Braveheart

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Template:Infobox Film Braveheart is an epic American motion picture released in 1995 based on the life of William Wallace, a national hero in Scotland. Mel Gibson played Wallace and also produced and directed the film.

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Plot

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The film opens with a narrator telling us "I shall tell you of William Wallace. Historians from England will say I am a liar, but history is written by those who have hanged heroes."

In the first scene a young William Wallace sees the hanged bodies of Scotsmen and boys who had travelled to a meeting with representatives of Edward I, popularly known as Longshanks. Edward I was a ruler of unlimited cruelty, whose intention was to destroy the indigenous population of Scotland through war or by breeding. He had invoked an ancient law, primae noctis ("first night"), which allowed lords the first sexual rights to any common woman on her wedding night.

William’s father and older brother leave home to do battle with Edward's army. Both are killed and their bodies are returned home to an orphaned William. Following the funerals, William’s uncle, Argyle, adopts William and takes him on a 20 year journey across Europe, a journey that becomes William’s education.

When William returns to his homeland, Longshanks’ son has married Isabelle, a French princess, in a political ploy that Edward believes will increase his power over France. William hopes to rebuild his father’s farm, marry, and raise a family. He reunites with his childhood love, Murron, and they marry in secret to avoid Longshanks’ trying to use the jus primae noctis (one the King of England would not likely use, as it is unlikely he'd know of the marriage in time, and be in the right place to enjoy his privilege, even if English kings ever truly enjoyed such a perk). However, when Murron is attacked by the local English guards, William fights them and retreats into hiding. Murron, unable to escape with William, is captured and brutally executed in public by the local magistrate seeking to set an example against dissension, but more directly to provoke her husband.

William rides back to the village on horseback, feigning surrender but at the last second he instead attacks the English soldiers, his one man fight is soon joined by his friend Hamish, Hamish's father Campbell, and the local townsfolk who kill every soldier in the magistrate's fortress. Bound by revenge, William kills the magistrate in the same fashion that the man killed Murron. Shortly after, William captures an even larger English garrison. He does so by disguising himself and his comrades in the uniforms of English soldiers they have killed. They ride into and seize control of the garrison. Wallace allows one of his soldiers to kill the local magistrate, who had deflowered his wife. The loss of this second base angers the King who sent an army to fight Wallace but word has already spread and highlanders come in droves to fight this invading force. Wallace knows that eventually the King will send his entire Northern Army, to this end he has a plan.

Their first victory in this war comes at the Battle of Stirling. William, leading an outnumbered army, boosts their confidence with a charismatic speech. They outwit the English cavalry with long spears and slaughter the remaining infantry and their general.

Though awarded the post of “High protector of Scotland” by the Scots nobles, William is still unable to convince them to solidly unite and invade England to ensure their victory and drive Longshanks from Scotland forever. The highest ranking noble, Robert the Bruce, a possible heir to the throne of Scotland, tells William that his efforts are directed more out of rage and vengeance, rather than the preservation of his homeland. William agrees but also sees the Bruce as the kind of leader Scotland needs and bids him to unite the clans.

William makes the decision to invade England himself and his army marches several hundred miles to the city of York. They successfully raid the city and seize control of it. The local magistrate is beheaded and his head is sent to London as a message to Longshanks.

Longshanks sends the Princess of Wales, Isabelle, to York to negotiate a truce with William. He meets with her but refuses to accept Longshanks demands. He cites Longshanks longstanding cruel treatment of Scotland and his attempts at genocide. The princess returns to London to find that the meeting she held was a distraction from Longshanks strategy to send his armies to Scotland and attack Wallace’s flank. Isabelle sends a courier to William with the news. He musters his troops and marches back to Scotland to engage the English army at Falkirk. During the battle William again proves to be the better tactician, using his archers to ignite a field laden with oil between his infantry and Longshanks’ with the English cavalry trapped in the middle. Additionally, during the battle, the Irish soldiers accompanying Longshanks’ army join Wallace’s army at the manipulations of an insane Irishman called Steven, doubling its size instantly. However, Longshanks was able to subversively recruit the Scots nobles and their cavalry. No longer a backup force for Wallace, they leave their “ally” for dead. William escapes the ensuing slaughter and rides after Longshanks. He is stopped short by Longshanks’ helmeted companion whom Wallace reveals to be Robert the Bruce. Robert helps William escape arrest and return to his army. At the Scots army encampment, Hamish watches his father die as William looks on. William realizes that his pride has caused their defeat.

