Like him or not, Gibson is a genius!

Rating: 9/10 (12 February 2014)

Looking at Mel Gibson today, it'd be hard to tell that he's an award winning director and actor. He hasn't been in anything great recently (Get the Gringo wasn't bad though!). Rewind to 1995 and you have this masterpiece very meticulously crafted and acted by Mad Max. Gibson pulls a Kevin Costner here and directss/acts in "Braveheart." Here's what I think is brilliant about the film:
-Beautiful cinematography. Although acting and script are essential elements of a good flick, cinematography is the "eros," which seduces the audience into watching the film. A good cinematographer can aid the story line with the right techniques. The use of the camera, the lighting, and the scenery are gorgeous in this film. Deserving of the Oscar.

Great acting and casting. Can you think of anyone better to play the larger than life, legendary, and very mysterious historical character of William Wallace? I think Mel Gibson fits the bill very well. The supporting cast, particularly Kind Edward Longshanks, are very effective as well. The creepy Englishman who hits on Wallace's wife is also one of the creepiest characters ever put on film (licking her face...EW).

Great stunt work and practical effects. Gibson wanted this film to look authentic and he pulled out all the stops for this one. He doesn't cheap out on this movie with any computer generated effects. There where a few sequences (mostly involving the horses) where I wondered if what they were doing was even legal! This film actually looks better than about 90% of films today with all that CGI crap.

Good plot. Is it historically accurate? I doubt the story is even close to 100% accurate, but all the big name characters in the movie were historical figures who lived during the same time period. For those wanting a piece by piece historical recollection of events, go read an encyclopedia. This movie takes many historical liberties, but also manages to piece together a pretty decent plot: Scottish man suffers loss at the hands of the English and leads a rebellion against them. This movie really boils down to one important thing: To persuade "The Bruce," to take the throne and lead Scotland to independence, which happens at the very end following Wallace's death. It's a great story.

Nice soundtrack. It really goes along well with the film and when you hear it along with Mel trudging up the Scottish highlands, you can't help but get chills down your spine.

The film deserved 7 out of the 10 Oscars they were nominated for, but sadly only got 5. Thankfully it did at least clean up with the "Best Picture" award. The film really should have won for "Best Editing," and "Best Costume Design," though. If you want to watch a 100% historically valid movie about William Wallace, feel free to watch the History Channel. Even then, not much is ACTUALLY known about Wallace so good luck with that. If you want to watch an entertaining film with historical threads running through it, this is your ish.