Just about the best acted and most exciting film ever

Rating: 9/10 (29 May 2005)

It's hard to believe 'Braveheart' a fantastic, emotional and hugely involving film, is ten years old. I only realised yesterday, when I re watched it, and noticed what a splendid film it is: not yet has there been a sword/medieval film so emotionally involving, brutal with a true message. Lame recent attempts such as 'Troy' haven't shown this, and don't even get me talking about the dreadfully box-office aimed 'King Arthur'; this is a great revenge flick, and an even better medieval sword classic.
Mel Gibson is just a small child named William when his father dies. Already the film has your emotions running. Then, when he is an adult, his wife, whom he obviously deeply loves, is raped, beaten and killed, all in horrific detail. What a light opening thirty minutes.
No. This film isn't light. If you expected some clichÃ©d fairytale classic you were wrong. This is stark, brutal cold: a mean, but effect, medieval film.
So William kills them all in surprisingly brutal fashion (pushing the bars of the films '15' certificate) and immediately changes his choice of revenge; he now wants to free the whole of Scotland.
His unexplained change in motives is fine. No-body cares since the sets are so realistic, so well done, you feel you are taken into this world. Mel Gibson acts with all emotion, as do the others: they really do, in their own modern lives, probably want some freedom. It may sound preposterous, but how on earth could these actors act so convincingly? Maybe Merlin waved his wand and had a say?
The fights are brutal, graphic, squeamish may well want to look away. But it is commendable and fine enough. Gibson, who directs, wants to show how terrible, dirty and down right insane these times were. He even admits, as his character, that both sides are savages. Despite the bias is towards Scotland, it carefully weaves in another message: no side is better, or right or wrong.
The love story between Gibson and the French princess may be a little short and unnecessary, but it can be forgiven.
***/ out of **** (3 and a half out of 4)