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Braveheart is a 1995 American epic historical drama film directed and produced by Mel Gibson, who portrays Scottish warrior William Wallace in the First War of Scottish Independence against King Edward I of England. The film also stars Sophie Marceau, Patrick McGoohan, Catherine McCormack and Angus Macfadyen. The story is inspired by Blind Harry's 15th century epic poem The Actes and Deidis of the Illustre and Vallyeant Campioun Schir William Wallace and was adapted for the screen by Randall Wallace.

Braveheart
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e1/Braveheart_film_poster.png/220px-Braveheart_film_poster.png

Theatrical release poster

Directed by Mel Gibson
Written by Randall Wallace
Produced by
Starring
  • Mel Gibson
  • Sophie Marceau
  • Patrick McGoohan
  • Catherine McCormack
Cinematography John Toll
Edited by Steven Rosenblum
Music by James Horner
Production

companies

  • Icon Productions
  • The Ladd Company
Distributed by
Release dates
  • May 18, 1995 (Seattle)
  • May 24, 1995 (United States)
Running time 178 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $53–72 million
Box office $209 million

Development on the film initially started at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) when producer Alan Ladd Jr. picked up the project from Wallace, but when MGM was going through new management, Ladd left the studio and took the project with him. Despite initially declining, Gibson eventually decided to direct the film, and to star as Wallace. Braveheart was filmed in Scotland and Ireland from June to October 1994. The film, which was produced by Gibson's Icon Productions and The Ladd Company, was distributed by Paramount Pictures in North America and by 20th Century Fox internationally.

Released on May 24, 1995, Braveheart received generally positive reviews, with praise for its action scenes and score, and was a critical and commercial success, though it was criticized for its historical inaccuracies. The film also garnered numerous awards. A legacy sequel, Robert the Bruce, was released in 2019.

Plot[]

In 1280, Edward I of England, known as "Longshanks", conquers Scotland following the death of the Scots' king, who left no heir. Young William Wallace witnesses the aftermath of Longshanks' execution of several Scottish nobles, then loses his father and brother when they resist the English. He leaves home to be raised by his uncle, Argyle.

Years later, Longshanks grants his noblemen land and privileges in Scotland, including jus primae noctis, while his son marries French princess Isabelle. Meanwhile, a grown Wallace returns home and secretly marries his childhood friend Murron MacClannough. Soon after, Wallace rescues Murron from a soldier, but Murron is subsequently captured and executed. In retribution, Wallace and the locals overthrow the garrison, beginning a rebellion that soon spreads. Longshanks orders his son to stop Wallace while he campaigns in France. Wallace defeats an army sent by the prince at Stirling, then invades England by sacking York. He also meets Robert the Bruce, a contender for the Scottish crown.

After returning to England, Longshanks sends Isabelle to negotiate with Wallace as a distraction from the movement of Longshanks' forces. Meeting Wallace, Isabelle becomes enamored with him and warns him of Longshanks' plans. Wallace faces Longshanks at Falkirk. During the battle, nobles Mornay and Lochlan withdraw, having been bribed by Longshanks, resulting in Wallace's army being overwhelmed. Wallace also discovers Robert the Bruce had joined Longshanks. After helping Wallace escape, Robert vows to not be on the wrong side again. Wallace kills Mornay and Lochlan for their betrayal and foils an assassination plot with Isabelle's help. Wallace and Isabelle spend the following night together, while Longshanks' health declines. At a meeting in Edinburgh, Wallace is captured. Realizing his father's responsibility, Robert disowns him. In England, Wallace is condemned to execution. After a final meeting with Wallace, Isabelle tells Longshanks, who can no longer speak, that his bloodline will end upon his death as she is pregnant with Wallace's child and will ensure that Longshanks' son spends as short a time as possible as monarch. At his execution, Wallace refuses to submit, even while being disemboweled. The magistrate encourages Wallace to seek mercy and be granted a quick death. Wallace instead shouts, "Freedom!", while Longshanks dies. Before being beheaded, Wallace sees a vision of Murron in the crowd.

In 1314, Robert, now Scotland's king, faces the English at Bannockburn, and implores his men to fight with him as they did with Wallace. After Wallace's sword is thrown to land point-down in the ground, Robert leads the Scots to a final victory.

