A well executed epic though not exactly historically accurate

Rating: 8/10 (27 October 2014)

Mel Gibson's "Braveheart" tells the story of William Wallace, a near-legendary 13th century Scottish hero who fought for his country's independence. While based on actual people and events, the story departs from history in some respects as it hews closer to myth than to reality.
The Oscar-nominated screenplay by Randall Wallace was admittedly written with more attention paid to creating dramatic situations than to being as factual as possible. I won't argue with dramatic license when it produces a story as compelling as this but I do think that Wallace stretched the facts beyond the point of credibility on at least one occasion. Others are even less forgiving. So, if you get hung up on stringent historical accuracy, this is assuredly not the movie for you.
If you can get past that, you'll find that Mel Gibson's Oscar-winning direction is surprisingly well-handled, particularly given his relative inexperience at the time ("Braveheart" was just his second directorial effort). There's no doubt that renowned first assistant director David Tomblin also proved a valuable asset to the production. Furthermore, the film is also impressive from a musical standpoint, with James Horner's Oscar-nominated score effectively utilizing Scottish and Celtic influences.
Apart from directing the movie, Gibson also delivered the goods with his portrayal of the larger than life lead character. He didn't do it all on his own, though; he had a fine cast supporting him. Patrick McGoohan played King Edward I with villainous relish, Sophie Marceau was stunning as Princess Isabelle and Angus Macfadyen gave a complicated portrait of Robert the Bruce. Among Wallace's men, Brendan Gleeson & David O'Hara both stood out. Catherine McCormack was also notable as Wallace's secret lover.
All in all, "Braveheart" amounts to a well-constructed epic the likes of which we don't see enough of these days. It may take some liberties with history but they don't detract too much from the overall picture as I see it. While Gibson has fallen out of favour in recent years (through no fault but his own), this movie shows him at his best and deserves to be fondly remembered.