Freedom

Rating: 6/10 (15 March 2016)

William Wallace was as a Scottish knight who became one of the main leaders during the Wars of Scottish Independence in the 13th Century. Braveheart directed and starring Mel Gibson is a fictional telling of the Wallace story.
Gibson has produced a rip roaring adventure with bloody battles and visceral violence. He certainly has brought his experience of action from the Mad Max and Lethal Weapon films.
Patrick McGoohan is the hissable villain as King Edward 1 also known as Edward Longshanks. He is ruthless and cunning. Just see the way he disposes of his son's newly appointed war counsellor. Yet he will also bribe Scots noblemen with land in order for them to switch sides.
The film opens with Wallace as a child, his father killed in an unknown battle. The grown up Wallace just wants a peaceful existence as a farmer with the love of his life. All this is shattered with the despicable English, raping and pillaging like they were Vikings.
Gibson with writer Randall Wallace show a sure footing in the the story set up and the early battle scenes in the beautiful settings of Scotland and Ireland.
It is the latter part of the film that causes problems with pacing that makes the film overlong and the rather shady depiction of Robert the Bruce who is the better known Scots hero. Wallace who has been betrayed by some noblemen takes revenge against them like he was Zorro, he also has a fictional affair with Princess Isabelle which is almost laughable. The final scenes of torture where he is put on a cross makes it look like that he already was planning The Passion of the Christ.