Braveheart (1995)

When his secret bride is executed for assaulting an English soldier whom tried to rape her, a commoner begins a revolt and leads Scottish warriors against the cruel English tyrant who rules Scotland with an iron-fist.

Director:

Mel Gibson

Writer:

Randall Wallace

Stars:

Patrick McGoohan, Sophie Marceau, Angus Macfadyen

Top 250 #83 | Won 5 Oscars. Another 18 wins & 20 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
James Robinson	...	Young William Wallace
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.

---

Plot Keywords:

english | scotland | fight | nobility | tyranny | 

---

Taglines:

What kind of man would defy a king?

---

Genres:

Action | Biography | Drama | History | War

---

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:

Corazón valiente

Filming Locations:

Aonach Eagach, Highland, Scotland, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$72,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

£10,812,243 (UK) (17 November 1995)

Company Credits

Production Co:

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

Technical Specs

Runtime:

177 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Prince Edward (later King Edward II) was indeed the first English prince to carry the title Prince of Wales, although he did not marry Princess Isabella until 1308, after both Wallace (1305) and Edward I (1307) had died.

---

Goofs

During the Battle of Stirling, as Wallace meets up with Mornay (on horse), an English soldier in the background is run through by a spear. He acts out the injury, turns around, and continues fighting, as if nothing was wrong.

---

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 ...
[...]

---

Crazy Credits

With the exception of the title of the movie, there are no opening credits.

---

Connections

Referenced in The Thick of It: Episode #3.3 (2009)

User Reviews

Wallace's courage is inspiring

This epic tale of patriotism, love and conflict opens with a birds eye view which takes you through mist and air out onto an open loch with scenic mountains in the background. This is accompanied by stirring bagpipe music, and shortly by the start of a narrative by Robert the Bruce.

After a short introduction of a young William Wallace, involving his fathers death and his first step into warrior-hood, we are taken to present day England where Edward Longshank's tight rule over Scotland is getting increasingly harsh. Enter a fully grown Wallace (a rugged long-haired Gibson) who is back to start a family and a new life. He soon meets Muran, a girl who he remembered from way back. He and Muran fall in love and shortly get a private nighttime marriage, as a public one would result in the 'Prima Nocte' rule being enforced.

Unfortunately, one of the English soldiers controlling their village confronts a scared Muran and forces her into a quiet spot. William leaps to Muran's rescue and all hell ensues. The commanding officer executes Muran promptly for assault on one of the King's men as she bit him whilst defending herself. She was supposed to meet William at a secret spot after she was rescued but was knocked off the horse.

William returns to the village on horseback to give himself in, but he has other plans. The uprising that ensues is one of the most pulse racing and exciting fights that has ever graced the silver screen IMO. This is the spark that starts off the Scottish revolution for freedom. Soon, other clans join Wallace, then whole towns stand by him. He soon finds himself on the fields of Stirling for a real showdown. I thought I'd give you the first hour in a nutshell, the rest of the movie revolves around Wallace, Longshanks and the Queen of France as they all fight for their own cause.

The battle scenes are ground breaking and upfront, the senses of comradeship, love, patriotism and courage all take a stand throughout the film. The music adds further to the epic, be it sad and haunting tunes, or strong and stirring bagpipe anthems. Wallace is portrayed as a beacon of strength and power, not to mention a much honoured leader. Sometimes Gibson takes his character a little too far, but the title Braveheart is one that is implied to Wallace's qualities. The films dramatic and moving ending is a good finish to a superb and powerful film.