Braveheart

"Excellent"

Braveheart Review


Mel Gibson deserves a lot more credit than I've been giving him. A few years ago, no one could have conceived that the action star could pull off the lead role in a dazzling, epic, historical adventure-thriller-romance, let alone direct it. But he does, making Braveheart a vastly entertaining and powerful film.

Gibson plays Scottish hero William Wallace, a Scotsman with simple roots who finds himself thrust into a role as leader of the Scottish revolt against England in the late 13th century. After the despicable King Edward the Longshanks (Edward I) decrees that English nobles will have the right to sexual relations with all newly-wed Scottish women, the revolution is set in motion. Wallace takes up the cause, only to find himself facing incredible odds against a superior English army and fighting Scottish nobles who want to negotiate peace instead of fight. In fact, it's the nobles who turn out to be the bigger obstacle.

The film is exquisite in its melding of romance, political intrigue, and some of the most effective (and gory) battle scenes I've ever watched. At the forefront is the surprisingly capable portrayal of Wallace by Gibson, who comes off as such an awesome Everyman hero that he makes Rob Roy look like a wuss. Also, the film is so effective at making the English seem so overwhelmingly evil--really evil--that the audience is nearly ready to rush the screen. Patrick McGoohan, who plays the embodiment of this evil in King Edward, deserves an early nod as Best Supporting Actor for his staggering portrayal.

The only real problem with the film is that it is way too long. Clocking in at three hours, Gibson spends far too much time on certain sequences, like the half-hour of Wallace as a child. While entertaining, they add little to the picture as a whole, and the long panning shots of the Scottish highlands, while beautiful, get old after awhile.

Thematically, Braveheart explores the definitions of honor and nobility, reinforcing what we've always known: that true nobility is not the result of your birthright, but that it arises from the way you live your life. It's an excellent reminder that stays with you long after the film is over, and that is all too rare in Hollywood these days.



Braveheart

Facts and Figures

Run time: 177 mins

In Theaters: Wednesday 24th May 1995

Box Office Worldwide: $210M

Budget: $72M

Distributed by: Paramount Pictures

Production compaines: Icon Entertainment International, The Ladd Company, B.H. Finance C.V.

Reviews

Contactmusic.com: 4 / 5

Rotten Tomatoes: 78%
Fresh: 50 Rotten: 14

IMDB: 8.4 / 10

Cast & Crew

Director:

Producer: , , Alan Ladd Jr.

Starring: as William Wallace, as Murron MacClannough, as Princess Isabelle, as King Edward, as Robert the Bruce, as Hamish Campbell, as Young William Wallace, as Campbell, as MacClannough, Gerda Stevenson as Mother MacClannough, Mhairi Calvey as Young Murron MacClannough, as Nicolette, as Malcolm Wallace, as John Wallace, Alan Tall as Elder Stewart, Andrew Weir as Young Hamish Campbell, as Argyle Wallace, Peter Hanly as Edward, Prince of Wales, Stephen Billington as Phillip, as Morrison, as Lord Bottoms, Tam White as MacGregor, as Robert Bruce Sr., as Stephen, Irish Fighter, as Veteran, as Chief Justice/Executioner, Malcolm Tierney as Magistrate, Martin Murphy as Lord Talmadge, as Cheltham, Bernard Horsfall as Balliol, Richard Leaf as Governor of York, as Sean, Ralph Riach as Priest No. 1

Contactmusic


Links


New Movies

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Movie Review

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Movie Review

After the thunderous reception for J.J. Abrams' Episode VII: The Force Awakens two years ago,...

Daddy's Home 2 Movie Review

Daddy's Home 2 Movie Review

Like the 2015 original, this comedy plays merrily with cliches to tell a silly story...

The Man Who Invented Christmas Movie Review

The Man Who Invented Christmas Movie Review

There's a somewhat contrived jauntiness to this blending of fact and fiction that may leave...

Ferdinand Movie Review

Ferdinand Movie Review

This animated comedy adventure is based on the beloved children's book, which was published in...

Brigsby Bear Movie Review

Brigsby Bear Movie Review

Director Dave McCary makes a superb feature debut with this offbeat black comedy, which explores...

Battle of the Sexes Movie Review

Battle of the Sexes Movie Review

A dramatisation of the real-life clash between tennis icons Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs,...

Shot Caller Movie Review

Shot Caller Movie Review

There isn't much subtlety to this prison thriller, but it's edgy enough to hold the...

Advertisement
The Disaster Artist Movie Review

The Disaster Artist Movie Review

A hilariously outrageous story based on real events, this film recounts the making of the...

Stronger Movie Review

Stronger Movie Review

Based on a true story about the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, this looks like one...

Only the Brave Movie Review

Only the Brave Movie Review

Based on a genuinely moving true story, this film undercuts the realism by pushing its...

Wonder Movie Review

Wonder Movie Review

This film may be based on RJ Palacio's fictional bestseller, but it approaches its story...

Happy End  Movie Review

Happy End Movie Review

Austrian auteur Michael Haneke isn't known for his light touch, but rather for hard-hitting, award-winning...

Patti Cake$ Movie Review

Patti Cake$ Movie Review

Seemingly from out of nowhere, this film generates perhaps the biggest smile of any movie...

The Limehouse Golem Movie Review

The Limehouse Golem Movie Review

A Victorian thriller with rather heavy echoes of Jack the Ripper, this film struggles to...

Advertisement
Artists
Actors
    Filmmakers
      Artists
      Bands
        Musicians
          Artists
          Celebrities
             
              Artists
              Interviews