"Braveheart" is a very good film despite serious flaws. The cinematography, costumes, and direction is excellent and generally overcomes problems with plot and character development.
"Braveheart" takes place in Scotland, during the Dark Ages. Scotland is repressed by England, led by brutal King Longshanks. William Wallace (Mel Gibson), a Scot commoner, avenges the death of his father, grandfather, wife, etc. the hands of the English by leading the Scots in a war for freedom. There may be some spoilers in the following paragraphs.
Historical accuracy in epics is not always
important to a film's quality. Any film that is
not a documentary should be considered fiction,
anyway. However, if history is to be rewritten
for the sake of simplification (Scots are just
and good, the English are cynical and bad) or drama
(Longshanks' son is gay, and Wallace beds the
Princess of Wales) it should at least be credible.
I thought that there was excessive violence in
the film. There are endless spearings, stabbings,
beatings, etc. "Braveheart" appears to be both
pro-violence and pro-war. Wallace is invincible
in hand-to-hand conflict, killing at least a
dozen men, including several after an arrow has
punctured his chest.
To justify the carnage, the English king is
depicted as evil incarnate, needing only to shoot
lightning out of his fingers to match the
wickedness of the emperor in the Star Wars films.
I didn't like the character of Longshanks son. He
is so homosexual that he can't kiss his gorgeous
bride at his wedding. His hair and clothes are
sissy. He has a lover who is pushed off a tower
by Longshanks, and no doubt the audience is
expected to applaud this gesture. Surely
Hollywood should be beyond such depiction by now.
In a three hour film, I counted four women who
have lines. Two of the characters are very minor.
The other two are very beautiful women, one of
whom is Wallace's wife, while the other bears his
child. In the world of "Braveheart", women only
serve to supplement Wallace's manhood.
Despite these annoying flaws, I still believe
that "Braveheart" is a very good film. The major
redemption comes from the cinematography. The
forests, valleys are villages of Scotland are
filmed in panning shots to full advantage. The
costumes are great, and Gibson's direction (the
aforementioned problems can be blamed on the
story) is also excellent. The length of the film
and its slow pace also help, since it broadens
the characters and builds the dramatic tension.
(76/100)
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