Though his army is defeated, William is still able to rally more highlanders to his cause and rebuild his forces. He also takes brutal vengeance on several of the nobles, murdering Mornay in his bedroom (on horseback by smashing his skull with a mace) and Lochlan, whose body he drops through an open window onto Lord Craig's dinner table after slitting his throat. Longshanks realizes Wallace is once again becoming invulnerable and plots to assassinate William, again using the princess as a ploy. The princess again warns William and the assassins are brutally burned murdered by William, Hamish and Steven the Irishman. William secretly visits the princess to thank her and the two make love.

Several months pass and Longshanks works subversively to trap Wallace. Robert the Bruce is the decoy this time, calling Wallace to a meeting to negotiate a truce. William is captured at Edinburgh by English soldiers and the Scottish nobles who betray him a second time. He is sent to London for public execution.

Princess Isabelle pleads with William to beg the king for mercy. William refuses, preferring to die a free man. Isabelle later pleads with the king to spare Wallace’s life. The king is unable to speak due to a fatal, unknown illness (most likely tuberculosis as per the heavy cough that plagues him in the film's second half), but his will is unchanged. Whispering in the king’s ear, Isabelle reveals that she is pregnant with Wallace’s child and his offspring will be heir to the throne.

Wallace is brought into the public square for execution. He is offered clemency (which translates to a quick death by beheading) in exchange for declaring himself the king’s loyal subject. He refuses and is strung up, first by his neck, then by his wrists and ankles. He is then tied to a cross and disemboweled alive. Refusing the taunts of the executioner to accept subjectivity to the king he yells his last word, “Freedom!”. Realizing that Wallace will not be broken, even under extreme pain, the executioner orders his beheading. An instant before the axe falls Wallace sees Murron floating among those in the crowd. The small cloth that Wallace was given him by his wife as a wedding gift falls from his hand.

In Scotland, shortly after the execution, Robert the Bruce leads the remnants of Wallace’s army onto the field at Bannockburn to accept the title of King of Scotland. Holding the small cloth that fell from Wallace’s hand in his final moment of life, he rallies the army to do battle with the English, much to the consternation of the nobles, who'd hoped that the Bruce would accept his title without incident. A voiceover by Wallace/Mel Gibson informs us that the year is 1314, the Scots were victorious and that Scotland was free.

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Response

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Awards

The film won numerous awards including the 1995 Academy Award for:

Nominated:

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Box office

Braveheart is 270th in the largest amount grossed from a film (worldwide). In terms of actual figures, Braveheart's total lifetime gross is:

  • US: $75,609,945
  • Worldwide: $210,409,945

On opening weekend, Braveheart grossed:

  • US: $9,938,276
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Political effects

The film is credited with provoking a significant upsurge of Scottish nationalism, in particular with leading the majority of the Scottish people, for the first time ever to poll majorities in favour of Scottish independence.

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Wallace Monument

In 1997 a statue of Gibson as "William Wallace" was placed in the car-park of the Wallace Monument near Stirling, Scotland. The statue, which includes the word "Braveheart" on Wallace's shield, was the cause of much controversy and one local resident stated that it was wrong to "desecrate the main memorial to Wallace with a lump of crap". In 1998 the statue was vandalised by someone who smashed the face in with a hammer. After repairs were made, the statue was encased in a cage at night to prevent further vandalism. This has only incited more calls for the statue to be removed as it now appears that the Gibson/Wallace figure is imprisoned; an irony, considering that the statue bears the word "Freedom" on the plinth.

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Historical Accuracy

Braveheart is essentially a work of fiction, which draws inspiration from real historical events. However, due to the intense level of detail in costuming, makeup and special effects, audiences may incorrectly assume that the production is intended to be historically accurate. Some of the "inaccuracies" in Braveheart may have been motivated by artistic reasons. The anachronistic kilts worn by the Scots make the rebels more visually distinctive, the incomplete armor and missing helmets allow viewers to recognize the actors, and changes to characters and names make the story easier to follow. Modifications to the sequence of events create dramatic juxtapositions, allowing different lines in the story to appear to occur simultaneously. Some noted critiques include:

