Men Don't Follow Titles. They Follow Courage

Rating: 8/10 (21 October 2006)

It was among swords, sandals and battlefields that Mel Gibson truly found his directorial niche. 'Braveheart' proved a polarizing force  a rare amalgam of war, heroes, romance and comedy (yes there is a surprising amount of fun to be found)  that arguably catalyzed a series of sweeping epics including Gladiator. Undoubtedly, the aforementioned movies are typically seen as Oscar-bait and even more so when interwoven with historical references like Braveheart is. Unsurprisingly the film boldly snatched five heavyweight Oscars at the 1996 Academy Awards...
Yet it needs to be said that this was rightly earned, for Braveheart is an excellent film in which nothing feels missing or incomplete. It tells the heartfelt story of revenge  not served as coldly as The Bride, rather with fierce intensity  of William Wallace of Scotland against the corrupt Englishmen who long plagued the Scots for land, money and women. William grows up something of an intelligent brute; he is long-haired, scruffy, kilt-wearing and Sco'ish-drawling warrior, whom, upon the death of his beloved young wife by English lords, swears bloody revenge. He becomes so committed to vengeance and freedom that he rallies all Scottish clans under one banner  for freedom! His appeal? He is exuding courage.
Mel Gibson is busy navigating both a layered performance as national Scottich icon William Wallace and the direction of the film. Perhaps this is why the latter is kept relatively straightforward. This can be seen through the highly black-and-white image he projects of his characters. In other words, the English are almost exclusively corrupt, greedy and evil while the Scots are a lovable, brave bunch. It does not leave much room for interpretation, but then, this is a sweeping epic about a hero and not an elaborate character-study. Nevertheless, Gibson undoubtedly glosses over history in search for his perfect, idealist protagonist and the good news is that he truly finds him in this William. Gibson also portrays him with remarkable emotional transparency.
Stepping away from its characters, the battlescenes in 'Braveheart' are nearly unrivaled (well, they were until LOTR showed up) and deftly showcases the film's striking cinematography through the now-obligatory kinetic cutting of frames. The end result is fast-paced, adrenaline-pumping, graphic and gory. There is also a thankful poignancy of sorts that follows these fierce, outnumbered battles  dynamic, escalating sense of patriotism among the Scots that translate well for the viewer as William raises his sword and cries out. It is owing to these moments and an assured centre from Gibson that regrettably shifts Angus MacFadyen's character Robert the Bruce to the backseat in the story, even though he inhabits a vital main role. You'll see.
'Braveheart' is an easy story to sell when you have the budget and actors  its heartfelt and heroic content purposely jerks you for reactions: the dead father, the dead wife, the patriotic buddies, the evil villains, the pretty princess, the wailing 'epic' score by James Horner. It is spelled-out and extremely effective, making Braveheart into a worthwhile swords-n-sandals adventure.
8 out of 10