peace of his life. She did give a flower to him during his father's and brother's burial which represented, in my opinion, the amount of life that will be restored when William comes back. Like he said to Murron, while they were on the mountain, he remembered her every day during his pilgrimage. Unfortunately, Murron's murder takes William's happiness and peace away and drives him to revenge to fight the English and vow for Scotland's freedom since English law is what killed Murron.
The rest of the whole movie is up to the standards of Wallace's courage and heroism to win the freedom for Scotland and to successfully avenge Murron's death. He becomes a fierce warrior seeking out vengeance killing every English soldier in his path to battle for their freedom. When thinking about, Randall Wallace's screenplay does a great job of balancing the action, the politics, the themes, the inspiration and surprisingly enough the humor to make not as self-serious as in some scenes. The very latter of its balance, the humor, is there when Stephen the Irishman comes into the movie, watching Wallace's back.
Even though he is a wanted man which is seemingly his island, Stephen says to William what the Almighty God is saying to him because he believes in Him that Stephen is William's savior on the ground. It is proven because he saves William a couple of times where a fellow Irishman tries to kill him and the English are about to capture him after the Battle of Falkirk. (We'll get back to the truly devastating moment in Falkirk.) However, there is an underlying Christian theme in which he learned from his uncle Argyle a sense of freedom balanced with his intelligence. Many of the Scotsmen respect that and his wits and it is what unite Wallace and his fellow Scotsmen to fight against the corrupt English rule in order to restore the prosperity and salvation in Scotland because that is what Wallace believes in his. Plus, if you think about it, when William is being hanged, drawn and quartered, he is basically the true symbol or savior because he is sacrificing himself for the love of his country.
THAT WAS AWESOME! FREEDOM!!!
Loyalty is such a big theme throughout the middle part of this movie where it is between William Wallace and Robert the Bruce. Robert the Bruce wants to swear allegiance to William because he truly believes in his approach to fighting for his country. But, his father, like I said in the plot summary, wants Robert to submit to the English so that they can trust him as a Scottish king and can be united. It is totally the opposite to his beliefs. Robert the Bruce indirectly betrays William twice, once after Falkirk and once he meets up with Edinburgh. It is because Robert had no choice but to be loyal to his father primarily but the second time, he truly was devastated as we see the pain and remorse in Robert as we did in William the first time he sees Robert as the King's lancer. His father conspired with the English nobles behind Robert's back to capture Wallace. Learning of the truth, Robert disowns his father.
The problem is that it was a win-lose situation for Robert as he will still be loyal to his father and to the crown but William's trust will be lost. You can sense in the very last scene where Robert, now as a king, he is to formally accept English rule in the fields of Bannockburn with the English troops. However, the Scotsman are not so happy that they have accept it but Robert invokes William's memory as he persuades them to fight with him. He respects William as both a Scotsman and a true warrior to win their freedom and to still be loyalty to him even though he is dead. But, also, in the case of Lachlan and Mornay, they betray William because they were bribed by Longshanks, however, he kills them.
But, also that theme is with Princess Isabella as he helps William aid along his troops and know of the English plan's with the help of her French maidservant. However, her loyalty to William is because she does not know what love is because Prince Edward was forced to marry Princess Isabella because of the alliance with France. Plus, Prince Edward was shown to be homosexual in the movie as he was shown to have a friendly bond with his high counsel, Philip. However, she betrays Longshanks as she tells him at his bedside, while he is dying, that she is carrying William's child, ending the heir.
The performances do not get enough praise because many praise the action and the cinematography and also James Horner's excellent score but Gibson gives a fantastic performance as you seen the driven anger, youthful innocence and also pain in his eyes and the way he recites the dialogue. He directs himself and also Patrick McGoohan as the ruthless king, who gives a sly and cold performance as he is both confident and always ahead of Wallace. Sophie Marceau also gives an underrated, solid performance as the princess who is being trapped with this force of nature of being the princess without knowing much about love, plus, she becomes more empowering as the movie continues on. Brendan Gleeson and Jack O'Doyle (if you know from The Departed who plays Fitzy) are commendable as his comrades.
Say what you will if you think that this is one of the best Best Picture movies ever made, but I think it is personally one of my favorites because it is such a sweeping, inspirational and well-paced epic that almost sets the standards one of the best war movies ever made. It is certainly one of the bloodiest but it is no surprise because it is directed by Mel Gibson. He definitely topped himself with Apocalypto, The Passion of the Christ and Hacksaw Ridge in terms of gore.
Here's one of the battles:
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