Information about Braveheart

Braveheart
Directed by	Mel Gibson
Produced by	Mel Gibson Alan Ladd, Jr. Bruce Davey Stephen McEveety
Written by	Randall Wallace
Narrated by	Angus Macfadyen
Starring	Mel Gibson Sophie Marceau Catherine McCormack Patrick McGoohan Angus Macfadyen Brendan Gleeson
Music by	James Horner
Cinematography	John Toll
Editing by	Steven Rosenblum
Distributed by	- USA and Canada - Paramount Pictures - non-USA - 20th Century Fox
Release date(s)	May 24, 1995
Running time	182 min.
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$53,000,000
Gross revenue	$202,600,000
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

Braveheart (1995) is a historical action-drama movie produced and directed by Mel Gibson, who also starred in the title role. Written for screen and then novelized by Randall Wallace, Gibson portrays a legendary Scot, William Wallace, who gained recognition when he came to the forefront of the First War of Scottish Independence by opposing Edward I of England (played by Patrick McGoohan) and subsequently abetted by Edward's daughter-in-law Princess Isabelle (played by Sophie Marceau) and a claimant to the Scottish throne, Robert the Bruce (played by Angus Macfadyen).

The film won five Academy Awards at the 68th Academy Awards, including the Academy Award for Best Picture and Best Director, and had been nominated for an additional five. Produced by Icon Productions for Paramount Pictures and 20th Century Fox, the film's success may have helped to revive the historical epic genre, with subsequent films such as Gladiator, The Patriot, Alexander, Troy, Kingdom of Heaven and 300.

Plot

In 1280 A.D. Edward I of England, known as "Longshanks," has occupied much of Scotland, and his oppressive rule there leads to the deaths of William Wallace's father and brother. Years later and after Wallace has grown up with his uncle outside of Scotland, the Scots continue to live under the harsh thumb of Longshanks' cruel laws. Wallace returns, intent on living as a farmer and avoiding involvement in the ongoing "Troubles." Wallace rekindles a romance with his childhood friend Murron after showing her the carefully preserved thistle she gave him as a child, and the two marry in secret to avoid the prima nocte decree the King has set forth. After Wallace beats up a group of English soldiers attempting to rape Murron, the village Sheriff publicly cuts her throat before Wallace is able to save her. An enraged Wallace, with the assistance of his fellow townsmen, slaughters the English soldiers at the encampment, killing the sheriff in the same manner that Murron was killed. He then orders the burning of the local English fort, and unintentionally kindles a Scottish rebellion.

News of the rebellion spreads quickly, and hundreds of Scots from the surrounding clans volunteer to join Wallace's militia. Wallace leads his army through a series of successful battles against the English, including the Battle of Stirling and sacking the city of York. However, he is betrayed by the Scottish nobility and defeated at the Battle of Falkirk. He goes into hiding, fighting a guerrilla war against English forces and personally executes two Scottish nobles who betrayed him. Meanwhile, Princess Isabelle, whose husband Prince Edward (Longshanks's effeminate son and heir) ignores her, meets with Wallace as the English King's emissary. She and Wallace share a tryst, during which she conceives Wallace's child. Still believing there is some good in the nobility of his country, Wallace eventually agrees to meet with the Bruce. He is caught in a trap set by the elder Bruce and the other nobles, beaten unconscious, and handed over to the English Crown. Robert the Bruce is enraged by his father's treachery, and disowns him forever.

In London, Wallace is brought before the English magistrates and tried for high treason. He denies the charges, reasoning that he had never accepted Edward as his King. The court responds by sentencing him to be "purified by pain." Later, in a London square, William Wallace is brutally tortured to death, being alternately hanged, racked, castrated ^[1], and finally disemboweled alive. He signals to the magistrate that he wishes to speak. Using the last ounce of strength in his tortured body, he cries out, "FREEDOM!". He turns his head and sees Murron in the crowd smiling at him, and smiles lovingly back at her as he is finally beheaded.

