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Braveheart film review Mel Gibson has reached an acting pinnacle, at least so far, with Braveheart. It is an epic movie that is loosely based on historic events in Scotland. All the performances were great and the cinematography was superb. The film covers the life of William Wallace from the time he is a small boy, when his Father dies, to his own death. The movie is set mostly in 13 th Century Scotland, the storys backdrop is William Wallace's struggle against the unjust rule of the English King, Longshanks, and how he gets almost the entire country of Scotland to back him up in his struggle for freedom. After the death of his Father at the hands of the English, William is raised by his uncle who, being a great believer in education, takes William across the world where he learns Latin, French and the manly arts of war.
Eventually, he returns to his homeland, a fully mature man, ready to settle down with his childhood sweetheart and raise a family. The concerns of his countrymen over English rule take second place to his pursuit of the beautiful Murron, his childhood sweetheart. Due to the half-hearted opposition of Murron's Father and the English nobles rights to take a bride on her wedding night, Wallace is married in secret. The honeymoon doesnt last long before their joy is shattered by the results of an English soldiers attempted rape of Murron. While Wallace is able to beat back the soldiers from his wife, she is captured as they flee in separate directions. The local Lord then decides to bring Wallace into the open by executing his woman in a particularly brutal scene.
She is tied to an upright pole and her throat is cut. So starts William Wallace's life long battle against the English to free the people of McGarry 2 Scotland. This common man is able to successfully organize the villagers to overthrow the local fort and slaughter the lord responsible for the death of his wife. Then, with the help of an adjacent clan, Wallace goes on to tear down the local Lords temporary castle. Meanwhile King Longshanks is distracted by his war with France and allows his week son an opportunity to prove himself by bringing Wallace to English justice.
The sons ineptness soon leads to full scale battle. A situation that requires the support of the Scottish Lords, an infighting self interested bunch of old men. On the occasion of the first major battle, Wallace is able to convince three Lords into helping. Through the use of some brilliant tactics he successfully defeats the English forces and his legend grows to new heights. Wallace's successes continue often hampered by betrayal from the Scottish Lords and the treachery of the English King. He finds love again, loses many good friends and eventually finds peace at the hands of the English interrogators.
He is brought before a court and told to confess to treason. He refuses. He is given the choice to confess and have a quick and painless death or to die a slow and painful public death. He remains silent. The next day Wallace is brought out into the public square where he will be publicly executed.
He goes through a series of tortures such as being stretched, and drawn and quartered. But probably the most graphic torture of all is then he is gutted and the torture wont stop until he says, mercy. He never does and he is beheaded. The cinematography in this movie is tremendous. The three huge battle scenes are amazing feats of cinematic genius.
There are probably upwards of one thousand extras in each of these scenes. The camera zooms all the way out for the initial charge of the armies at one another. When the two armies mesh and the hand to hand combat begins it zooms in all the way to the point where you can see an arm or a leg being chopped off. McGarry 3 The filming of these battle scenes must have taken outstanding choreography. Mel Gibson not only did a great job acting in this movie, he also did a fantastic job directing this great movie. Another great cinematic scene is in the final scene of the movie.
When Wallace is getting tortured. The camera cuts to the people in the crowd as Wallace is being brought in, and they are throwing things like vegetables at him and yelling at him. As he is being tortured the camera periodically cuts back to the crowd. It shows them starting to feel sympathy for him. They even started to chant, mercy. This whole scene shows how William Wallace touched the lives of everyone.
They begin to realize what he had struggled so valiantly for. As he is being gutted in the end, he takes the pain with grace, and the camera zooms in on his face and you can see the pain that he is withholding. In his final words before he is beheaded he yells out not mercy but, Freedom. The acting in this movie couldnt have been better. Mel Gibson has his Scottish accent perfect.
He really throws himself into this role. Patrick McGoohan who plays King Edward I does a spectacular job of playing the evil King who doesnt care about his men at all. Angus McFayden who plays the noble Robert the Bruce, had a key role in portraying Wallace's best friend and then betraying him. He realized the error of his ways and in the end leads Scotland to victory and finally freedom.
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Research essay sample on Mel Gibson William Wallace
