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Directed By
Mel Gibson
Written By:
Randall Wallace
Cast:
Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau, Patrick McGoohan, Catherine McCormack, Brendan Gleeson, James Cosmo, David O'Hara, Angus Macfadyen, Ian Bannen, Sean McGinley, Brian Cox, Stephen Billington, Alun Armstrong, Tommy Flanagan, Barry McGovern, Peter Hanly, Barry McGovern
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Braveheart (1995)
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Movie Review by Jarrod
July 3rd, 2007
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Gibson has been accused of more than just anti-Semitism; with this film, and his appearance in The Patriot, he has been accused of anti-British sentiment, as well, content to portray Englishmen as brutal and savage killers, opposed to the idea of human freedom, raping and plundering without compunction. I think that seems rather extreme, but Braveheart, for which Gibson won a Directing Oscar, certainly does not cast the British in a positive light, though, like many Hollywood features, historical accuracy is not exactly at the top of the list. Gibson is legendary Scottish rebel William Wallace, who decides to lead his countrymen in a war for independence, against King Edward I or Longshanks (McGoohan), relentless in his efforts to subjugate the Scots and keep them under his control. Wallace becomes especially committed to liberty after the murder of his wife, at the hands of an English governor. He takes his men onto the battlefield, with spears and shields, to stand against the larger and better-equipped archer, infantry, and cavalry battalions of the British. In the meantime, Longshanks's daughter-in-law (Marceau), a French princess, falls for Wallace, mainly because her own husband is an effete wimp who very obviously is involved with his close male friend.
There are many bloody and rousing battle scenes, all beautifully shot and realistic, no sense of digital fakery. Gibson is charismatic and inspiring, making Wallace strong and heroic, but also not invincible, he gets injured, is not able to gain the full confidence of devious noblemen, and even gets captured and beheaded, though he turns his execution into an overly dramatic moment, where he, unwilling to profess loyalty to the king, utters one last word of defiance before the axe falls. This is one of Gibson's finest performances.
McGoohan, however, is my favorite thing in the whole movie. An American actor, who masters a classy English accent, he turns Longshanks into a ruthless and cruel tyrant, intelligent and cunning, experienced he thinks in dealing with upstarts like Wallace, namely using terror against all of Scotland and offering bribes to wealthy Scotsmen so that they do not resist him. But Wallace, he finds, cannot be bought. He despises his son, and remains unable to grant mercy even on his deathbed. A perfect foil for Wallace, though one obviously summoned in order to provide a strict dichotomy of good and evil.
I liked Brendan Gleeson as Wallace's red-bearded friend Hamish, and Brian Cox as Wallace's uncle, who raises him after his father and brother are killed. Wallace is able to speak French and Latin, surprisingly cultured despite being a rough-hewn peasant. A further plot element involves Robert the Bruce (Angus Mcfadyen), heir to the Scottish throne, whose leperous father encourages him to oppose Wallace and appease Edward. His moral dilemma, whether to follow his father's advice or his own heart, is compelling.
Thoroughly absorbing and wonderfully entertaining, Braveheart is an epic of the highest order, and exposed Gibson's filmmaking talents.
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 | Lisa
Jul 3, 2007 12:02 PM
also wrote a review of Braveheart
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| Taken as just a movie it was great I really enjoyed the film...the unfortunate thing is that many Americans and other foriegner (even some ignorant Brits) bought this as historical fact which is quite sickening. |
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