New and improved debate -- "Braveheart" was mostly true

I am not trying to make a historical reference here. lolThat's too bad, because a debater who wished to successfully argue that "Braveheart" was mostly true would clearly need to make a historical reference or two. Obviously Wallace was not the true hero people make him out to be. The [Braveheart] reference was originally to Robert the Bruce, but he was not completely portrayed as a traitor either. So we are in agreement that the primary theme of the movie and the movie's title are pure hokum. He fought for Scotland's freedom. False, full stop. The notion of Freedom expressed as a human right or a national right, especially for the Scots, those native serfs enslaved on Wallace's landholdings, would have been repugnant to a Norman lord like Wallace. Wallace fought for the kingship of his liege lord, John of Baliol, in preference to Edward I. Maybe "Braveheart" isn't the most accurate film, mind you, but compared to "Birth of a Nation," it's way more accurate. A standard at last. So, by Pro's measure, any film that is more accurate that that most famous piece of Klan propaganda, "Birth of a Nation" should be considered "mostly true": an absurdly low standard for historical accuracy. England really did do most of the things shown in the movie. Nope. Pro has already admitted that primae noctis was a myth. England did not send ambassadors to Wallace or try to bribe him into peace or have sex with Wallace. England did not charge the Scots at Stirling Bridge, they were ambushed. England did not fire on their own infantry at Falkirk. Edward did not throw anybody out of a window. Edward did not die in bed, he died on campaign. The only aspect of English conduct in the movie that approximates the truth is that they put Wallace to death for treason. In almost every other respect, the movie's depiction of the English is wildly inaccurate and demonstrably anglophobic. If Braveheart's standard of historical accuracy were applied to Gettysburg, the movie would be named "Stonewall," with Mel Gibson starring as Robert E. Lee in the eponymous role. Thomas Jackson, on the other hand, would be depicted as a squirrely traitor. Lee would be shown to have been born a peace-loving Iroquois who is forced to fight the Union after George Armstrong Custer raped and killed his wife. Before the battle, Lee would exhort his slaves to fight for emancipation. Lincoln would be shown throwing his son Todd's gay boyfriend from the balcony of the White House. Honest Abe would send a young Isadora Duncan to bribe Lee, but Lee would instead seduce Duncan, who would later give birth to Teddy Roosevelt. Lee would be shown leading his men up Little Round Top, bayoneting and karate chopping Union forces until he finally comes face to face with Joshua Chamberlain, who he kills with a perfectly executed throw of his trusty tomahawk. Meade would villainously order his artillery to fire on the Union infantry. Just as Lee was on the brink of victory he would be betrayed by J. E. B Stuart. While the Confederates are picked apart, Lee would race across the Cemetery Hill to catch Stuart and slash his throat in vengeance. Naturally, both sides would battle wearing snazzy modern business suits. This is a pretty approximate rendering of the level of distortion found in "Braveheart. "By Pro's standard, a movie like "Stonewall" is mostly true. The Blue and the Grey did indeed meet at Gettysburg and the Union was indeed victorious. So what if a few biographical details were over-dramatized to make Lee look good, the movie is accurate. At least, with "Birth of a Nation," Griffiths used fictional names only loosely based on historical characters. Nobody could discover that Silas Lynch was a real person and so assume that Griffiths was presenting historic facts. "Braveheart" uses real names and places, so some people are duped into thinking that Braveheart contains at least some historic details. Alas, that Pro is one of these people and that after 10 rounds of discussion he continues to look to Braveheart for history. Braveheart is Hollywood. Braveheart is fun, heroic fantasy. But Braveheart is not history. .