Braveheart (1995)
The
first thing we see in "Braveheart" is the Scottish landscape, and
along with the battle scenes it is probably what one remembers most about the
film. Not that its star and director, Mel Gibson, doesn't make an impression
as Sir William Wallace, Scottish national hero in his country's fight for independence
from English rule in the thirteenth century. Indeed, Gibson's enthusiasm in
the role is commendable, but it's hard to top the panoramic beauty of the highlands
or the sight of thousands of charging soldiers on the field of battle. In fact,
it's amazing that Gibson is able to infuse his character with enough spirit
and nobility to be noticed at all. But he does, making Wallace both human and
mythic at the same time. The film is deserving of its five Academy Awards for
Best Picture, Director, Cinematography, Makeup, and Sound Effects Editing. It's
also deserving of its beautiful DVD transfer, making it an essential requirement
of any videophile library worthy of the
I would advise taking the film with a grain of salt and just enjoying the rousing
adventure.
The story is based on some historical knowledge, some legend, and a lot
of conjecture about the life and times of William Wallace. When we first meet
him, he is a boy and the year is 1280 A.D. We are introduced to the movie's
conflict immediately as young William witnesses the mass murder of a group of
Scottish leaders who were invited to a peace summit by England's Edward I, known
as "Longshanks," depicted in the film as a ruthless monarch bent on
controlling all of Scotland at any cost. Edward is played brilliantly by a scene-stealing
Patrick McGoohan ("Secret Agent," "The Prisoner"). McGoohan
makes Edward the perfect villain, a butcher willing to sacrifice any number
of his own men to maintain his power. McGoohan's performance also contributed
to making Gibson a villain in the eyes of much of the British public, who feel
that along with Gibson's more-recent "The Patriot" he is holding a
grudge against them, unfairly giving a bad name to the country and its past.
I would advise taking the film with a grain of salt and just enjoying the rousing
adventure.
Anyway, after the English have killed the Scots at an agreed-upon unarmed parley, young William's father goes off and gets killed, too, which plants the seed of revenge in the boy. But he is basically a peace-loving fellow and grows up a farmer who rejects the idea of rebellion against England. He secretly marries his beautiful childhood sweetheart, Murron (Catherine McCormack), because her father thinks he's a coward for not joining the rebel ranks. Meanwhile, two developments occur in England. First, King Edward arranges a marriage between his effete son, Prince Edward (Peter Hanly), and Princess Isabelle (Sophie Marceau), the daughter of his enemy, the King of France. Second, he invokes the law of Prima Nocte ("First Night"), giving English nobles first sexual rights on the night of a commoner's wedding, another reason Wallace and Murron marry in secret. However, when the English murder his new wife, Wallace strikes back with a vengeance. He moves to action, joins the clans, and eventually becomes their leader. Before long (at least in the film), he is in charge of a huge rebel army of peasants marching across Scotland and driving the English before them. The Scottish nobles, though, are reluctant to take sides. They enjoy the comforts of land and prestige largely because they appease the English. Chief among the nobles is Robert the Bruce (Angus McFadyen), who, along with his father, is depicted in the film as a political opportunist, a schemer, a waverer drawn to compromise, a man who can be bribed by titles and money; unlike Wallace, who is portrayed as selfless, incorruptible, wanting nothing for himself, only freedom for his country.
As things go
on, Wallace succeeds in driving out the English and then decides the only way
to keep them out is for him and his army to invade England! This is almost accomplished
while Longshanks is away fighting the French and while his weakling son is in
charge. Nevertheless, the King returns in time to lead an army of his own to
deal with Wallace. Wallace is tactically smart, but Edward is treacherous. The
King tricks Wallace by paying the Scottish nobles to side with him! Beaten but
not defeated, Wallace continues to press the attack by rounding up a new army
of commoners. He is only finally bested when he agrees to seek a meeting with
Robert the Bruce, where he is again betrayed, this time for good. He is brought
back to London, tortured and executed, his body cut into pieces and sent to
the four corners of the land. Before he dies, Wallace is asked to renounce his
rebellion and acknowledge his allegiance to the King; his last word in the film
is
"freedom." Who knows; it could've happened.