Some time later, Robert the Bruce takes control of the remaining Scottish army and faces a ceremonial line of English troops at the fields of Bannockburn. Cheering Wallace's name, Robert Bruce and the Scots charge the stunned English lines and win their freedom.

Historical inaccuracies

Braveheart has been described as a film which "almost totally sacrifices historical accuracy for epic adventure"^[1]. For example, the movie portrays Wallace's largely Lowland Scots men as wearing kilts, whereas Lowlanders did not wear kilts. Wallace is "seen in popular imagination"^[1] as a commoner, although he was actually the son of a knight. Edward I, portrayed as a cruel king in the film, was vicious in his conquest of Wales and Scotland, but the film goes much further than even Blind Harry's semi-fictional Wallace (a major source^[1]). There is no record of Edward invoking prima nocta during the war (the right of nobles to a peasant's bride's bed on wedding night). Wallace's affair with Isabella is demonstrably false for at least two reasons: Isabella did not bear her first son until seven years after Wallace died, and she did not come to England until three years after his execution. However, the portrayal of Robert the Bruce's wavering in support between Wallace and Edward is fairly accurate, in contradiction to "the legendary image of Bruce"^[1]. Stirling Bridge, which featured centrally in the battle of the same name^[3], is missing from the film portrayal^[4].

Production

While most of the movie was filmed on location in Scotland, most of the major battle scenes were shot in Ireland using members of the Irish Army Reserve as extras. The opposing armies are made up of reservists, up to 1 600 in some scenes, who had been given permission to grow beards and swapped their olive-drab uniforms for medieval garb.^[5]

Cast

• Mel Gibson as William Wallace. After his wife is killed by the English, he starts an uprising demanding justice that leads to a war for independence.
• Patrick McGoohan as King Edward I. Nicknamed "Longshanks", the King of England is determined to ruthlessly put down the Scottish threat and ensure his kingdom's sovereignty.
• Peter Hanly as Edward, Prince of Wales. The effeminate son of King Edward and husband of Princess Isabelle through arranged marriage.
• Ian Bannen as Robert the Bruce, Sr.. Unable to seek the throne personally due to his disfiguring leprosy, he pragmatically schemes to put his son on the throne of Scotland.
• Angus Macfadyen as Robert the Bruce. Son of the elder Bruce and claimant to the throne of Scotland, he is inspired by Wallace's dedication and bravery.
• Sophie Marceau as Princess Isabelle. Unhappily married to the effete Edward, Prince of Wales, she finds herself deeply attracted to Wallace's passion and bravery.
• Brendan Gleeson as Hamish Campbell. Wallace's childhood friend and lieutenant in Wallace's army, he is often short-sighted and thinks with his fists.
• James Cosmo as Campbell the Elder. The father of Hamish Campbell and lieutenant in Wallace's army.
• Catherine McCormack as Murron MacClannough, the executed wife of Wallace. Her name was changed from Marion Braidfute in the script so as to not be confused with the Maid Marian of Robin Hood note.
• David O'Hara as Mad Stephen. An Irish recruit into Wallace's army, he endears himself to Wallace with his humor, which may or may not be insanity. He professes to be the most wanted man on "his" island, and claims to speak to God personally.
• Brian Cox as Uncle Argyle. After the death of Wallace's father and brother, Argyle takes Wallace as a child into his care, promising to teach the boy how to use a sword after he learns to use his head. Cox also had a role in another period Scottish film, Rob Roy, which was released the same year.
• James Robinson II as Young William. The 10-year old actor reportedly spent weeks trying to copy Gibson's mannerisms for the film.

Reception

Box office

Braveheart is the 271st largest grossing film worldwide.

