A movie tells the story of the Scottish mythic hero William Wallace. The movie Braveheart was directed by Mel Gibson and written by Randall Wallace. Additionally, the movie was published in the 1995. The main characters of the movie are William Wallace (Mel Gibson), his wife Murron (Cathrine McCormack), his friend Hamish (Brendon Gleeson), Edward the King of England (Patrick Mcgoohon), and the prince Robert the Bruce (Angus Macfadyn). However, there are many characters that should have been mentioned, but those are the stars of the movie. This essay details the summary of the movie and the evaluation of the movie Braveheart critically.
The movie Braveheart is among the great epic historical drama film that tells the story of a young man and a Scottish hero William Wallace who is in an act of the war that rallies his soldiers against the English King, Edward. According to the movie, it is evident that for years the country which is Scotland had suffered years of political unrest and the land was thus open to political invasion. However, the story starts with a young William Wallace, who was chasing his father trying to be with him fighting the English soldiers. After the death of his father and brother whom were fighting to free Scotland, his uncle took him from his hometown. The orphan William was being taught by his uncle. He became a well-educated man. He lived and grew up with his uncle out of his hometown. Therefore, he returned to his hometown and met his old friend Hamish. After the returning he still had the feelings of achieving his father’s dream of the Scottish independence. However, his town was under the control of the tyranny of the English king Edward. Edward was allowing the English nobles to sleep with the new brides on the first night as one of the oppressions he was practicing against the Scottish people. In other words, “Prima Nocta” means the right for nobles to take the new brides on the first night of their marriage. Therefore, William married the one he loved Murron in secret in order to hide from the practice of prima nocta. Furthermore, his secret wife was executed when she assaulted an English Soldier who had tried to rape her on the first day of her marriage. With this in mind, Murron is the third person of William’s people whom have been killed by English soldiers. Under those circumstances, William sparked the revolutionary war in response that William decided to lead his people and creates a legend of himself that is integrated alongside his personal courage and then he embarked the war over the English army. In spite of this, due to betrayals of his own people whom sold their selves to the king of England. King Edward gives money and power to Scottish princes whom would let William down and abandon on him. As a result, William Wallace got arrested. The king made him suffering before the execution was given. William was asked to bang the king for mercy but he called loudly “Freedom” and this was the last word he said. At the end Robert the Bruce continued what William had started and he triumph over the English army.
Further look reveal major strength and weaknesses in the film. One of the weaknesses of the film is how the producer is able to use certain memories and past actions enable the main actor to respond accordingly. As a result, it confirms that it was only after only after the murder of Murron that Wallace was able to follow his calling and fight the English army. Additionally, his goal is well accepted by Robert the Bruce with whom together they are able to win. The film producer have successfully displayed the theme of loyalty which is shown through William and Robert the Bruce relationship. It is clear in the movie that William wants to train Robert the Bruce to take leadership position and though he never lived to see this, at the end he was able to do this. In term of being a hit movie, the producer certainly attained this and it can be demonstrated by the various awards that the film received and the global attention it attracted. Immediately the same year when it was produced, it was selected for that year’s Oscar seasons and later on the Golden award for best director. I, however, believe that though the movie is great, the delay in the movie might have been done beyond my expectation. For instance, William encounter with the Edwards or English army is delayed until the death of Murron, though these could make the movie appear but why such a long wait yet the end was justified. On the other hand, William Wallace due to delay does not want to send the princes to talk and again later in the movie Robert the Bruce also delays in fulfilling’s his commitment to the course perhaps the fear here is losing what they have in case of any failure by Wallace to conquer the English army.
William had succeeded to evoke the Scottish soldiers when some of them felt the fear of facing the well-trained enormous English army in many occasions. For example, when one of the soldiers said to him that he is not here to fight but to run, William said “..tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they’ll never take our freedom”. For what he said they fought and they triumphed. Moreover, he had a unique way in convincing others and delivering his opinions upon all soldiers. For instance, when he was in a conference with the Scottish leaders he convinced Robert the Bruce and took him to his side when he said “You are the rightful leader and there is strength in you I see it. Unite us.”. He complimented him to feed the fire that was in him and make him ready to the war. As a result, Robert the Bruce took over and fought after William’s execution.
Life without freedom is worthless, I believe. Many revolutions had a scarified man like William. William was the spark that led Scotland to the independence. However, those kinds of stories would never be forgotten as long as freedom exists. Despite the few not very pleasing scenes in the movie, the movie had been produced a long time ago, which is one of the most interesting epic movies that everyone must watch.