Nothing really all that special

Rating: 6/10 (28 October 2011)

After seeing Chasing Amy and A Bullet in the Head, Braveheart just did not seem to match up. I remember the first time I saw this movie: actually half this movie, was at a friends house where everybody had crowded into the small loungeroom, most uncomfortable. The image that remained was when they were eviscerating Mel Gibson. It was only implied, but that must hurt when done in real life. It also shows how barbaric the English at that time really were.
Braveheart is about William Wallace, a scot in the 12th century whose wife was killed by the English after he save her from being raped by some soldiers. This started a huge war between the Scots and the English. The English had subdued the Scots for a while, but at this time Scotland was still independent with its own king. In fact Scotland was allied with France because the Scots hated the English and the French hated the English. It was that Scotland was easier to subdue that France. Scotland only became a part of Great Britain in the 16th century (I think - can't recall off hand). The movie is about one man's fight for freedom and how he is able to bring the people along with him. It is about how people will overcome the most amazing odds and win simply for freedom. They believed that they could never defeat the English but this was proved wrong on the battle field when the English were slaughtered.
The movie also highlights the idea a barbarity and how it is a purely subjective idea. The English claimed that the Scots were barbaric, and Wallace even agreed that he was, only to prove the Princess of Wales wrong when he spoke to her in fluent French. He appeared to be a barbarian, but was in fact a civilised man. The English, who saw themselves at the epitome of civilisation, in reality were barbaric in the way they did everything.
The one thing I like about the movie is Edward Longshanks. He is very much the ruthless king. He looks the part and he plays the role with absolute savagery. Yet though he is powerful in life, his death is not able to change his weak willed son, and cannot stop his bastard grandson inheriting the throne. This grandson becomes Edward III, one of my favourite kings in the way that he seized the throne back from his usurping regent and then went to war on the French in 1327 and caused the irreparable damage.