Movies - Braveheart

Home > Listing Index > Movies > Braveheart

	Movies - Braveheart

Braveheart is an epic American motion picture released in 1995 based on the life of William Wallace, a national hero in Scotland. Mel Gibson played Wallace and also produced and directed the film.

Plot

The film opens with a narrator telling us "I shall tell you of William Wallace. Historians from England will say I am a liar, but history is written by those who have hanged heroes."

In the first scene a young William Wallace sees the hanged bodies of Scotsmen and boys who had travelled to a meeting with representatives of Edward I, popularly known as Longshanks. Edward I was a ruler of unlimited cruelty, whose intention was to destroy the indigenous population of Scotland through war or by breeding. He had invoked an ancient law, primae noctis ("first night"), which allowed lords the first sexual rights to any common woman on her wedding night.

William’s father and older brother leave home to do battle with Edward's army. Both are killed and their bodies are returned home to an orphaned William. Following the funerals, William’s uncle, Argyle, adopts William and takes him on a 20 year journey across Europe, a journey that becomes William’s education.

When William returns to his homeland, Longshanks’ son has married Isabelle, a French princess, in a political ploy that Edward believes will increase his power over France. William hopes to rebuild his father’s farm, marry, and raise a family. He reunites with his childhood love, Murron, and they marry in secret to avoid Longshanks’ law of prime nocte. However, when Murron is attacked by the local English guards, William fights them and retreats into hiding. Murron, unable to escape with William, is captured and brutally executed in public by the local magistrate seeking to set an example against dissension, but more directly to provoke her husband.

William rides back to the village on horseback, feigning surrender but at the last second he instead attacks the English soldiers, his one man fight is soon joined by his friend Hamish, Hamish's father Campbell, and the local townsfolk who kill every soldier in the magistrate's fortress. Bound by revenge, William kills the magistrate in the same fashion that the man killed Murron. Shortly after, William captures an even larger English garrison. The loss of this second base angers the King who sent an army to fight Wallace but word has already spread and highlanders come in droves to fight this invading force. Wallace knows that eventually the King will send his entire Northern Army, to this end he has a plan.

Their first victory in this war comes at the Battle of Stirling . William, leading an outnumbered army, boosts their confidence with a charismatic speech. They outwit the English cavalry with long spears and slaughter the remaining infantry and their general.

Though awarded the post of “High protector of Scotland” by the Scots nobles, William is still unable to convince them to solidly unite and invade England to ensure their victory and drive Longshanks from Scotland forever. The highest ranking noble, Robert the Bruce, a possible heir to the throne of Scotland, tells William that his efforts are directed more out of rage and vengeance, rather than the preservation of his homeland. William agrees but also sees the Bruce as the kind of leader Scotland needs and bids him to unite the clans.

William makes the decision to invade England himself and his army marches several hundred miles to the city of York. They successfully raid the city and seize control of it. The local magistrate is beheaded and his head is sent to London as a message to Longshanks.

Longshanks sends the Princess of Wales, Isabelle, to York to negotiate a truce with William. He meets with her but refuses to accept Longshanks demands. He cites Longshanks longstanding cruel treatment of Scotland and his attempts at genocide. The princess returns to London to find that the meeting she held was a distraction from Longshanks strategy to send his armies to Scotland and attack Wallace’s flank. Isabelle sends a courier to William with the news. He musters his troops and marches back to Scotland to engage the English army at Falkirk. During the battle William again proves to be the better tactician, using his archers to ignite a field laden with oil between his infantry and Longshanks’ with the English cavalry trapped in the middle. Additionally, during the battle, the Irish soldiers accompanying Longshanks’ army join Wallace’s army at the manipulations of an insane Irishman called Steven, doubling its size instantly. However, Longshanks was able to subversively recruit the Scots nobles and their cavalry. No longer a backup force for Wallace, they leave their “ally” for dead. William escapes the ensuing slaughter and rides after Longshanks. He is stopped short by Longshanks’ helmeted companion whom Wallace reveals to be Robert the Bruce. Robert helps William escape arrest and return to his army. At the Scots army encampment, Hamish watches his father die as William looks on. William realizes that his pride has caused their defeat.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Braveheart ]

This page is based on the copyrighted Wikipedia article Braveheart; it is used under the GNU Free Documentation License. You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the GFDL.

Movies - Braveheart

Plot

Searches on eBay

Related searches on eBay