A true David vs. Goliath story of how the 14th century Scottish 'Outlaw King' Robert the Bruce used cunning and bravery to defeat the much larger and better equipped occupying English army.
After being declared "Outlaw" by the occupying English Empire, Robert the Bruce (Chris Pine) raises an army of Scottish fighters in rebellion. Twists and turns all across the Scottish countryside lead this film on an epic, "true to historical events", journey that captures heroism at its core!Written by
Nick Chupick
The Prince of Wales is depicted in this movie. He was the first to ever hold this title. His father Edward I had conquered Wales which had a policy that no-one born outside the Principality could rule. Edward therefore, transported his heavily pregnant wife to Caernarfon Castle (which he'd built to keep the Welsh in check) so that her son, Edward was born in Wales. King Edward then promptly declared his son Prince of Wales, thereby stealing the crown of Wales and sealing the Principality's subjugation to the English Crown. The heir to the UK Crown holds the title to this day. See more »
Goofs
Despite sporting graying hair and looking to be in his 40s, Robert would've actually been in his late 20s and early 30s during the events of the film. See more »
Quotes
[James Douglas spots Robert Clifford on the battlefield, the man to whom King Edward had awarded James' holdings after banning the use of the Douglas name]
James Douglas, Lord of Douglas:
[yelling]
Clifford!
[they proceed to fight one another; Clifford is swiftly knocked down and struggles to rise again]
James Douglas, Lord of Douglas:
You know who I am?
[Clifford attempts to defend himself and is knocked down a second time]
James Douglas, Lord of Douglas:
[screaming at the top of his voice]
What's my fucking name?
Robert Clifford:
[stammering]
Douglas!
James Douglas, Lord of Douglas:
Yes!
[Douglas cuts him down]
See more »
Crazy Credits
Filmed on location entirely in Scotland (according to the borders of 1320) See more »
I saw this movie at the Toronto Film Festival and was not expecting great things. Full disclosure, I thought Braveheart was idiotic and was expecting another Hollywood movie full of anachronisms, bad history and over the top performances. To my surprise I thoroughly enjoyed it gore and all and it deserves to be seen on a big screen to do its epic scope justice. The Scottish countryside is spectacular as are the battle scenes. The film takes some liberties with history, changing the timeline a little or merging characters and events, but generally the changes work to heighten the dramatic conflicts. Outlaw King tries bravely to lay out the complexities of the Scottish war of independence and the shifting alliances but some of the characters will get lost in the mix for those unfamiliar with the actual story. Aaron Taylor Johnson stands out as James Douglas, and Stephen Dillane is at his Stannis Baratheon best as Edward I. Florence Pugh made her relatively small role as Robert's wife stand out with the intensity of her performance. The soundtrack is haunting and music is used to excellent effect. In one scene where the Bruce has has suffered a devastating personal loss Chris Pine says nothing but begins to sing a traditional Scottish lament and the other men join in, which expresses far more emotion than any dialogue could, especially as he sings so well that he would be welcome at any ceilidh. Is it perfect? No. Is it worth watching? Definitely yes, preferably on a big screen.
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I saw this movie at the Toronto Film Festival and was not expecting great things. Full disclosure, I thought Braveheart was idiotic and was expecting another Hollywood movie full of anachronisms, bad history and over the top performances. To my surprise I thoroughly enjoyed it gore and all and it deserves to be seen on a big screen to do its epic scope justice. The Scottish countryside is spectacular as are the battle scenes. The film takes some liberties with history, changing the timeline a little or merging characters and events, but generally the changes work to heighten the dramatic conflicts. Outlaw King tries bravely to lay out the complexities of the Scottish war of independence and the shifting alliances but some of the characters will get lost in the mix for those unfamiliar with the actual story. Aaron Taylor Johnson stands out as James Douglas, and Stephen Dillane is at his Stannis Baratheon best as Edward I. Florence Pugh made her relatively small role as Robert's wife stand out with the intensity of her performance. The soundtrack is haunting and music is used to excellent effect. In one scene where the Bruce has has suffered a devastating personal loss Chris Pine says nothing but begins to sing a traditional Scottish lament and the other men join in, which expresses far more emotion than any dialogue could, especially as he sings so well that he would be welcome at any ceilidh. Is it perfect? No. Is it worth watching? Definitely yes, preferably on a big screen.