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

On opening weekend, Braveheart grossed:

• US: $9,938,276

The film's depiction of the Battle of Stirling Bridge is often considered one of the greatest in cinema history.^[6][7]

The film generated huge interest in Scotland and in Scottish history, not only around the world, but also in Scotland itself. Fans come from all over the world to see the places in Scotland where William Wallace fought for Scottish freedom, and also to Ireland to see the locations used in the film. At a Braveheart Convention in 1997, held in Stirling the day after the Scottish Devolution vote and attended by 200 delegates from around the world, Braveheart author Randall Wallace, Seoras Wallace of the Wallace Clan, Scottish historian David Ross and Bláithín FitzGerald from Ireland gave lectures on various aspects of the film. Several of the actors also attended including James Robinson (Young William), Andrew Weir (Young Hamish), Julie Austin (the young bride) and Mhairi Calvey (Young Murron).

Awards

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

• Best Picture
• Best Director (Mel Gibson)
• Best Cinematography
• Best Makeup
• Best Sound Editing

Nominated:

• Film Editing
• Costume Design
• Best Original Screenplay
• Sound
• Best Original Dramatic Score

Cultural effects

The film is credited by Lin Anderson, author of Braveheart: From Hollywood To Holyrood as having played a significant role in affecting the Scottish political landscape in the mid to late 1990s.[1]

Despite the film's many historical inaccuracies, its portrayal of the English occupation of Scotland has sometimes been credited with contributed to an upsurge in Scottish nationalist sentiment in the years leading up to the General Election of 1997.

Wallace Monument

In 1997 a statue of Gibson as "William Wallace" was placed outside the Wallace Monument near Stirling, Scotland.^[8] 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".^[9] 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.

Spoofs and cultural references

• In the South Park episode "Starvin' Marvin", both Chef and the leader of the evil turkeys deliver speeches à la Wallace to their people just before leading the charge into battle.
• In a 2007 episode of the US version of The Office, boss Michael Scott uses the term "Primae Noctis" inappropriately during preparations for Phyllis Smith's wedding. Character Jim Halpert states that it is used in the movie Braveheart and that this fact is "confirmed on Wikipedia".
• In the video game Daxter, there is an unlockable Braveheart dream sequence.
• In the 4th season opener of Boy Meets World, after Eric takes the car keys from Cory he responds, "Well you can take my keys, but you can't take my freedom!" in a Scottish accent, obviously imitating the line Mel Gibson speaks as William Wallace in the Braveheart film.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack for Braveheart was composed by composer James Horner, who also composed soundtracks for Titanic, Aliens, and Apollo 13. The music was recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra. The first soundtrack was noticeably successful, and 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.

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 (7:16)

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 (traditional) (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 (traditional) (2:47)
24. Leaving Glenurquhart (traditional) (3:32)
25. Kirkhill (traditional) (4:08)

References

External links

• Braveheart at Rotten Tomatoes
• Braveheart at Yahoo! Movies
• Braveheart at Box Office Mojo
• Braveheart at Metacritic
• Roger Ebert's review of Braveheart
• Gary R. Dobson's review of Braveheart (also lays emphasis on historical accuracy)
• Tracksounds Braveheart Soundtrack Review

Awards
Preceded by ''Forrest Gump	Braveheart 1995		Succeeded by ''The English Patient

•  • [ e] Films directed by Mel Gibson
The Man Without a Face • Braveheart  The Passion of the Christ • Apocalypto

•  • [ e] Academy Award for Best Picture: Winners (1981–2000)

1981: Chariots of Fire 1982: Gandhi 1983: Terms of Endearment 1984: Amadeus 1985: Out of Africa 1986: Platoon 1987: The Last Emperor 1988: Rain Man 1989: Driving Miss Daisy 1990: Dances with Wolves 1991: The Silence of the Lambs 1992: Unforgiven 1993: Schindler's List 1994: Forrest Gump 1995: Braveheart 1996: The English Patient 1997: Titanic 1998: Shakespeare in Love 1999: American Beauty 2000: Gladiator