"They fought like warrior poets".

Rating: 9/10 (4 November 2008)

As a piece of film making,'Braveheart' is a fabulous piece of work.Mel Gibson deserves high praise for his performance as William Wallace,his direction, and his determination to get this film made.He should be proud of his efforts as this is an epic,sweeping tale that is gripping,emotional and involving from the very start.
This is the story of Scottish freedom fighter William Wallace.I am ashamed to admit that I had never heard of him until this movie but I can safely say that he is now world famous because of this film.Of course,many people have admired the man for many years,but 'Braveheart' has spread the word in a way that will ensure he will never be forgotten.There are several moments of historical inaccuracy on show here but it doesn't really matter as we are given an insight to the history of this character and we do learn quite a lot about him and the very harsh times he lived in.It is after all a movie and not a history lesson.
There is an excellent cast on show here.Brendan Gleeson(Hamish) and David O' Hara(Stephen)give solid support with a few comic moments thrown in.Sophie Marceau(Princess Isabelle)and Catherine McCormack(Murron)look fabulous and handle their roles perfectly.James Cosmo(Campbell) and Brian Cox(Argyle)are impressive and Ian Bannen(Robert the Bruce Sr)holds the attention brilliantly as a corrupt man that wants the best for his son no matter what the cost.As his son,Angus Macfadyen does a great job as a man torn between what is best for his family and his country.His obvious torment is well told and well handled.I do feel though that the standout performance comes from Patrick McGoohan as King Edward 1st.He is the personification of evil and spits out his lines with relish.He really should have received an Oscar nomination for this.
The cinematography is fantastic and the musical score by James Horner is worthy of the highest praise.The one thing about this movie that I was never too sure about is the romance between William Wallace and Princess Isabelle.It has always seemed a little contrived to me but it does ultimately lead to a great scene towards the end of the film concerning the dying King so in that sense it is perhaps justified.
This is a fine film and Mel Gibson truly deserved the praise that was lavished upon him.I very rarely mark anything as a ten as perfection is virtually impossible in film making.But this does score 9+ and is among my top 10 movies of all time.