Epic entertainment, if not exactly historically accurate

Rating: 9/10 (5 March 2006)

"Braveheart is a very good movie, combining all the elements of a great epic and if it comes up just a bit short of greatness, it's still an entertaining three hours. The movie has everything, evil villains, brave heroes, exciting battles, romance, humor and a message. If the message is somewhat unclear in today's context, freedom is still the goal f William Wallace and his followers, the desire to rule themselves rather than to submit to outsiders. Visually, this is an exceptional picture, from the colorful costumes to some breathtaking scenery. The battles are brutal and filmed with an eye for the spectacular, flights of arrows, the heavy horse charge, the bloody hand to hand fighting and the desperation of the fighters are well filmed. One complaint is that there's no bridge to be seen in the battle of Stirling Bridge. The romance between Wallace and his village bride is well done, and her execution is heart breaking. His faithfulness is doubted in the movie as he sleeps with the Princess Isabella which is extremely unlikely. The climactic scene of Wallace screaming for "Freedom" rather than mercy from his executioners is as powerful as anything put on the screen in the last decade at least. "Braveheart" is an epic in the old sense and is an very good film.