May always be my favorite

Rating: 10/10 (26 October 2007)

I cannot provide an unbiased opinion of this movie, since for over ten years it has been, and perhaps always will be, my favorite. Why? After all, it's almost completely historically inaccurate, and I am a great lover of history. It's incredibly brutal and violent, and I prefer peaceable means to settle arguments in my life. It's not even filmed in Scotland, but in Ireland.
Despite all these flaws, it is after all a movie, and in this it gets almost everything else right. It has passionate romance tempered by passionate violence. It explores the qualities of honor, kinship, and loyalty, tempered with the all too common human traits of deception, greed, and betrayal. Vengeance is also a centerpiece here.
Aesthetically speaking, the film is positively gorgeous to behold. There are grand, sweeping panoramas. The sights, sounds, and even smells of medieval life are brought to the screen, as imagined by its creators. The battle scenes are epic and intense, yet time is also spent on the aftermath, and the often terrible pain and loss of life. In short, the movie is an experience, and a fantastic one at that.
My criticisms are almost completely overshadowed by the overall effect of the film. See it for yourself, then if your interest in the life of William Wallce is piqued, you can learn more about him from a few books and other scant references.