Braveheart Movie Review

In the realm of historical drama, filmmakers are often faced with a dilemma; do they keep as historically accurate as possible for authenticity or do they buck this trend in favour of making their stories as epic and dramatic as possible. Braveheart is a fine example of how using the latter technique can result in a brilliant and timeless film that transports the audience into a rich setting and never let’s go.

Braveheart is the tale of William Wallace (Mel Gibson), a Scottish warrior and hero in the thirteenth century; his people have been subjected to ruthless oppression by the English led by King Edward “LongShanks” ever since he was a boy and he soon gets his reason to fight; after his wife Murron (Catherine McCormack) is killed by English soldiers, Wallace takes up a sword and rallies the Scots to fight for their freedom. Along the way, the born leader and his band of brothers take the fight to the enemy by unconventional means, as well as bringing figures such as Robert the Bruce (Angus Macfadyen) to their cause. Adapted from the epic poem “The Actes and Deidis of the Illustre and Vallyeant Campioun Schir William Wallace” by Blind Harry, Braveheart launches full-on into an vast, varied and engaging tale of valour and courage. The film is excellently paced, sprinkling in great amounts of vicious battles and subdued drama; and with a brilliant and timeless hero at its centre, you’ll be rooting for and engaged with Wallace more and more as the film goes on, something which modern films struggle to do nowadays. Of course the film isn’t completely historically accurate, but by moving away from this the filmmakers were able to produce a plot that not only keeps the audience invested from start to finish, but also manages to translate very well to the big screen.

The characters of this grand tale are mostly very well-rounded and developed. At the centre is Mel Gibson as William Wallace, an excellent and all-around likeable lead; he possesses a strong and determined mind-set and yet despite his tough exterior, he is shown to be a man who is forced to adapt and cope with losses of every kind. Wallace’s main companions (played by Brendan Gleeson and David O’Hara amongst others) provide a good mixture of drama and light comic relief which play off Gibson very well. On the opposing side, we have King Edward “Longshanks” (Patrick Mcgoohan), a truly ruthless dictator who makes for a great antagonist; just as the audience follows Wallace, so too do they hope for the villain to be taken down a notch, which makes for a great conflict. Other side characters also make an impression by going along their personal journeys over the course of the film; Isabella of France (Sophie Marceau) starts off as a bargaining chip, hopeless to have any influence on her husband and the domineering king, but as things go on, she becomes more daring and willing to defy conventions. Likewise Robert the Bruce is constantly torn between his claim to the Scottish throne and loyalty to his fellow kinsman, making for an interesting plotline of morality. The only real issue I had with the cast was that some of the characters could have had more time to develop; for instance “Longshank's” son Prince Edward (Peter Hanly) has an interesting role, but his character doesn’t contribute as much to the proceedings over the course of the film.

Before modern films utilised CGI to make their battles seem much large and expansive in scale, films had to make do with extras and good camera work to set them apart and in terms of sheer spectacle, Braveheart is in a class of its own with its portrayal of medieval combat. It’s really intense stuff, with quick cuts between the two sides and some brutal killing blows; it’s also interesting how the film’s combat is devoid of music, allowing the clashing of swords and shields to be much more impactful. The film is also leaps and bounds ahead in its portrayal of the setting and characters; the vast landscapes of Scotland viewed from afar are some of the most beautiful sights you’ll ever see in a historical drama whilst the make-up and costumes are very well designed to clearly define the English and Scottish armies. The music features a traditional and authentic bagpipe score placed against an emotive main theme which brings a surprising amount of poignancy to the Scot’s struggle. Suffice it say, there’s little in Braveheart that doesn’t work alongside the story and characters to draw the viewer in to its stunning world.

I can say without a shadow of doubt that Braveheart is epic in every sense of the word; it’s well rounded characters, beautiful music and visceral combat all come together to make it one of the best historical dramas, even nearly twenty years later. Historians will no doubt continue to cry foul at its numerous inaccuracies, but for the rest of us, it remains an utterly captivating and enthralling adventure.  

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars