The epic story of William Wallace

Rating: 9/10 (10 April 2006)

Around 700 years ago, the brave Scotsman named William Braveheart Wallace rose out of oppression by the tyrannical and pagan king Edward Longshanks of Briton, and united the people of the north (Scotsmen, Celts, Irish, and Picts included), driving the English out of Scotland and onto their own lands. Mel Gibson's portrayal of this warrior was next to perfect, he showed savagery, compassion, love, and hatred, all key elements held by any true Scot. During the fight scenes, he showed the heart of a warrior, and in the many love scenes, showed his deep and everlasting adoration for his deceased bride. During the opening of the Battle of Stirling, Mel gave the speech that would set in place the standards for many movies to come, including Aragorn's speech before the Battle of the Black Gate in LOTR: The Return of the King (this only includes the actors actions, as it is obvious that this speech was already told in J.R.R. Tolkeins book). The true brilliance of this movie ends with the remarkable and heartbreaking torture and then execution by means of beheading of Wallace, and then the narrator telling the prologue with scenes of Robert the Bruces army preparing for the final battle against the English, that would result in Scotlands freedom from British rule. The final scene shows Campbell (Brendan Gleeson) hurling the legendary Wallace claymore into the battlefield, sticking into the soil, representing the separation of Scotland from England, and an eternal reminder of the great deeds William Wallace did for his country and his people.