Complete historical balderdash

Rating: 5/10 (9 June 2016)

It is simply wrong to pervert history in the way this film does. Reading the reviews, the many American reviewers seem to believe it as an accurate representation. It isn't. It takes more liberties that a Walter Scott novel The acting is also very mixed. The Irish accent of the actor playing the father of Wallace shines through for instance, and Gibson's attempt as a Scottish accent is almost on a par with Dick van Dyke in Mary Poppins. Beautifully filmed with some fine performances (eg Brian Cox) it also has a haunting score, and it has entered movie history with so many of its effects and sayings entering popular culture, like Scots sports fans painting their faces blue. But it is tosh. Hardly any of it happened, the time line is way out and Gibson is far to short to play Wallace who was a giant of a man. For me, the reaction of Americans who constantly seek imaginary roots only goes to prove that as a nation they are on the dimmer side of average. Enjoy the film as a fairy tale but just remember it is a fairy tale.