Not all it's cracked up to be, but still a beautifully photographed and memorable epic drama

Rating: 8/10 (14 September 2010)

This 1995 epic, directed by and starring Mel Gibson was a huge hit and was nominated for ten Oscars, five of which it won, but I was too young to watch R-rated movies back when it was released. The first time I watched "Braveheart" was in 2006, when it came on TV one time that year, though I had known of the film's existence for years by then. With that first viewing, it was a 10/10 for me, but that all changed when I watched the film again a little over a year later. It dropped all the way down to a 5 with my second viewing! Three years later, I've finally watched it a third time. I knew I wouldn't be giving it a 10/10 this time, either, but I think I put more effort into seeing the positive aspects during my latest viewing, and I guess it worked.
The story begins with William Wallace as a child in Scotland in the year 1280 A.D. William's father and brother, Malcolm and John, leave to take part in a battle to liberate Scotland from the oppressive Edward I (a.k.a. "Longshanks") of England, and sadly, neither comes back alive. William is then taken out of his village by his uncle Argyle and raised by him, as the country continues to live in oppression. After growing up, he returns to his old village, where he falls in love with Murron, a girl (now a woman) he knew before he went to live with his uncle. The two get married, but trouble comes when a group of English soldiers come along and one of them tries to rape Murron! Wallace successfully fights off these soldiers, but his wife is then killed by the village Sheriff! After this tragedy, William Wallace leads an army into battle, determined to bring freedom to his country once and for all!
One of the things this film is widely praised for is the cinematography, which I can't complain about. It's all very well photographed here, and cinematographer John Toll deserved his Academy Award for his work on this blockbuster. The beautiful filming locations in Scotland and Ireland definitely help with the visuals. However, not everything about "Braveheart" is good. Many have criticized it for numerous historical inaccuracies, but I don't expect too many films based on true stories to be very accurate. Still, I didn't care much for the opening narration, and other problems with the film include script flaws, including some poor dialogue in the romantic scenes with William and Murron, and some parts can be a little tedious. Fortunately, there is more than just the cinematography and scenery to carry the film. Mel Gibson did a great job directing it, and his acting performance is impressive, even though it's slightly flawed. I didn't usually find anything wrong with his Scottish accent, but I'm not Scottish, and some say Gibson's attempt at the accent was very bad. The cast performances in this epic are good in general, and it's also a mostly intriguing story with a lot to keep one watching. Other things that help are some intense battle sequences (though these are too gory for some viewers), touching moments, and a fitting musical score.
This is one of those films which are generally thought of as masterpieces, but I certainly don't completely agree with the reputation of this one. I think it's a good movie, and some things about it are amazing, such as the visuals, but I certainly don't think it's a masterpiece in every way. For that reason, I can't say I agree with those who might say this is one of the best movies/best movie of all time, but can't join the haters, either, even if many of them do have good reasons for their criticisms. It's been about two years since I saw "The Patriot", another film starring Mel Gibson (he didn't direct that one), which is a lot like "Braveheart" but set during the American Revolution. I was not impressed with that 2000 release, directed by Roland Emmerich, but this 1995 film featuring the same actor in the lead role is far more popular than that one, which is understandable, even if it is more popular than it deserves to be. This is a long, dark film, and not one I would want to watch over and over again, but it still has a lot to make it stand out.