Fantasy not History

Rating: 2/10 (10 June 2005)

Where shall I start? How about the French princess? She was only 12 years old at the time. And it is ludicrous that William Wallace was the father of Edward III. The Irish could not have changed sides at the Battle of Falkirk for the simple reason that they were not there. Edward I did not order his archers to shoot his own men in the back. They had already discharged their arrows before battle was joined. And that final wild charge by the Scots at the Battle of Bannockburn, when everybody knows that the Scots fought defensively arranged in schiltrons armed with long spears.
And the English armour? Some of it looks more like birdman costumes. The archers have better helmets (basinets) than the infantry, while their bows are just branches with the bark stripped off and a piece of twine attached. Looks like the film makers reached the bottom of their purse with the archers, because they couldn't kit out the English army's Gascon crossbowmen, who are conspicuous by their absence on Falkirk field.
The English may have been guilty of some atrocities, but prima nocte was not one of them.
I could go on, but I won't.
But I suppose Shakespeare took liberties with history too. And they call him a genius!
Having said that, Mel Gibson makes a believable Scotsman, and James Cosmo is terrific as Campbell, and I liked the princess's oversexed maidservant. Also brilliant is Patrick McGoohan. His scene where he throws that guy out the window is the best bit of the film.
I know this film stirred up a bit of Scottish nationalism. I don't have any problem with that, but if you are going to get worked up, get worked up over the facts.
I should know: it's MY country. It belongs to ME.