Awe-inspiring and uplifting film

Rating: 9/10 (23 August 1999)

It was a favorite dictum of the late science fiction writer Robert Heinlein that a free man can be killed but never conquered. This is the guiding idea behind BRAVEHEART, and makes the movie a much truer rendition of Heinlein's thought than either of the two movies putatively based on his works (THE PUPPET MASTERS and STARSHIP TROOPERS).
The story, very loosely based on historical fact, follows the 13th-century figure of William Wallace, native to a Scotland living under English domination. Wallace tries to ignore the brutality and oppression of the English lords, and is repaid by the loss of his wife, who is murdered for the sole purpose of luring Wallace into English hands. Concluding that he and his countrymen can only live in peace if they are free of English domination, Wallace leads a revolt against the English king, Edward I "Longshanks." An ensemble of Scottish lords, including the leading candidate for the Scottish throne, make common cause with Wallace, but their loyalty is sometimes questionable.
Mel Gibson gives a robust and sincere performance as Wallace, but it is his direction that truly shines. His battle scenes are powerful and brutal, pulling no punches, showing the Scots' fight for freedom as a grim and agonizing experience. The warriors are glorified, but not the war. But Gibson does not skimp on screen time for the supporting characters, who are rich and varied. Angus MacFadyen, as would-be king of Scotland Robert the Bruce, paints a fascinating portrait of a tortured man whose conscience weans him away from the cynical political maneuvers his father is teaching him. Parallel to him is Sophie Marceau as Princess Isabella of France, King Edward's daughter-in-law, who finds Wallace more admirable and appealing than her own family. Brendan Gleeson portrays Wallace's friend Hamish, an ox of a man with few brains but plenty of guts. David O'Hara steals every scene he's in with his hilarious, lunatic turn as Wallace's ally Stephen.
BRAVEHEART raises some interesting questions. How much humiliation and oppression can be tolerated before it becomes worth fighting against? Is the Scots' struggle for freedom worth the blood and pain that it costs them? How much of what is precious to you can you give up to save your life, before that life ceases to be worth living, or saving?
This movie has been rightly criticized for its lack of historical accuracy. "Prima nottae" (actually called "jus primae noctis") was never instituted in 13th-century Scotland; the battle of Stirling was fought at a bridge crossing, not an open field; the Scots didn't "charge the field" at Bannockburn but stayed wisely on the defensive, etc. However, the details are not as far off as some would have you believe. King Edward is rightly shown as distracted with his wars with Philip IV in France; his son is correctly portrayed undermining his own leadership by giving cushy jobs to his lovers; the Scottish nobles' subservience to the English throne is realistic; the Scottish reliance on spears against the English cavalry is accurate. BRAVEHEART is a poor history lesson, but it is no worse than average for Hollywood.
Randall Wallace's script, aside from its historical faults, is tender, warmly humorous, and touching. John Toll, whose cinematography was nearly the only redeeming feature of THE THIN RED LINE, brings the medieval Scottish landscape magnificently to life. James Horner provides a beautifully melodious score.
There are few films that generate such respect and admiration for their characters. Wounded, bleeding, losing their loved ones, and often losing their battles, the Scots symbolized by Wallace refuse to stop laughing, loving, or fighting. Their story, embroidered with historical falsehoods though it is, is irresistibly compelling.
Rating: ***1/2 out of ****.