Best Picture, indeed - but...

Rating: 8/10 (10 December 2005)

Braveheart, one of the most influential movies of the 90s has certainly deserved its Best Picture Oscar: an amazing travel through Scotland. This travel certainly gives a valid reason for Braveheart to be in the IMDb top 250. For non-native English people, be sure to watch the movie in its original version, the accents are worth. The soundtrack is certainly deserved its nomination to the Oscars: the bagpipes are in harmony with the Scottish background. Costumes were finely chosen: from the Scottish aristocracy, to the court of England passing by the Scottish populate. A long movie where the director takes its audience attracted - forgetting the length.
Why not voting for a 10 then? Several reasons. First, I didn't believe Mel Gibson as a leader. His smile is too naive and his play sometimes too comic. Nothing to say about the acting of others, they made a great job. Second point, I think violence is certainly part of the movie but I am not sure it should be reflected like that. I am personally internally hurt by seeing the combat field at the end with all corpses lying on the ground but I am shocked by seeing someone cutting the throat in front of the camera. I am not sure the purpose of the movie is to shock. The purpose is to hurt people so that they are concerned with the atrocities Scottish people were living at that time. A bath of blood is not necessary. Showing enough so that your mind can imagine it is more subtle. I am also wondering if it is normal that the weather is so nice in Scottland: too little rain at my taste.
The previous paragraph is probably severe for the movie and remember the first paragraph if you are planning to see that movie: you won't be disappointed.