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| Braveheart | 
 enlarge | Category: Movie
Buy New: $8.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  842 reviews
Sales Rank: 2914
Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: Video On Demand
Running Time: 178
ASIN: B000HX4ZF6
Theatrical Release Date: May 23, 1995
Release Date: October 6, 2008 (New: This Week)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews: Read 837 more reviews...
 Blood, bravery & idealism in an epic fist punch to your gut. January 25, 2003
155 out of 176 found this review helpful
On a whole number of levels, this movie shouldn't have worked for me. It takes considerable license with historical facts, not only in order to supplement details that are not part of William Wallace's legend but actually, wherever convenient. ("We stuck to history where we could but hyped it up where the legend let us," actor-director Mel Gibson admits on the DVD's commentary track.) It is graphically and unabashedly violent: from throat cuttings to battle scenes that have film blood literally splashing onto the camera, beheadings, a traitor's head smashed with a
wrecking ball, and fully 15 minutes of Wallace's "purification by pain," it shows some of the most brutal behavior conceivable. It also engages in some of the most blatant gay profiling in recent film history - not just in the drastic end administered on the lover of King Edward I. "Longshanks"'s son, but equally in the portrayal of both characters and their relationship as such. Last but not least, Mel Gibson plays a man at least 10 years younger than himself, a choice often enough bordering on the ridiculous. (Gibson insists it was the studio's wish that he not only produce and direct but also star in the title role.)
And yet ...
From the first notes of James Horner's hauntingly beautiful soundtrack and the first sweeping camera shots over the Scottish highlands, blending seamlessly into the pictures of the Scottish riders on their way to the alleged truce talks initiated by Longshanks, and the narrator's, Robert the Bruce's (Angus MacFadyen's) introduction - "I shall tell you about William Wallace: Historians from England will call me a liar, but history is written by those who have hanged heroes" - there is no mistaking that this is an epic story, taking up the tradition of the likes of "Spartacus" and "Ben Hur." Like those movies, "Braveheart" is a story of heroism and of having the courage of one's convictions; chronicling the life of its hero from first love to loss, betrayal, battles and final confrontation with his arch-enemy's powers. Like both of them, "Braveheart" won multiple Academy Awards, not least for John Toll's outstanding cinematography. Like "Ben Hur," it also won the coveted awards for "Best Picture" and for "Best Director." And maybe I'm just a sucker for that kind of epos ...
To my surprise, I found Mel Gibson to come across very believable as William Wallace; age difference, Scottish brogue and all. Both his acting and his direction are informed by a clear sense of vision for the movie and its title character. Moreover, although full writing credits went to would-be (?) Wallace descendant Randall W., many little details undeniably show Gibson's hand and mannerisms: to name just a few of the more obvious examples, Wallace's marriage proposal to Murron, his grinning greeting of a group of English soldiers trapped below a cliff, and his response to a doubting Scottish soldier's comment at Sterling that he can't really be Wallace because he's not tall enough.
In addition to John Toll's award winning cinematography, the movie benefits from first-rate production design (Tom Sanders), a score which perfectly captures the mood of every single scene, and a cast of outstanding actors; first and foremost Patrick McGoohan as Longshanks, who portrays the king's utter ruthlessness so convincingly that you completely forget his earlier incarnation as the 1960s' "Danger Man," and who delivers monologues and soliloquies worthy of a Shakespearean king. His musing "but whom shall I send" when plotting to send a messenger to Wallace with another insincere offer of truce, and his chilling announcement of the reinstitution the ius primae noctae because "the trouble with Scotland is that it is full of Scots ... If we can't get them out, we'll breed them out" could have been uttered verbatim by anyone of the Bard's most sinister kings. (Screenwriter Randall Wallace does indeed admit to Shakespeare's direct influence on the script, particularly on Wallace's "Sons of Scotland" speech before the battle of Sterling, which is strongly based on the monologues of King Henry V. at Agincourt).
Equally impressive is Ian Bannen in one of his last roles, starring as Robert the Bruce's leprosy-ridden father and evil spirit, whose first reaction to the tales about Wallace is to deride him ("He has courage; so does a dog"), and who expertly plays on his son's ambivalent feelings, until he finally drives Robert into hating his father for having coaxed him into his own game of scheming and betrayal - whereupon the elder Bruce drily comments: "At last you have learned what it means to hate. Now you are ready to be a king."
Then-newcomer Catherine McCormack stars as Wallace's childhood love Murron, whose scenes with Wallace provide for much-needed tenderness in the first hour of the movie - particularly touching is four year old Murron's gift of a thistle (Scotland's national flower) to orphaned William - and contrast sharply with the bloodshed that follows virtually incessantly from her death onwards. Sophie Marceau matures from teenage party queen ("La Boum") to French Princess Isabelle; Brendan Gleeson stars as Wallace's boyhood friend Hamish, David O'Hara as his heaven-conversing, self-appointed Irish guardian Stephen - one of the movie's most colorful characters - and Brian Cox brings all his extraordinary screen presence to his brief appearance as Wallace's uncle Argyle.
When I left the theater after having witnessed this movie's almost three hours of blood, gore and intense emotions for the first time, I felt as if somebody had given me a fist punch into my stomach. I was so struck that I was almost unable to speak, and dragged my moviegoing companion into the next bar, to revive my spirits with a glass of whiskey. (Scotch, of course). Having seen the film countless times since then, I no longer need that whiskey to overcome its drastic impact - but I still get gooseflesh during many of its key scenes and can't watch it without feeling emotionally drained at the end.
