A travesty

Rating: Null/10 (22 June 2004)

Complete and utter dross. The film decides to bypass the actual story, and go along with some made-up rubbish that Randall Wallace came out with. It's interesting to note that the film originally hired Professor Tom Devine of Glasgow University as the historical consultant, but then sacked him because his version of what happened (based upon the facts) was completely different to what Randall Wallace was spouting.
As to the film itself, Mel Gibson's accent is execrable, and that's just the start. Other problems occur - the Scots wear Woad and tartan - the earliest recorded wearing of tartan is in 1595. Woad had disappeared not long after the Roman invasion, over 1,000 years earlier. They also wouldn't have had the plaids or Great Kilts - these don't appear until the latter years of the 16th century.
The film takes more liberties with historical fact than is good. The battle of Stirling Brdge is moved onto land without the Bridge in sight. At the end Robert the Bruce throws William Wallaces' sword onto the field, and Scots charge in. Yet Wallace had introduced the use of 'Schiltrons', which were huge blocks of spear men, and which were instrumental in Scottish victory at Bannockburn.
All in all, terrible. If you want a good film about Scottish history, watch Rob Roy with Liam Neeson. While it has many mistakes, it doesn't try to portray itself as fact.