Epic film of a Scottish legend

Rating: 10/10 (8 April 2016)

The characters are real, with some name changes, and many of the battle events are accurate. But beyond that, this film is mostly fictitious. It may not be fair to judge it solely on its historical accuracy. That's because so little actual historical record exists from the 13th century about the hero, William Wallace. So, it's best to enjoy "Braveheart" as an epic film about a legendary and true hero in Scottish lore.
Doubtless, most people enjoy the film for the splendor of its production as well as the legend. The scenery of the Scottish Highlands (much of which was filmed in Ireland), the beauty of the country, the excellence of the costuming (some not very historical) and the staging of very real battle scenes – all make this an epic film. It is not among the greatest of epics – "Gone with the Wind" of 1939, "The Ten Commandments" of 1956, "War and Peace" of 1956, or "Ben-Hur" of 1959. But it clearly belongs with other superb epics such as "Doctor Zhivago" of 1965, "Dances with Wolves" of 1990 and "The Gladiator" of 2000.
The plot of the film is about Scotland's fight for independence from England. William Wallace was a leading patriot in that fight who inspired the Scots to revolt against the foreign rule and oppressive practices of English-backed Scottish nobility. The film is a grand portrayal of that fight. One can leave the historical details aside and enjoy the portrayal of the Scots' fight for freedom that they finally obtained in 1306 under the leadership of King Robert the Bruce. The Scots would survive two wars of independence (1296-1328 and 1332-1357), and remain a free country.
Some of the Scottish nobles traded sides and loyalties, as shown in this film. But, most were loyal and fought with the common man to wage the wars for freedom that gained Scotland its independence from England.
As the screenwriter, Randall Wallace, says in a 2000 documentary on the making of the film, much of the story they used comes from legend. A particular source was 15th century epic poem by a Scottish minstrel called "Blind Harry." The poem is entitled, "The Acts and Deeds of Sir William Wallace, Knight of Eidersile." But, besides that, the producers made "Hollywood" decisions to give the film more glamor and appeal. Some would be drastic revisions of history.
Some glaring diversions from here included the queen, Isabella of France, who became the wife of Edward II. She was born in 1295, so was only two years old when Wallace began his fight for freedom. She and Wallace never met in real life. She was 13-years old when she married Edward in 1308 – three years after Wallace's death. She was married to Edward 19 years, until his death in 1327, and she bore him five children, including his successor, Edward III.
Edward I, "Longshanks," is reputed to have been one of the most ruthless rulers of England. He died two years after the death of Wallace. That was a year before his son married Isabella of France. So, all the parts of the film about her, Longshanks and Edward II are pure fiction. An Encyclopedia Britannica article reports that Edward II may have had relations with men as well as other women and his wife.
The Scots under Wallace did invade and conquer parts of northern England, but they did not get as far south as York as shown in the film. After the major defeat at Falkirk, which the movie shows, Wallace disappeared for four years on the continent. He returned to Scotland and resumed his fighting when he was captured.
Wallace's execution is one thing that the movie shows accurately – but much less graphically than it actually was. We don't know what was said, of course, but the manner and method of his execution is accurate with recorded details. Perhaps we should have seen more of it to realize the gore and horror of English punishment in that time. After his trial on August 23, 1305, he was stripped naked and dragged through the city by a horse. He then was hung, then disemboweled, then beheaded, and finally drawn and quartered. His head was mounted on London Bridge for a time and his limbs were sent to the four corners of Britain for display and deterrence against revolt. Still, history records that the Scots has the last word with the ensuring victories that established their independence.
Of course, all this was more than seven centuries ago. And, in the time since, England has been blessed to have the Scots as part of the U.K. especially fighting on its side in the many wars that followed. By the 19th century, the sound of bagpipes accompanying the march of troops was a proud symbol for both Englishmen and Scotsmen.