Cast[]

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  • Mel Gibson as William Wallace, a Scottish warrior who launched a rebellion against the English forces
  • Sophie Marceau as Princess Isabelle, crowned princess of France and wife to Prince Edward
  • Patrick McGoohan as King Longshanks – King Edward I, aging and ruthless King of England
  • Catherine McCormack as Murron MacClannough, Wallace's childhood friend who he married in secret
  • Angus McFadyen as Robert the Bruce, a Scottish Nobleman who is the contender for the Scottish Crown
  • Brendan Gleeson as Hamish, Wallace's childhood friend
  • David O'Hara as Stephen, an Irish highlander who joins the rebellion
  • Ian Bannen as The Leper, Robert the Bruce's aging father
  • James Cosmo as Campbell, Hamish's father and a veteran warrior
  • Brian Cox as Argyle Wallace, Wallace's uncle
  • Peter Hanly as Prince Edward, Longshanks only son who is shown to be a weakling
  • Alun Armstrong as Mornay, a Scottish noble and cavalry commander
  • John Murtagh as Lochlan, a Scottish noble and cavalry commander
  • Seán McGinley as Father MacClannough, Murron's father and the village enbalmer who joined Wallace's Rebellion
  • Gerda Stevenson as Mother MacClannough, Murron's mother
  • Stephen Billington as Phillip, Prince Edward's adviser
  • John Kavanaugh as Craig, Robert the Bruce's adviser
  • Tommy Flanagan as Morrison, A Scotsman who joined Wallace's Rebellion after his wife was subject to Jus Primae Noctis
  • Rupert Vansittart as Lord Bottoms, a nobleman and overseer of Wallace's home village
  • Tam White as McGregor, a clan leader who rallied his clan to join Wallace's Rebellion
  • Michael Byrne as Smythe, a sadistic English officer stationed in Wallace's home village
  • Martin Murphy as Lord Talmadge, the English Commanding officer during the battle of Stirling Bridge
  • Gerard McSorley as Cheltham, Talmadges Second-in-Command
  • Richard Leaf as Governor of York
  • Bernard Horsfall as Balliol, a Scottish noble vying for the Scottish Crown
  • Jimmy Chisholm as Faudron, an English assassin who infiltrated Wallace's camp
  • Jeanne Marine as Nicolette, Isabella's handmaiden
  • Sean Lawlor as Malcolm Wallace, Williams father who was killed by the English when he was a child
  • Sandy Nelson as John Wallace, Williams older brother who was killed by the English when he was a child

Production[]

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Development[]

edit Producer Alan Ladd Jr. initially had the project at MGM-Pathé Communications when he picked up the script from Randall Wallace. When Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) was going through new management in 1993, Ladd left the studio and took some of its top properties, including Braveheart. Mel Gibson came across the script and even though he liked it, he initially passed on it. However, the thought of it kept coming back to him, and he ultimately decided to take on the project. Terry Gilliam was offered to direct the film, but he declined. Gibson was initially interested in directing only and considered Brad Pitt in the role of Sir William Wallace, but later reluctantly agreed to play Wallace as well. He also considered Jason Patric for the role. Sean Connery was approached to play King Edward, but he declined due to other commitments. Gibson said that Connery's pronunciation of "Goulash" helped him for the Scottish accent for the film.

Gibson and his production company, Icon Productions, had difficulty raising enough money for the film. Warner Bros. was willing to fund the project on the condition that Gibson sign for another Lethal Weapon sequel, which he refused. Gibson eventually gained enough financing for the film, with Paramount Pictures financing a third of the budget in exchange for North American distribution rights to the film, and 20th Century Fox putting up the other two-thirds in exchange for international distribution rights.

Filming[]

edit [[null|link=https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Scott_Neeson_on_the_set_of_Braveheart,_1995.jpg%7Calt=%7Cthumb%7CGibson (right) on set with 20th Century Fox executive Scott Neeson]] Filming was initially due to take place fully in the United Kingdom, but most of the shoot was moved to Ireland at late notice after lobbying from the Irish government and their offer to supply 1,600 members of the Irish Army Reserve as extras. Shooting was planned to take 12 weeks on location in Ireland and at Ardmore Studios plus five weeks on location in Scotland. Principal photography on the film began on June 6, 1994. To lower costs, Gibson had the same extras portray both armies. The reservists had been given permission to grow beards and swapped their military uniforms for medieval garb. Principal photography ended on October 28, 1994. The film was shot in the anamorphic format with Panavision C- and E-Series lenses. Gibson also later said that while filming a battle scene a horse nearly "killed him" but his stunt double was able to save him as the horse fell.

Gibson had to tone down the film's battle scenes to avoid an NC-17 rating from the MPAA; the final version was rated R for "brutal medieval warfare". Gibson and editor Steven Rosenblum initially had a film at 195 minutes, but Sherry Lansing, who was the head of Paramount at the time, requested Gibson and Rosenblum to cut the film down to 177 minutes. According to Gibson in a 2016 interview with Collider, there is a four-hour version of the film, and he expressed interest in reassembling it if both Paramount and Fox were interested.

Soundtrack[]

edit Main article: Braveheart (soundtrack)

The score was composed and conducted by James Horner and performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. It is Horner's second of three collaborations with Mel Gibson as director. The score has gone on to be one of the most commercially successful soundtracks of all time. It received considerable acclaim from film critics and audiences and was nominated for a number of awards, including the Academy Award, Saturn Award, BAFTA Award, and Golden Globe Award.

