One of the great epics of our time

Rating: 10/10 (20 June 2008)

The best thing about the good epics is that you feel right there with the hero. At every step you want your hero to succeed and the villain to fail. The rousing feeling you get flowing through you is rushing through you at full speed, and everything else around you ceases to exist. "Braveheart" is like that. Mel Gibson's medieval epic is bursting with power an intensity, and it is filmed on a grand scale that is both a joy to the eye and the spirit. The characters are larger than life, the action sequences are bloody and exciting, and William Wallace is a man that anyone can sympathize with.
William Wallace (Mel Gibson) is a Scotsman (kilt included), and nothing will change that. But times are hard for the Scots. The English hold an oppressive rule over Scotland, and it's ruled by the tyrannical Longshanks (aka King Edward I, played by Patrick McGoohan). Eventually William Wallace decides he's had enough, so he arouses his fellow Scots in a fight for freedom.
That's the gist of it, though in a very general sense. Yes, I left a lot out, but see the movie! The acting is terrific. Mel Gibson knows what he is doing with William Wallace. Wallace is broadly drawn in the fashion of epics, but Gibson plays him with such intensity that he's always interesting and it's impossible NOT to root for the guy. Patrick McGoohan may not be the BEST villain, but he's villainous enough to really hate. Sophie Marceau does a lot with a small role. Despite not having much screen time, Marceau is skilled enough to develop her character a lot. She's quiet and obedient on the surface, but inside she's independent and intelligent. It's a star-making performance, and it's a pity she isn't as popular as she deserves. Angus Macfayden is arguably the weakest of the main characters, but he's adequate. He ably portrays a conflicted man whose sympathies are torn. Also good are Brendan Gleeson as Wallace's right-hand man, Hamish, and Catherine McCormack as Wallace's lover, Murron. Comic relief is supplied, but thankfully not overused, by David O'Hara as the nutty Irishman, who (literally) talks to God. And it's hilarious to see James Cosmo as Hamish's father, who despite being an old geezer, is a nearly psychotic warrior.
As a director, Mel Gibson clearly knows how to craft an epic. "Braveheart" is his best film by far. It's grand, it's exciting, and it's rousing entertainment. Despite being almost three hours long, it never drags. Though his later films demonstrate this as fact, "Braveheart" shows that Gibson is not afraid of showing graphic violence and gore (both of which are plentiful in "Braveheart"). To be fair, Gibson shows the ugliness of violence, but wisely only uses it to enhance the film, not to make the viewer feel guilty or depressed. Part of the reason why this film works so well is that it uses real people as extras (or at least it seems to). Lately, big-budget movies use a lot of CGI to create big crowds, but it's been done so many times that it has long since become boring and overblown. It's refreshing to see huge masses of people that are REALLY PEOPLE.
"Braveheart" is a very good film, but it's not perfect. The development is a little rushed at times in the first half, and sometimes things can get a trite confusing. But this is nitpicking. "Braveheart" is a brilliant film, and a must-see for anyone.