BRAVEHEART
A film review by Michael Bendner
Copyright 1995 InfoLine Movie Services
Director : Mel Gibson
Screenplay: Randall Wallace
Starring : Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau, Patrick McGoohan &
Catherine McCormack
BRAVEHEART is based on the legendary true story of Sir William Wallace, the 13th Century Scot who started a rebellion to drive the English from his homeland after the Scottish throne was seized by the ruthless King Edward I (Patrick McGoohan).
The plot: William Wallace (Mel Gibson) is a Scottish native whose parents were killed by the English while he was still a child. His rich uncle adopts him and educates him well by taking him on some trips around the world. When William returns to his village as an adult, he falls in love with a woman he knew as a child (Catherine McCormack), and they get married in secret.
When some English soldiers try to rape her, he defends her by beating them into a bloody pulp. The English nobleman who has commandeered that particular village ties her to a post and slashes her neck in public as a means to get to William. When William discovers what has ensued during his absence, he returns with the intent to kill. After a few vicious blows of his sword, the other villagers are inspired and start revolting. Within minutes all the English soldiers are dead.
William is now determined to rid Scotland of its English oppressors. With the help of the leader of the Scottish nobles, Robert the Earl of Bruce, William unites the clans and builds an army. King Edward I, now old and dying, sends English troops into Scotland to fight them. Through William's smart military tactics, his army manages to defeat armies of English soldiers much larger than themselves.
William and his men start taking cities back and dismembering the English. The King sends Princess Isabella (Sophie Marceau), wife of Prince Edward his son, to negotiate with William. The princess, being the victim of a planned marriage knows that her side is the evil one and helps William out as much as she can.
BRAVEHEART was filmed on location in Ireland and Scotland. It is very authentic, thus very bloody. This movie is not for the meek. Intense battle scenes lasting several minutes feature death by hammer, sword through head, arrow through head, sword through stomach, you name it. There are scenes of throats being slashed, dismembered body parts being carried about, and people being hanged. These wonderful things make it all the more historically accurate, I suppose.
The performances of all actors are excellent. Quite a feat considering up to 2000 extras were used at one time for some of the battle scenes. Gibson is very convincing to a point that one gets the impression he really feels he is the character he is portraying. BRAVEHEART is the second film Gibson has both directed and starred in, and if he keeps it up at this level of excellence, we have a lot to look forward to.
The film runs about three hours, which may seem a tad long for some. While the first 45 minutes are vital to setting the scene, I think they could have done it in 20. The last-2 1/4 hours however, more than make up for the first bit with non-stop, intense action and a throroughly involving storyline.
This is definitely the best film I've seen so far this year.
Out of 10...
Acting : 9
Casting: 9
Music : 9
Plot : 9
F/X : 9
Overall: 9.0
Michael Bendner Co-Editor of Now Showing: The Internet Movie Magazine a12323@mindlink.bc.ca
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