Release[]

edit Braveheart premiered at the Seattle International Film Festival on May 18, 1995, and received its wide release in U.S. cinemas six days later.

Home media[]

edit Braveheart was released on LaserDisc in both pan and scan and widescreen on March 12, 1996. That same day, it also was made available on VHS in pan and scan only and was re-issued in widescreen on August 27.

The film was released on DVD on August 29, 2000. This edition included the film only in widescreen, a commentary track by Gibson, a behind-the-scenes featurete, along the trailers.

It was released on Blu-ray as part of the Paramount Sapphire Series on September 1, 2009. It included the DVD features along with new bonus material. It was released on 4K UHD Blu-ray as part of the 4K upgrade of the Paramount Sapphire Series on May 15, 2018.

Reception[]

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Box office[]

edit Braveheart grossed $75.5 million in the United States and Canada and $133.5 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $209.0 million, against a budget of $53–$72 million. It spent nine non-consecutive weeks in the Top 10 at the US box office – its first seven weeks, then two more weeks during its fifth month in theatres.

Critical response[]

edit On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 76% of 126 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.2/10. The website's consensus reads: "Distractingly violent and historically dodgy, Mel Gibson's Braveheart justifies its epic length by delivering enough sweeping action, drama, and romance to match its ambition." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 68 out of 100, based on 20 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. [[null|link=https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mel_Gibson_Cannes_2016_2.jpg%7Calt=%7Cthumb%7CGibson's work on Braveheart earned him the Academy Award for Best Director.]] Caryn James of The New York Times praised the film, calling it "one of the most spectacular entertainments in years." Roger Ebert gave the film three and a half out of four stars, calling it "An action epic with the spirit of the Hollywood swordplay classics and the grungy ferocity of The Road Warrior." In a positive review, Gene Siskel wrote that "in addition to staging battle scenes well, Gibson also manages to recreate the filth and mood of 700 years ago." Peter Travers of Rolling Stone felt that "though the film dawdles a bit with the shimmery, dappled love stuff involving Wallace with a Scottish peasant and a French princess, the action will pin you to your seat." The depiction of the Battle of Stirling Bridge was listed by CNN as one of the best battles in cinema history.

Not all reviews were positive. Richard Schickel of Time magazine argued that "everybody knows that a non-blubbering clause is standard in all movie stars' contracts. Too bad there isn't one banning self-indulgence when they direct." Peter Stack of the San Francisco Chronicle felt "at times the film seems an obsessive ode to Mel Gibson machismo." In a 2005 poll by British film magazine Empire, Braveheart was No. 1 on their list of "The Top 10 Worst Pictures to Win Best Picture Oscar". Empire readers had previously voted Braveheart the best film of 1995.

Alex von Tunzelmann of The Guardian gave the film a grade of C−, saying: "Seemingly intended as a piece of anti-English propaganda, Braveheart offers an even greater insult to Scotland by making a total pig's ear of its heritage. "Historians from England will say I am a liar," intones the voiceover, "but history is written by those who have hanged heroes." Well, that's me told: but, regardless of whether you read English or Scottish historians on the matter, Braveheart still serves up a great big steaming haggis of lies.." In a 2012 article, Nathan Kamal called the film "hugely overrated", criticizing the characters as one-dimensional.

Effect on tourism[]

The European premiere was on September 3, 1995, in Stirling.

In 1996, the year after the film was released, the annual three-day "Braveheart Conference" at Stirling Castle attracted fans of Braveheart, increasing the conference's attendance to 167,000 from 66,000 in the previous year. In the following year, research on visitors to the Stirling area indicated that 55% of the visitors had seen Braveheart. Of visitors from outside Scotland, 15% of those who saw Braveheart said it influenced their decision to visit the country. Of all visitors who saw Braveheart, 39% said the film influenced in part their decision to visit Stirling, and 19% said the film was one of the main reasons for their visit. In the same year, a tourism report said that the "Braveheart effect" earned Scotland £7 million to £15 million in tourist revenue, and the report led to various national organizations encouraging international film productions to take place in Scotland.

The film generated huge interest in Scotland and in Scottish history, not only around the world, but also in Scotland itself.[citation needed] At a Braveheart Convention in 1997, held in Stirling the day after the Scottish Devolution vote and attended by 200 delegates from around the world, Braveheart author Randall Wallace, Seoras Wallace of the Wallace Clan, Scottish historian David Ross and Bláithín FitzGerald from Ireland gave lectures on various aspects of the film.[citation needed] Several of the actors also attended including James Robinson (Young William), Andrew Weir (Young Hamish), Julie Austin (the young bride) and Mhairi Calvey (Young Murron).[citation needed]

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