Also recommended:
William Wallace
Braveheart
Rob Roy
Spartacus - Criterion Collection
Ben-Hur (Four-Disc Collector's Edition)
Why people don't like this movie March 20, 2000
94 out of 125 found this review helpful
First off - this movie is superb. Absolutely phenomenal. I watched it again last night when I only had an hour to spare and ended up watching the whole thing. It's like a well written book that you can't put down until you get to the end. Now - on to the title of this review: Nearly every review which gives this movie less than five stars mentions historical inaccuracies as the reason for the lower score. Now, I'm not an expert on William Wallace or anyone else who was living in Scotland in the 13th century, but I do know that I wasn't watching this on the history channel. I was on a movie channel - it's a movie! Braveheart doesn't claim to be (and shouldn't be) a historically accurate representation of the life and times of William Wallace. It's a passionate love story about a pacifist who becomes a warrior because he can no longer accept the tyranny of the Britains. (And for you British folk who are tweaked by this - get over it. It's just a movie and "strange women, lying in ponds, distributing swords, is no basis for a system of government" anyway). Bottom line: This is a really really really good movie and you should buy it instead of renting it because it'll save you money in the long run - but wait for the DVD because VHS will wear out too fast.
Help The Cause January 19, 2000
49 out of 52 found this review helpful
Braveheart is simply an amazing film, with one big BUT, Why isn't it available on DVD! There is a solutions however.If you search for "Braveheart" for DVD on this site, you are greeted by a message which allows you to be informed when the DVD is available. It also states that the studio will be informed that a customer is waiting for this release. So if lots of us DVD fans start giving our Email addresses to Amazon for this movie, then the Studio might get the hint!
Braveheart - Mel Gibson's crowning achievement! January 18, 2004
44 out of 50 found this review helpful
"Braveheart" is quite simply, one of the best and most successful movies ever created and a huge part of that success comes from the efforts extended by Mel Gibson, as he wore three different hats for this masterpiece, those being producer, director and star. The one oddity about this movie for me was that I pretty much wore out my VHS copy of it and had, a couple years ago, purchased the DVD but only just recently took the opportunity to watch it again and no matter how many times you watch this movie, it is still a stunning, compelling and extraordinarily intriguing film that draws you in to the life of William Wallace despite already knowing how it's going to end.The one thing that drives this movie is the spirit that Mel Gibson puts into his character of William Wallace and it is of no surprise that "Braveheart" won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture of 1995 and Best Director for Mel Gibson. The only true surprise was that he wasn't among the top five nominated for or won the Best Actor award. High praise also goes to the long list of supporting actors and actresses that starred in this superb film! Most notable was the performance by Sophie Marceau, one of the most beautiful women on the planet. Patrick McGoohan was absolutely incredible in the role of the villain Longshanks, King Edward I, delivering a memorable performance. One of the most notable performances in this film, among the many, was the work done by James Horner who was responsible for the score. As is normally the case when his name appears in the credits, everything about the score, from the first reel to the last, is incredibly well blended into the movie and serves extremely well in enhancing the experience of the movie. The Premise: As the old saying goes, is it Hollywood or History? The truth is, of course it's a bit of history, put together Hollywood style to make one of the best films ever presented to an audience. The truth behind it is that we'll never know as recorded history from this era is circumspect as best. Where a huge portion of the credit for this film lays is in the hands of Randall Wallace, a descendant of William Wallace's. As this historic film opens, we see a young William Wallace in Scotland as he's learning the harsh lessons of life in his era. After his family is killed in battle he's fortunate enough to have his Uncle Argyle (played brilliantly by Brian Cox) take him under his wing! Several years later he returns home to find that his countrymen are still suffering under the yoke of English oppression but he didn't come home for that, he came home for Murron MacClannough (Catherine McCormack), seeking her hand in marriage. Unfortunate events unfold from there and William loses the love of his life and goes on a rampage not only to avenge his love but to free his country... What follows from there is not only one of the best films of the nineties but one of the best films of all times. I highly recommend "Braveheart" to any and all who are interested in seeing what true movie making is about! {ssintrepid} Special Features: -2 Theatrical Trailers
-Commentary by Director Mel Gibson
-A Filmmaker's Passion: The Making of Braveheart
Best performance of Gibson's career! June 13, 2000
36 out of 44 found this review helpful
I'm not a "Lethal Weapon" fan and I normally don't coo and carry on about Mel Gibson, but his performance in this film blew me away.When Gibson got the Oscar for best director and the movie got the Oscar for best picture, I was thinking, "what?" I hadn't seen the film yet and I thought it was just some grandiose tale w/ Gibson showing off his long hair and rippling muscles or something. It just looked stupid to me and I wasn't interested in seeing the film from the trailers. After everyone made such a big deal over the film, I figured I'd rent it and see what the commotion was about. It is a beautiful film and I wish I had seen it on the big screen. Gibson's performance is stellar. You easily get emotionally involved with the characters in this film, which really helps you to forget that this is indeed a movie you're watching and not an experience you're having. The film is based on William Wallace, one of Scottland's greatest heros. While Wallace was a real character, I've heard commentary that this film deviates from history on almost every account of this man. Wallace was almost all but forgotten until this movie came out, however, and even historians were applauding the film for bringing more interest in William Wallace. The battle scenes are exciting and the emotional struggles in the film ranging from first love to seeing friends and love ones being executed runs high through out. Even the ending, while tragic, is poignant and beautiful... the Oscars won for this film were honorably earned.
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