I should mention, too, that along the way Wallace has an affair with Princess Isabelle, who comes to admire a man of such high principle. Regardless, little is made of this matter, except that it affords a convenient reason for Isabelle to provide Wallace with private information concerning various upcoming battle plans. No, it isn't really for any personal relationships or for any serious character development that one admires "Braveheart." It is mainly for Wallace's unflinching honesty, the director's well-paced storytelling, the gorgeous settings, and, of course, the scope of the movie's battles. The scenes of mass carnage involving thousands of men are bloody and brutal, yet they are choreographed with an almost balletic grace as well. They come off spectacularly (with the help of the Irish Reserve Army), and, besides, we get to learn why the Scots wore their kilts into combat--to flash the enemy!
Now, for those of you who need to know more about the real William Wallace, here are a few selected items from the "Encyclopedia Britannica" that are not mentioned in the movie: "When King Edward returned from France in 1298, he invaded Scotland. On July 22 Wallace's spearmen were defeated by Edward's archers and cavalry in the Battle of Falkirk, Stirling. Although Edward failed to pacify Scotland before returning to England, Wallace's military reputation was ruined. He resigned his guardianship in December and was succeeded by Robert de Bruce (later King Robert I) and Sir John Comyn "the Red." There is some evidence that Wallace then went to France in 1299 and thereafter acted as a solitary guerrilla leader in Scotland; but from the autumn of 1299 nothing is known of his activities for more than four years. Although most of the Scottish nobles submitted to Edward in 1304, the English continued to pursue Wallace. On Aug. 5, 1305, he was arrested near Glasgow and executed as a traitor. In 1306 Bruce raised the rebellion that eventually won independence for Scotland. Many of the stories surrounding Wallace have been traced to a late 15th-century romance ascribed to Henry the Minstrel. The most popular tales are not supported by documentary evidence, but they show Wallace's firm hold on the imagination of his people." Lastly, "Isabella was married to Prince Edward on Jan. 25, 1308," some three years after Wallace's death. Don't believe everything you see in the movies.
Video:
In any case, you may believe in the excellence of the 2.16:1 ratio, widescreen,
anamorphic transfer. The picture quality is bright and colorful, realistic in
detail, well delineated, with only the slightest touch of shimmering pixels
in things like chain mail. It allows one not only to enjoy every picture-postcard
locale but every gash, slash, chop, and blood stain in every battle.
Audio:
In addition, believe in the superiority of the Dolby Digital 5.1 audio, which
is not only robust to match the movie but conveys even little things like a
bird flying overhead left to right in the rear speakers, the sound of horses'
hooves as a rider approaches from the back, or the delights of James Horner's
Scottish-inflected musical score. The sounds are smooth and natural, and in
between the audio is dead quiet. Very nice.
Extras:
Supplements are scarce in this otherwise splendid presentation, but the few
items we do get are worthwhile. There is Mel Gibson narrating a full-feature
commentary. There's a twenty-eight-minute documentary, "The Making of Braveheart:
A Filmmaker's Passion," which is well named. There are twenty-two scene
selections, probably too few for a film of this length. There are two widescreen
theatrical trailers. There are English and French spoken languages. And there
are English subtitles for the hearing impaired.
Parting
Thoughts:
One of the drawbacks of "Braveheart," like most epics, is its extreme
length, nearly three hours. It goes by quickly, yet three hours is still quite
a bit of one's time. In a movie theater, as a captive audience, the time may
fly by faster, but at home with inevitable interruptions it can easily take
up a full afternoon or evening. There was the neighbor and his son borrowing
a cup of cooking oil to bake a cake; the lady at the door soliciting donations
for the Sierra Club; three phone calls; one snack break; and two bathroom visits.
Thank goodness for the pause control. I started around 3 p.m. and finished the
film at 7:30. I mention this because you will want to plan your time accordingly.
It isn't easy making epics. Often, the surrounding material can overwhelm the characters. Just ask Kevin Costner, whose "Waterworld" and "Postman" were so bloated with peripheral matter their main characters were hardly noticed. But Gibson manages to keep his epic afloat by solidly grounding Wallace in the viewer's heart and mind. The battle scenes are probably what audiences will recollect most, but Wallace himself comes over almost as strongly as any of the battles. The only substantial equivalent is Kirk Douglas in "Spartacus," another epic where the main character remains firmly rooted in memory despite the spectacle. "Braveheart" is deserving of its popularity, praise, and awards. It makes a worthy addition to one's collection of big, old-fashioned, grand-scale, blockbuster adventures.