Actors - Rob Roy

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	Actors - Rob Roy

Rob Roy is a movie that was released on April 7, 1995. The director was Michael Caton-Jones. The film was generally inspired by elements of the life of a 17th-18th century Scot named Robert Roy MacGregor and his battles with feudal landowners in the Scottish Highlands. MGM/United Artists, distributors of the film, describe Rob Roy as a "riveting adventure of courage, love and uncompromising honor."

The film stars Liam Neeson in the title role, along with Jessica Lange, John Hurt, Tim Roth, Eric Stoltz and Brian Cox. Tim Roth was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of the villain Archibald Cunningham.

Plot

Times are hard in the early 1700’s in the Scottish Highlands, and small landholders like Clan MacGregor are being squeezed out. Clan leader Robert Roy MacGregor (Liam Neeson) asks the Marquess of Montrose (John Hurt) to back a cattle-trading venture by lending him 1000 Scottish pounds. Rob gives guard of the money to his man Alan McDonald (Eric Stoltz), but Montrose’s greasy steward Killearn (Brian Cox) and unprincipled protégé Archibald Cunningham (Tim Roth) conspire to kill Alan and steal the 1000 pounds. MacGregor meets Montrose to renegotiate terms to replace the stolen money. Montrose accepts, but with one condition: MacGregor must falsely testify against Montrose’s rival the Duke of Argyll (Andrew Keir), saying he is a Jacobite. Rob refuses. Montrose attempts to arrest him, but Rob menaces Cunningham with a knife and escapes into the hills; Montrose sends Cunningham with a small company of soldiers to hunt Rob down.

The middle of the story deals with Rob’s evasion of Cunningham and his soldiers. MacGregor's farm is burned, many of the MacGregors are killed, and Rob’s wife, Mary (Jessica Lange), is raped. Killearn is captured as a witness against Montrose and Cunningham, but Mary stabs him when he threatens to tell Rob of her rape. Mary flees to the Duke of Argyll and reveals Montrose’s plot against him; she asks the Duke to save them in turn.

Rob is eventually captured while tending to his injured brother, Alasdair (Brian McCardie). Shot and dying, Alasdair reveals to Rob that Cunningham raped Mary. Rob is dragged back to the Marquis of Montrose, who sentences him to death by hanging from a nearby bridge. Rob escapes, nearly killing Cunningham in the process, and returns to the croft the Duke of Argyll has offered Mary as refuge. He and Mary reconcile the issue of her being raped and impregnated; Rob bears her no ill feelings, saying, “It’s not the child that wants killing, it’s the father.” Under a "gentleman's agreement" between Montrose and Argyll, Rob arranges a duel between himself and Cunningham.

In the finale, Rob looks to be losing the “best movie swordfight ever” (per David Letterman), but he kills Archibald by holding Archibald's rapier thrust with bare hand and dealing him a great swashing claymore blow to the chest. All debts and past offenses are settled, and Rob returns home to Mary.

Trivia

This film is notable for its outstanding swordfights which were choreographed by Robert G. Goodwin. The small, quick rapier had replaced the heavy broadsword (Scottish claymore) everywhere south of the Tweed over a century before, but the stylistic contrast mirrored those of English and Scot, Cunningham and MacGregor, Roth and Neeson.

The part of the Duke of Argyll was first offered to Sean Connery. In real life, at the time of this story John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll, was in his early 30's, much younger than either Keir or Connery. When Queen Anne died shortly after, he fought against the Jacobite rebellion of 1715.

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Actors - Rob Roy

Plot

Trivia

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