Double-edged sword

Rating: 7/10 (8 August 2012)

Braveheart is a film that I've found it hard to make up my mind about. I loved it when I first saw it, then I hated it when it started to fuel Anglophobia in Scotland, often with horrible consequences - for instance, a girl half-blinded in Aberdeen for being English.
The story is roughly based on the life of William Wallace, a minor knight who led a rebellion in medieval Scotland against English forces invading under the command of King Edward I. Wallace is successful, until his own countrymen betray him to military defeat, and betrayal to English forces, where he is executed.
What's good about this film? The characters are very likable, you really care about Wallace and his comrades and feel for what he is going through. The English get irredeemable characterisation - being the foes of the piece, but interestingly so do some of the Scottish nobles who are responsible for Wallace's downfall. The soundtrack, battles, and settings are top notch as well.
What's bad about this film? It forgets that it's not a history lesson and purports some of its mistakes as fact. And these aren't minor errors, but glaring ones that are so huge they are laughable - e.g. the french princess falling pregnant by Wallace. The Scottish response to this film is disturbing. English people living in Scotland has suffered horribly, despite this being a film based on out-of-date politics. Wallace is portrayed as a peasant farmer as are his comrades, again false. He and his men would've looked similar to the English soldiers as they appear in the film. Also, having the English with no redeemable qualities makes for poor characterisation, and inevitably weakens the film. Also the inaccuracies are a shame, because the story of Wallace is a really great story! A lot of these details are snubbed and forgotten, which is a real pity.
As a film, it is not to be taken seriously whatsoever. As a fictional account and entertainment, it's great.
Just don't go around attacking English people after seeing it, because that is unacceptable.