Review of Braveheart (2 Disc Set)

Introduction

On occasion I love a good epic, I do. The odd viewing of Spartacus, or Ben Hur or How the West Was Won and I`m happy for months. Someone sold me on the idea that Gladiator was one and I of course rented it out. What a let down. Instead of a sweeping saga with convoluted storylines and historical significance, I got a simple story of revenge. Take away the costumes and the sets and you could have had that film in any era. No, the last decent epic movie was Braveheart. It had it all, an indecent running time, great actors, an intricate story, massive battles, betrayal and counter betrayal, and a passionate love story. Now that`s what I call a saga.

Braveheart chronicles the life of Scottish freedom fighter, William Wallace. Based on the historical events of the 13th Century, it starts during the childhood of Wallace, when he witnesses the brutal betrayal of Scottish nobles by King Edward I of England, also known as Longshanks. Swearing revenge, Wallace`s father and elder brother join the fight against the tyrannical English, but are slain, leaving young William in the care of his uncle, who takes it upon himself to educate the young orphan. Time passes and Longshanks` problems with the North do not diminish. His son and heir is married to Isabelle of France, but it promises to be a loveless marriage, with the Prince smitten by another man. Longshanks in an effort to increase revenue from Scotland, imposes English Lords on Scottish lands and reinstates an old law of prima noctis, where the Lord has the right to bed any Scottish woman on her wedding night. It`s to this Scotland that an adult William Wallace returns, and it doesn`t take long before he becomes witness to more English barbarism. However, the older William looks only for a peaceful life as a farmer raising a family, and he is soon courting his childhood sweetheart, Murron. William and Murron marry in secret to avoid the English law and are intent on living the rest of their lives in happiness, when a lecherous English Sergeant assaults Murron. William comes to the rescue, but Murron is arrested by the English and executed as an example to the Scottish citizenry. When Wallace hears of this, he and his compatriots seek revenge and attack the English fort, slaughtering the garrison. Having stepped outside the law, he continues to attack and harass the English much to the consternation of Longshanks and the chagrin of the Scottish nobles who wish to maintain their fiefs granted them in England by Longshanks. Wallace has the support of the common people though, so the nobles, Robert the Bruce among them, must give the appearance of support, whilst appeasing the English. Wallace must wage a war of independence against the double-dealing English whilst facing betrayal from his own nobility.

Video

The film is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. The original source material has been transferred impeccably to the DVD format. I couldn`t spot a hint of grain anywhere. The colours are lush and the image always sharply defined. It`s such a shame then that the original source material was in such a state. Don`t get me wrong; I`m not saying the film is unwatchable. It`s just that for such a recent film, there is a remarkable degree of dirt on the film. This isn`t the case of an old film, which would be scratches and blippy, just tiny flecks of dust are evident throughout, worse in some scenes than in others and especially against a bright background. It isn`t heavy or distracting, but you`ll see it if you look for it. They should really have taken the opportunity and cleaned the film for this release. The cinematography is simply gorgeous. Filmed in Ireland and the Highlands of Scotland, it`s gorgeous scenery wherever you look. Mel Gibson`s direction is right on the money. He has a talent for getting to the meat of the story and his tight direction and editing keep the pace up and the audience attention unwavering.

Audio

The sound is just brilliant. A DD 5.1 track simply resonates throughout this movie. This is how battles should be fought. You hear every crunch, hack and slash and it certainly is visceral. The music as composed by James Horner, the master of the `big` movie is majestic and encompassing. It draws you in and makes you a part of this film. You live every triumph, loss, betrayal and hope with Wallace.

Features

For a two-disc set, the extras are somewhat lacking. On disc 2 you get a making of documentary that lasts half an hour. That must be the least material ever put on one disc, but it is interesting and informative. It was made in 1995, close to the release of the film so there is a fair degree of advertisement to it, but it does educate about the story. The documentary is presented in 4:3 aspect ratio and in stereo. On disc 1, you get the trailer and the director`s commentary. The commentary is good and again, informative. Mel Gibson`s comments are sparse compared to some other commentaries, but this is good as you get to see more of the film that he`s talking about. His comments are always relevant and occasionally funny. Mel keeps you hooked to the commentary and even acknowledges a few historical inaccuracies in the film.

Conclusion

The cast is absolutely top-notch, Mel Gibson directs and stars as Wallace and excels as the charismatic leader. His character is gentile and refined when requires, but also shows animal savagery when provoked. His speech rallying the troops is inspired as well as inspiring and he gives the larger than life performance that any heroic epic requires. Sophie Marceau is the Princess Isabelle, and is regal and beautiful. Most films of this type have women in secondary roles, but her performance is integral to the film. Patrick McGoohan is excellent as the ruthless King Edward, he just smoulders malice as the vicious king. Catherine McCormack is Wallace`s wife, Murron and has chemistry with Gibson, her role is as an inspiration and motivation to Wallace, so her character isn`t really expanded, but that is as the story dictates. Angus McFayden does well as Robert the Bruce, though I had a harder time believing his accent than Mel`s. I also had a problem with the way his character was written but more of that later. Ian Bannen starred as the Bruce`s leprous father and again excels in the role. He shows coldness and a political savvy that was chilling as the domineering father. The roles of Hamish and Stephen are almost comic relief in this film, which is necessary considering the weight of the material. Brendan Gleeson and David O`Hara are brilliant as Wallace`s lieutenants.

So why doesn`t this epic film get an epic mark? There are a couple of problems that I had with the film. Many people mention that it is historically inaccurate. Well of course it is, it`s a movie. Watching this movie actually inspired me to read up on the subject and find out for myself, and any movie that can inspire to metaphorically go back to school can`t be that bad. There are inaccuracies in the film and they are whopping big ones, but that will in no way lessen your enjoyment. My problems lie first with the character of Robert the Bruce. For the sake of dramatic licence, his character is a wavering insipid man, dominated by his father and his allegiance changes more often than the wind itself. He is shown as weak willed and generally ignored by the nobles. You`re telling me that this man then becomes King of Scotland? Yeah right! Pull the other one, it`s got bells on. My second and much larger problem is with the English. The English in this film are of two types. The aristocratic, power mad villain or the lower class (with a cockernee accent) muddy lecherous rapist. And that`s it. This is surely the worst case of racial stereotyping since the gallant British Army mowed down waves of Zulus in the film of the same name. That had the excuse of the age in which it was filmed, but this was made in the more enlightened nineties. I better state that I`m no apologist for the actions committed in the name of crown and country. I`ve been brought up on tales of the British Raj and I can tell you some stories that would turn your stomach. I am fully aware of the crimes committed and lives lost in the name of British Empire. I know that the film required a suitably vicious enemy, but this went too far into the realms of ridiculousness and the enemy became almost a parody. That ranted, this remains a very good and enjoyable film. It`s an epic and bold tale of dare I say it, freedom. The story of the Scottish battle for independence has rarely been told on screen, and here it is told very well indeed. You`ll be hooked from beginning to end, and if you come out of it with the slightest of sour tastes in your mouth as I did, then you`re probably in a minority. Braveheart is an epic for the nineties.