I have certain feelings towards Mel Gibson, but all credit to him

Rating: 8/10 (30 April 2019)

Braveheart is a work of passion and an inspiring historical picture that encapsulates the spirit of the legend of William Wallace, if not quite as much the accurate legend itself. This is Mel Gibson's finest work and his dedication and love of the project shine through in his raw and emotional directing style and leading performance.
There are times that Braveheart feels a little bit self-indulgent from Gibson's perspective. The film gives birth to rousing monologues and inspirational battle sequences that revolve entirely around Gibson's impassioned performance as Wallace, and while it is undeniably a masterpiece of a film, there is certainly a reflection of the Australian's high opinion of himself in this project.
Nonetheless, his performance certainly does make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck, and the gritty, bloody style of this film makes it a historical epic worth watching. It is confronting, heart-breaking, heart-warming and uplifting in many ways throughout its three-hour runtime.
The score by James Horner is superb, and Gibson's use of the orchestral soundtrack to further amplify the emotional impact of this story is legendary. The addition of bagpipes to the typical action-adventure score is a neat touch that is as effective as it is symbolic.
But as many times as I watch this film and love it to bits, I cannot help but feel that the combination of certain historical inaccuracies and Gibson's hogging of the spotlight slightly undermine the authenticity and genuineness of the film. This is only a tiny seed of doubt that is quenched by my love of the dialogue, action sequences and music, but it is there, and I do wish that another performance had risen to the fore to make it feel slightly less self-promoting.
However, a self-promotion or not, it is a wonderful film, and we can only give credit to Gibson for one of the greatest performances and one of the greatest historical films of the 20th century.