Hello, all. Here’s hoping that you are enjoying this little “series” thus far. For those of you that read yesterday’s suggestion [SPARTACUS] and are pretty solid in the reading of tea leaves department, today’s pick will probably not be much of a surprise. The “guy leading freedom-oriented rebellion against seemingly invincible army” formula is back again in BRAVEHEART, the trailer for which is below:
Man, Mel Gibson sure had a weird stretch there for a while, but there’s no mistaking his talent both in front of and behind the camera. Sure, the film’s script [written by Randall Wallace (a Tennessean, just fyi), who teamed up with Mel again for WE WERE SOLDIERS] takes a few liberties with historical fact here and there, but it’s such a well-told story that it’s easy to overlook the occasional historical goof, no matter how grande it might be.
If you don’t like the English, then this is the movie for you. Right out of the gate, you have Edward I, a.k.a. Edward Longshanks, being set up as a formidable villain… honestly, he’s almost caricatured into James Bond villain status, only without a white cat to pet menacingly. Naturally, the real Edward Longshanks is a slightly more nuanced character than he’s depicted on-screen – if he has any fans here, I’m sure they’re peeved that his role in the Crusades is conveniently omitted – but he was certainly inclined to be brutal in his suppression of any revolts. This film isn’t sparing with the violence, either – heads are smashed, limbs are shorn, a portion of the process of being drawn and quartered is shown. It certainly never becomes gratuitous, a la “torture porn” flicks like SALO or A SERBIAN FILM, but you would definitely want to check it out before deciding to share it with any kiddos you might have.
Much like SPARTACUS rose up to defy the might of Rome, so, too, does William Wallace [played by Mel Gibson] rise up to defy the might of the English, and protect a Scottish lass or two from one English lord or another from exercising his “prima nocte” rights. Gibson, who also directed, does a very good job with the action/battle scenes. Barring the occasional wristwatch being worn by an extra [hey, at least it wasn’t a Starbucks cup], he manages to film a kinetic action scene without the viewer getting lost or confused [I’m looking at you, Ridley Scott… ahem]. Anyone who has seen HACKSAW RIDGE knows this, too, because he did a similarly good job of conveying mayhem without being chaotic about it.
Just in case you’re unfamiliar with the plot, it’s fairly basic: a good man [Wallace] who wants to avoid a fight eventually is compelled to do just that. It’s like THE QUIET MAN, only in Scotland rather than Ireland… and a lot more death. Okay, so it’s not too much like the John Wayne flick; but, if I have the chance to recommend a good movie along the way, I’m taking it. Anyway, if you’re at all familiar with history, you know how these sorts of “rebel leading a band against an empire” plots tend to play out, and this one follows suit. Still, it does so with a good supporting cast, Brendan Gleeson [portraying Wallace’s lifelong friend, Hamish] being the most notable of the bunch. There are a host of “hey, wasn’t he the guy in…” character actors in this one, tho’, from the guy playing Robert the Bruce also appearing in flicks like PATRIOT GAMES to the guy playing Morney being in flicks like PROOF OF LIFE to the guy that plays Hamish’s father being in TROY… and so on…
Much like the similarly themed SPARTACUS, tho’, the emotional core of the film is a solid love story. Yes, there’s plenty of political intrigue, and no shortage of blood and guts, but the heart of the film is the love story between Wallace and Murran [played by Catherine McCormack, who almost disappeared from film after this one], which really does carry the film. You’ll come for the action, perhaps, but you’ll stay for the story. It’s a good one. Enjoy!
[And remember these words (hey, if the film can take liberties with history...)]
Other films recommended:
[Day 1 - KINGDOM OF HEAVEN (Director's Cut); Day 2 - GLADIATOR; Day 3 - TROY; Day 4 - SPARTACUS]
Man, Mel Gibson sure had a weird stretch there for a while, but there’s no mistaking his talent both in front of and behind the camera. Sure, the film’s script [written by Randall Wallace (a Tennessean, just fyi), who teamed up with Mel again for WE WERE SOLDIERS] takes a few liberties with historical fact here and there, but it’s such a well-told story that it’s easy to overlook the occasional historical goof, no matter how grande it might be.
If you don’t like the English, then this is the movie for you. Right out of the gate, you have Edward I, a.k.a. Edward Longshanks, being set up as a formidable villain… honestly, he’s almost caricatured into James Bond villain status, only without a white cat to pet menacingly. Naturally, the real Edward Longshanks is a slightly more nuanced character than he’s depicted on-screen – if he has any fans here, I’m sure they’re peeved that his role in the Crusades is conveniently omitted – but he was certainly inclined to be brutal in his suppression of any revolts. This film isn’t sparing with the violence, either – heads are smashed, limbs are shorn, a portion of the process of being drawn and quartered is shown. It certainly never becomes gratuitous, a la “torture porn” flicks like SALO or A SERBIAN FILM, but you would definitely want to check it out before deciding to share it with any kiddos you might have.
Much like SPARTACUS rose up to defy the might of Rome, so, too, does William Wallace [played by Mel Gibson] rise up to defy the might of the English, and protect a Scottish lass or two from one English lord or another from exercising his “prima nocte” rights. Gibson, who also directed, does a very good job with the action/battle scenes. Barring the occasional wristwatch being worn by an extra [hey, at least it wasn’t a Starbucks cup], he manages to film a kinetic action scene without the viewer getting lost or confused [I’m looking at you, Ridley Scott… ahem]. Anyone who has seen HACKSAW RIDGE knows this, too, because he did a similarly good job of conveying mayhem without being chaotic about it.
Just in case you’re unfamiliar with the plot, it’s fairly basic: a good man [Wallace] who wants to avoid a fight eventually is compelled to do just that. It’s like THE QUIET MAN, only in Scotland rather than Ireland… and a lot more death. Okay, so it’s not too much like the John Wayne flick; but, if I have the chance to recommend a good movie along the way, I’m taking it. Anyway, if you’re at all familiar with history, you know how these sorts of “rebel leading a band against an empire” plots tend to play out, and this one follows suit. Still, it does so with a good supporting cast, Brendan Gleeson [portraying Wallace’s lifelong friend, Hamish] being the most notable of the bunch. There are a host of “hey, wasn’t he the guy in…” character actors in this one, tho’, from the guy playing Robert the Bruce also appearing in flicks like PATRIOT GAMES to the guy playing Morney being in flicks like PROOF OF LIFE to the guy that plays Hamish’s father being in TROY… and so on…
Much like the similarly themed SPARTACUS, tho’, the emotional core of the film is a solid love story. Yes, there’s plenty of political intrigue, and no shortage of blood and guts, but the heart of the film is the love story between Wallace and Murran [played by Catherine McCormack, who almost disappeared from film after this one], which really does carry the film. You’ll come for the action, perhaps, but you’ll stay for the story. It’s a good one. Enjoy!
[And remember these words (hey, if the film can take liberties with history...)]
Other films recommended:
[Day 1 - KINGDOM OF HEAVEN (Director's Cut); Day 2 - GLADIATOR; Day 3 - TROY; Day 4 - SPARTACUS]