  1. Braveheart's plot includes an affair between William Wallace and the Princess Isabelle, based upon Isabella of France. The film implies she is pregnant at the time of Wallace's execution, carrying the future Edward III of England. Historically, the real Isabella was a child of nine still living in France at this time, meaning she never met Wallace, and furthermore, was never a Princess of Wales, as she married Edward II after he became king.
  2. Edward III of England was born in 1312, seven years after Wallace's death; thus it is impossible for Edward III to have been Wallace's son. (Note: this idea may have been derived from the play The Wallace by Sydney Goodsir Smith.)
  3. Gibson was criticised for his portrayal of Isabella's future husband, Edward II of England. Although most historians agree that Edward was homosexual, many complained that the film presented demeaning stereotypes towards Edward. In the commentary, Mel Gibson explained he had not intended to show hatred towards anyone portrayed in the film (including the English). It should also be recalled that Mel Gibson did not write the screenplay.
  4. The Battle of Stirling Bridge, the first skirmish in the film, was filmed without a bridge. The actual conflict was more of an ambush of the English as they attempted to cross a river. (It is rumoured that Gibson told a Scottish local the bridge was removed as it got in the way, and the local replied "that's what the English found" [1].) The film also makes no mention of Andrew de Moray, Wallace's companion-in-arms and a major contributor at this battle. Curiously, the fight shown in the film is more like the Battle of Bannockburn 17 years later, with English cavalry charging Scottish schiltrons and being repulsed.
  5. The film creates the impression that William Wallace invented the Scottish schiltrons and handed out pikes just before the battle. This is completely untrue.
  6. Edward I's second wife, Margaret, whom he married in 1299, is absent from the film, although the span of history covered in the production includes this year. This implies his first wife Eleanor of Castile was his only spouse.
  7. The film shows Irish conscripts switching sides and joining Wallace's forces at the Battle of Falkirk. The Irish forces were hired mercenaries who, from all accounts, fought well for Edward I. The Celtic soldiers who did display some rebellious tendencies were the Welsh, who had been conquered about a decade earlier. Edward I intended to use them as the first wave of attack and essentially as schiltron fodder. They did not take kindly to such intentions, even if they did not actually switch sides.
  8. The film implies that Wallace's rebellion took place against a background of a fairly lengthy English occupation of Scotland. Actually, they had only invaded Scotland the year before (1296) and the mass hanging of Scottish nobles which Wallace witnessed as a boy could not have occurred at that time.
  9. The sword carried by Gibson is a 16th century Scottish claymore. While a sword which is claimed to have belonged to Wallace (although this is disputed) exists in Scotland, it is significantly simpler.
  10. There is some controversy about whether the jus prima noctis (also known as the droit de seigneur), the supposed right of a Lord to deflower virgins in his territory, actually existed, but it certainly never existed in either England or Scotland.
  11. It is unclear whether Wallace had a wife or what her name was, but according to Scottish tradition her name was Marion Braidfute, apparently her name was changed to Murron in the film so audiences would not confuse her with Maid Marian from the Robin Hood stories.
  12. Wallace's long-standing hatred for the English may not have been because of his wife's death. According to one legend, it arose from the fact that two English soldiers challenged Wallace over some fish he had caught. The argument escalated into a fight, resulting in Wallace killing the soldiers.
  13. The then-future King Robert the Bruce is described as "Earl of Bruce", but actually, his title before becoming king was Earl of Carrick.
  14. Braveheart suggests Wallace supported the Bruce claim to the Scottish throne; however, Wallace supported the Balliol claim while Bruce was convinced of his father's rightful succession.
  15. The reality of William Wallace's capture and execution was far worse than shown in the film.
  16. The movie depicts Robert the Bruce's father (who was also named Robert) as a leper. There is no historical record of this though Bruce himself contracted a disease before his death that has sometimes been alleged to be leprosy.
  17. Bruce did not betray Wallace at Falkirk. He did eventually switch sides but that was a few years later and as a result of a dispute with the Comyns (not depicted in the film) who supported the Balliol claim to the throne (as had Wallace himself). The Scottish war effort collapsed a few years later because of the defeat of their French allies by the Flemish at Courtrai in 1302. Wallace was hunted down when the Scots were forced to surrender in 1305.
  18. In his speech before the battle of Stirling Bridge, Mel Gibson's Wallace alludes to a hundred years of tyranny. Ironically, the 13th century was one of the few centuries when Anglo-Scottish relations were relatively peaceful. This changed after the unexpected death of Alexander III in 1286, when Edward I stepped in to resolve the dispute over the Scottish crown, and used this opportunity to revive English claims of overlordship.
  19. The film depicts Edward I dying at the same time as Wallace was executed. In fact, Wallace's execution took place in 1305, in Westminster, and King Edward died in 1307, two years later, en route to put down a fresh rebellion of the Scots, led by Robert the Bruce.
  20. The film depicts Edward I defenestrating a male close friend and implied lover of the Prince of Wales. Edward never killed or harmed his son's lovers.
  21. In battle, Wallace is shown painted blue with woad, a fashion that had become extinct at least with the Picts, some 5 centuries before his time, if not even earlier.

