Braveheart: A Tale of Love and Passion Unlike Any Other

Rating: 10/10 (6 April 2013)

I'm very sad to admit that I was "late to the party" for this movie; VERY late, at that. And now, I am punishing myself for not having the inclination to see this movie sooner. This is, of course, because if I have ever seen a better movie than this, I cannot recall it at this time.
I will not spoil much of this film for you, and will only tell you the minimum about the story: based on historical events and Scottish legend, Braveheart is the tale of William Wallace (the excellent director/star Mel Gibson), a Scotsman who sees firsthand the cruelties of King Edward Longshanks as a boy, and loses his father to the English King's tyranny. As a man, Wallace falls in love with a woman from his childhood named Murron (played by Catherine McCormack, who is very beautiful here). However, when tragedy tears them apart, Wallace can bear no more, and leads a rebellion of oppressed Scotsmen to claim their freedom from England.This journey that they undergo is near impossible to beat, and stands triumphant as a tale of iron will.
I will try my best to tell you everything that is right about this wonderful film, but the fact is that it's an almost perfect movie. All the elements, the writing, the cinematography, the acting, the design, and especially the moving score by James Horner, came together to do something I didn't think a movie could do: it made me believe. When Wallace fell in love with Murron, I could feel myself falling in love as well (as much as I could without being pathetic), which made the pain of her death even greater. I felt something, some strong emotion, for every character in the film. It has been said that in every great movie, every laugh must have a tear, and this is the case with Braveheart. There is a surprising amount of humor in the film (I guess with all the strong emotions and death, it had to be this way), and I found myself invested in this film with nearly every emotion I have: happiness, sadness, anger, shock and even fear. All this is punctuated by what is perhaps one of cinema's most emotional soundtracks, at least in my book.
Many people may dismiss Braveheart as a film about war, and while I can see where they may get this impression ( the film is rated R for some intense and bloody war violence), I firmly believe that this is false. Braveheart is not a war story, but rather a love story, which starts as a tale of Wallace's love for a woman, but then grows to an epic of Wallace's love for his countrymen and home, and of how a man's love and passion can prevail,even when faced with great adversity, and can inspire others to pull on to the end and fight the good fight. All this I felt within me as I fell in love with this movie; I was inspired, and I believed to the very end. I think I will continue to do so for a long time. You have probably already seen this movie, and may feel as I do, but if you haven't, you should definitely make the effort to experience it. As for me, I will continue to be inspired by what may be one of the greatest movies ever made.