Brawling and Powerful

Rating: 8/10 (10 June 2007)

A magnificent movie. Mel Gibson sure deserves some credit. He directed and acted as the main character. He created a magnificent movie. It starts out in Scotland, with Edward the Longshanks ruling over it, a cruel pagan leader as the Scots say. Finally the Scots rebel, led by Wallace, his rebellion triggered by the death of someone close to him. His close confidantes are hilarious. The Irish man, his old best friend Hamish and his fiery father, are the best supporting characters I've seen in a long time. Funny and loyal. The performances of Edward Longshanks and Robert the Bruce are great, as with the Princess of Wales. Their awe/love/hate of Wallace all leads to a climatic ending, that inspires a raw spirit within you to rise up. Its powerful and chock full of emotion. The brawling part comes from the explicit violence. But in truth, that was how I would've imagined a movie like this being. Its skimps on nothing, throughout everything else it shows Scotland how it really was. Why should it skimp on the brutalities of war? Beheadings, slitting of throats, impaling, the list never ends. But it fits with what the movie is. Its a movie monument to the need of freedom.
Stunning. 8/10