Harmful fun.

Rating: 5/10 (21 March 2010)

Having seen this film umpteen times and seeing the very POLARIZED opinions it generates, here are the facts as I see them.It IS an entertaining film, whilst Gibson is as wooden as usual other members of the cast are good, particularly the under rated Mcgoohan.The battle sequences whilst inaccurate are carried off well and visually it all looks great.
So it is a pity that an otherwise good film is spoilt by it's sadly one sided view of history. Firstly Edward I behaved no differently to any other monarch of the time in protecting his interests. He was arguably the most effective ruler during a turbulent period of civil war in England itself. His son, the unfortunate Edward II was lucky to have outived his father at all, the crown had to be protected at all costs. The Scots as well as the English perpetrated some terrible deeds, but this was typical of the time and practices such as 'breaking on the wheel' continued in France into the 18th Century.
As in most conflicts no party had a moral high ground. It was inevitable that Scotland would become a vassal of England, in the same way that France was eventually enlarged. At the time Wallace may have represented an ideal of Clan freedom and independence but the Nation State was already becoming the currency of power within Europe.
A more balanced and investigative approach would have yielded more satisfying results and left a less bitter aftertaste for viewers of an English disposition.
I