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:

Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau, Patrick McGoohan

Top 250 #84 | 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.

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Plot Keywords:

English | Scotland | Fight | Nobility | Tyranny | 

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Taglines:

He who fought, fought for freedom.

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Genres:

Action | 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:

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

In an October 2009 interview with "The Daily Mail", Mel Gibson admitted that the film was heavily fictitious but claimed the changes had been made for dramatic purposes. He also admitted he had always felt he was at least a decade too old to play Wallace.

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Goofs

The body that falls from the rafters is wearing undergarments as it falls, but is naked when it is on the table.

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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

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

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Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Episode #19.8 (2010)
Diane Lane mentions that the film's writer Randall Wallace directed "Secretariat"

User Reviews

Somewhere between "Bravo" and "Whoa."

I saw this film for the first time on cable, and, fortunately, it was an "uncut" version. I was greatly impacted, but, as bad luck would have it, I would not see it again for two years.

Mel Gibson is an accomplished actor, with films like "Mad Max" and "Lethal Weapon" under his belt. "Ransom" showed he was more than just a quirky role actor, but it was "Braveheart" that proved to everyone that he was a great actor... and director.

What he has envisioned and ensnared on camera is one of the great cinematic achievements of all time, and at an awkward time, too. Looking back at previous years at the Oscars, and you have "Schindler's List," "Dances with Wolves," and "Unforgiven." Looking ahead, you have "Titanic," "Shakespeare in Love," and "Gladiator." These are all period pieces. Right smack dab in the middle is "Braveheart." It is the most simple of the films above, yet it is arguably the best. None will argue its impact is greater than "Schindler's List" nor its power greater than "Unforgiven," but what it has, more than any of those other films, is heart. Much like his "Passion of the Christ," Mel Gibson brings a passion to this film, and that is what sustains it.

Mel Gibson plays William Wallace, a well-educated Scottish peasant who is determined to lead a peaceful life. Well, if you've seen the poster for this film, you probably already know that he doesn't succeed. When a law is put into place that says English noblemen have first right to lay with Scottish brides, Wallace marries in secret. But, when it is found out, a local noble attempts to take Murron, Wallace's wife, she resists, leading to a gruesome execution. With little choice, Wallace opts for vengeance, and thus begins the journey of Scotland's greatest warrior.

This is a wonderfully acted, directed, photographed, and designed film with great performances, particularly from a breathtakingly beautiful Sophie Marceau, and I recommend it wholeheartedly.