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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.Written by
Anonymous
Mel Gibson, who had been heavily criticized for a December 1991 interview with a Spanish magazine, was accused of homophobia for the film's portrayal of the Prince of Wales (and future King Edward II) as an effeminate homosexual. There is strong disagreement among historians as to whether Edward II, who fathered at least five children, was homosexual or even bisexual at all. The scene where Edward I threw his son's lover out of a castle window was particularly criticized for inciting homophobia. The lover was based on Piers Gaveston, who was also married; many historians believe these stories of Edward's homosexuality were invented by the King's enemies in order to discredit him. Gibson refused to apologize for the controversy in a 1995 interview with "Playboy" magazine while promoting the movie. However, in January 1997 he did agree to host a summit for representatives of gay rights organization GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) on the set of Conspiracy Theory (1997). The leaders of GLAAD noted they were disappointed that he did not apologize to them for the film's alleged homophobia. In a 1999 interview with "The Daily Telegraph" Gibson acknowledged "regret" over his controversial 1991 interview, claiming he had been drinking vodka at the time and that his words had frequently been used to criticize him. See more »
Goofs
At the parlay with Wallace, Isabelle is shown wearing two different veils, a sheer tight one with a hemmed edge that covers her chin, and one thicker, looser one with a ragged edge that doesn't cover it. See more »
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 ...
[...] See more »
Crazy Credits
With the exception of the title of the movie, there are no opening credits. See more »
Alternate Versions
When the film was originally released, the final voice over tells us that the Scots "won their freedom... forever." The "forever" was deleted for the re-release and other future editions. It can still be found, however, in the liner notes of the soundtrack album. See more »
As a work of fiction, marvellous, unlike anything I've seen before, but as a movie based on real events, I must say that the historical inaccuracies are a major turn-off. Had it not been for the inaccuracies, this movie certainly deserves a 9. Regardless, it is without a doubt a must-watch so long as the viewer watches with discretion that it is only extremely loosely based on real events.
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As a work of fiction, marvellous, unlike anything I've seen before, but as a movie based on real events, I must say that the historical inaccuracies are a major turn-off. Had it not been for the inaccuracies, this movie certainly deserves a 9. Regardless, it is without a doubt a must-watch so long as the viewer watches with discretion that it is only extremely loosely based on real events.