Gibson, in his commentary to the film, admits many of these historical inaccuracies such as prima nocte quite candidly.

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Cast

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Soundtrack

Like the film itself, the Braveheart soundtrack has become popular with consumers and the soundtrack has recorded strong sales levels. The soundtrack is composed by composer James Horner, who also composed soundtracks for Titanic, Aliens, and Apollo 13. The music was recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra. Consumers have been drawn to the Scottish and Celtic music that is integrated into the score. The first soundtrack was so successful that Horner produced a follow-up soundtrack in 1997 titled More Music from Braveheart. International and French versions of the soundtrack have also been released. The original album contains 77 minutes of background music taken from significant scenes in the film.

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Braveheart (1995)

  1. Main Title (2:51)
  2. A Gift of a Thistle (1:37)
  3. Wallace Courts Murron (4:25)
  4. The Secret Wedding (6:33)
  5. Attack on Murron (3:00)
  6. Revenge (6:23)
  7. Murron’s Burial (2:13)
  8. Making Plans/ Gathering the Clans (2:05)
  9. “Sons of Scotland” (6:19)
  10. The Battle of Stirling (6:07)
  11. For the Love of a Princess (4:07)
  12. Falkirk (4:04)
  13. Betrayal & Desolation (7:48)
  14. Mornay’s Dream (1:18)
  15. The Legend Spreads (1:09)
  16. The Princess Pleads for Wallace’s Life (3:38)
  17. “Freedom”/The Execution/ Bannockburn (7:24)
  18. End Credits (7:12)
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More Music from Braveheart (1997)

The follow-up soundtrack features much more dialogue taken from the actual film than did the original soundtrack.

  1. Prologue/ "I Shall Tell You of Williams..." (dialogue-Robert the Bruce) (3:35)
  2. Outlawed Tunes on Outlawed Bag Pipes (2:03)
  3. The Royal Wedding (dialogue-Robert the Bruce) (2:12)
  4. "The Trouble with Scotland" (dialogue-King Edward the Longshanks) (0:40)
  5. Scottish Wedding Music (1:14)
  6. Prima Noctes (1:46)
  7. The Proposal (dialogue-Wallace and Murron) (1:35)
  8. "Scotland is Free!" (dialogue-Wallace) (0:17)
  9. Point of War/JonnyCope/Up in the Morning Early (traditional) (2:59)
  10. Conversing with the Almighty (dialogue-various) (1:20)
  11. The Road to the Isles/ Grendaural Highlanders/ The Old Rustic Bridge by the Hill (tradional) (3:52)
  12. "Son of Scotland!" (dialogue-Wallace) (12:09)
  13. Vision of Murron (1:45)
  14. "Unite the Clans!" (dialogue-Wallace) (0:23)
  15. The Legend Spreads (dialogue-Storytellers) (1:07)
  16. "Why Do You Help Me?" (dialogue-Wallace and Princess Isabelle) (0:37)
  17. For the Love of a Princess (previously released score) (4:05)
  18. "Not Every man Really Lives" (dialogue-Wallace and Isabelle)
  19. "The Prisoner wishes to Say a Word (dialogue-The Executioner and Wallace) (3:43)
  20. "After the Beheading" (dialogue-Robert the Bruce) (1:48)
  21. "You Have Bled for Wallace!" (dialogue-Robert the Bruce) (1:22)
  22. Warrior Poets (dialogue-Wallace) (0:29)
  23. Scotland the Brave (tradional) (2:47)
  24. Leaving Glenhurqhart (traditional) (3:32)
  25. Kirkhill (traditional) (4:08)
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External links

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