Braveheart

Today, we’re looking at a movie that takes us 700 years into the past…well, given the historical inaccuracies, we’re not really sure when we’re going back to. The book/movie/play/whatever of the week is Braveheart, directed by and starring the one and only Mel Gibson and a recipient of five Academy Awards. So strap on your kilt and raise your claymore as we charge into this review!

Captivity: As always (and by always, I mean by the precedent of last week), let’s begin with the film’s commercial strength–what I like to call the frosting of the cupcake. I’ll start by commenting on the soundtrack of this film, as it is excellent! The music stirs the soul of the listener, drawing them into the passion of this world and compelling them to sympathize for the Scottish cause (yes, some instruments were not period accurate or even from Scotland, but we’ll get to this later). Special effects were minimal, as this was not a film focused on creating massive fireballs or other effects through CGI. The special effects were very basic, but not oversimplified or overcomplex. Costume I must comment on. It doesn’t look cheap; in fact, it looks very naturally worn to the lifestyle of the Scots (those who know their history are going to begin criticizing me for not saying anything about the inaccuracies of this as well, but I promise I will get to this). Choreography was excellent as well, portraying several intense battle scenes filled with gripping combat. I must warn, though, that this film has a lot of blood, though it is not overdramatized like in 300.

Plot: Braveheart‘s gripping plot is not your typical modern war movie, where people find themselves swept up in epic combat and fight merely by the virtue that they are in a war. Mel Gibson ensured that the motivation behind joining the war is blatant, showing the personal motivation devoted to patriotism. One point I particularly enjoy about Braveheart is that the ending isn’t strictly happy–*spoilers*, but William Wallace dies, willingly walking into a trap created by fellow Scots. Why do I enjoy this? Not because Wallace dies, but because we so often forget in film how powerful it can be to kill off the main character instead of letting him live for many happy days. But history has a way of showing that main characters die before the story finishes, and Braveheart did what was necessary to reveal the main theme of the movie.

Yet some of you may still dislike the movie for its plot and grumble at me for citing history, but let me tell you my persuasion concerning this (I may not convince you, but I want you to at least understand my approach): The screenplay for Braveheart was based off of an epic written 100 years after Wallace’s time. This epic was full of its inaccuracies, purposefully including them to inflate the character of Wallace. We know little of the actual history of Wallace’s life, and I am not here to judge history–I’m here to judge literary quality. Hence, I would prefer that a movie stay closer to its source material rather than the actual history, if said changes emphasize the theme of the work. But I cannot compare Braveheart to the epic, for I have not read the epic, though I am sure it is more connected to the epic than some films drawn from books (I’m talking to you, The Hobbit trilogy).

Oh, you still don’t like me? I’m open to suggestions, if you have another historical film for me to cover.

Actors and Characters: There are not many major actors in this film, aside from Mel Gibson (at least, none I am aware of–I learned that there is a man named Angus Macfayden who looks like a regular-size Peter Dinklage). However, I thought that all the actors portrayed their characters convincingly, exhibiting major craft in their work as actors. I must admit that performances were dramatic at times, but what else can be expected of a film based on an epic? Overall, the acting was believable and very well done.

The characters as well were constructed with a clear motivation, human reactions, and great dimension (most of the focus of this latter point, I believe, falls on William Wallace, as this film is about him). It is readily apparent why the people, both good and bad, behave the way they do, and they respond to their circumstances in very human ways–this often means taking bad courses of actions, such as making rash decisions or embarking on murderous rampages or sleeping with someone out of wedlock.

Screenplay: I would like to challenge you to find somebody who has seen Braveheart yet doesn’t know a line from this movie. This should be how screenplay works. Its dialogue should stick in the mind and stay rooted through well-constructed language and ideas. Braveheart in particular is chock full of inspirational quotes revolving around the main theme. What is this main theme? And how powerful is this screenplay? Read on; the answer is near.

Themes and Symbols: I believe the movie sufficiently explains its own theme. Therefore, I have included two clips from the movie to not only demonstrate the excellent screenplay, but also to show you how Braveheart makes clear its own message (this saves you from hearing my long rambles). The first clip is Wallace’s speech to his troops before the legendary Battle of Stirling, and the second is Robert the Bruce resenting his betrayal of Wallace:

I found only one possible symbol in Braveheart, that being the thistle, the national flower of Scotland.

Cupcake Grade: This movie is truly a piece of art. Though it is not without objectionable elements or shortcomings, Braveheart stays true to the theme of freedom throughout the whole movie. The power of this movie restored interest in Scotland worldwide, and possibly had a hand in restoring the Stone of Scone to Scotland after the English had held onto it for 700 years. Any who see this movie cannot soon forget what they beheld. Also, the five Academy Awards and ten nominations say a lot about the quality of this movie. While the frosting of this cupcake is enjoyable, the cake is even more powerful in its flavor.

This Movie as a Cupcake: 

Do you have a movie, book, or play you’d like me to review? Give a hoot in the comments or Tweet me @JamesZemke and let me know!