Braveheart (1995)

When his secret bride is executed for assaulting an English soldier who tried to rape her, William Wallace begins a revolt against King Edward I of England.

Director:

Mel Gibson

Writer:

Randall Wallace

Stars:

Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau, Patrick McGoohan

Top Rated Movies #76 | Won 5 Oscars. Another 26 wins & 29 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
James Robinson	...	Young William
Sean Lawlor	...	Malcolm Wallace
Sandy Nelson	...	John Wallace
James Cosmo	...	Campbell
Sean McGinley	...	MacClannough
Alan Tall	...	Elder Stewart
Andrew Weir	...	Young Hamish
Gerda Stevenson	...	Mother MacClannough
Ralph Riach	...	Priest No. 1
Mhairi Calvey	...	Young Murron
Brian Cox	...	Argyle Wallace
Patrick McGoohan	...	Longshanks - King Edward I
Peter Hanly	...	Prince Edward
Sophie Marceau	...	Princess Isabelle
Stephen Billington	...	Phillip

Storyline

William Wallace is a Scottish rebel who leads an uprising against the cruel English ruler Edward the Longshanks, who wishes to inherit the crown of Scotland for himself. When he was a young boy, William Wallace's father and brother, along with many others, lost their lives trying to free Scotland. Once he loses another of his loved ones, William Wallace begins his long quest to make Scotland free once and for all, along with the assistance of Robert the Bruce.

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Plot Keywords:

scotland | 14th century | tyranny | revolt | legend | 

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Taglines:

What kind of man would defy a king?

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for brutal medieval warfare

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French Latin Scottish Gaelic

Release Date:

24 May 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

Braveheart

Filming Locations:

Arizona, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$72,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$75,600,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

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

Technical Specs

Runtime:

178 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Screenwriter Randall Wallace had been visiting Edinburgh in 1983 to learn about his heritage when he came across a statue of William Wallace outside Edinburgh Castle; he had never heard of the 14th-century figure who shared his name but was intrigued enough by the stories told to him about "Scotland's greatest hero" to research the story as much as possible.

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Goofs

The film hinted to the possibility that William Wallace's private time with Isabella led to the conception of Edward III. This could not have been the case, since Edward III was born almost ten years after Wallace died.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Narrator: I shall tell you of William Wallace. Historians from England will say I am a liar, but history is written by those who have hanged heroes. The king of Scotland had died without a son, and the king of England, a cruel pagan known as Edward the Longshanks, claimed the throne of Scotland for himself. Scotland's nobles fought him, and fought each other, over the crown. So Longshanks invited them to talks of truce - no weapons, one page only. Among the farmers of that shire was Malcolm ...
[...]

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Crazy Credits

On USA prints, the Paramount Pictures logo has a gray tint, while on international prints, the 20th Century Fox logo fanfare is muted.

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Connections

Referenced in The Mummy Returns (2001)

User Reviews

For he had only one life to give for Scotland.

On my list of the greatest movies of all time, BraveHeart ranks as number 3. It is by far one of the most epic stories ever told. Mel Gibson deserved all the credit he recieved and more. His portrayal of William Wallace, one of Scotlands most mightiest warriors, was spot on. The only part that lacked was the romantic affair of Princess Isabella and Wallace. It historically never happened. This movie also has other historical errors but WHO CARES!

The Battle of Stirling has to be the second most graphic piece of footage ever shot next to Omaha Beach in Saving Private Ryan. I love the part where the English Commander gives the order to charge and Wallace sees this and raises his broadsword into the air and starts yelling. He charges the field with the Scots and I'll let you see the movie to see what happens next.

Wallace's emotional speech at the battle of Stirling still is inspirational and I think that the REAL William Wallace would be proud of the way Mel Gibson portrayed him.

My hat goes off to Mel Gibson. I hope he makes a few more movies like this one.

Out of ten............10/10!