Edward's unjust attempts to conquer Scotland lead to rebellion, led by William Wallace (Mel Gibson). He fights not only for Scottish independence, but to avenge his martyred wife Catherine McCormack. Wallace's main allies are strongman Brendan Gleeson and mad Irishman David O'Hara. He is betrayed by scheming Scottish lords, while Robert the Bruce dithers on account of his troublemaking leprosy-vexed father (Ian Bannen).
How others will see it. Braveheart was a box office success, even relative to its lofty budget, but was not among the highest grossing films of the year. Its video release was remarkable, as confirmed by its huge 840K user votes at imdb.com. The 8.4 (out of 10) user rating is uncommonly high, though older and female audiences see the film slightly less positively than do young men.
The user reviews at imdb.com are fawning in their praise. Typical is the comment: "This has to be one of the best movies I have ever seen. I recently purchased it and have watched it at least five times since then."
There is a decided minority of negative reviews, most of whom have studied English-Scottish history and can recite the film's vast array of historical inaccuracies, piled up to glorify Gibson in the guise of William Wallace.
Braveheart was undoubtedly aided by its mammoth accomplishments at the Academy Awards. It had ten Oscar nominations and won five, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Cinematography. Interestingly, and perhaps deservedly, it had no acting nominations at either the Oscars, Golden Globes, or BAFTA.
How I felt about it. The homophobia disturbs me. We are to believe that the crown prince of England is so gay that he can't kiss his gorgeous bride in his wedding ceremony? Are we supposed to laugh out loud when the King pushes the prince's gay lover to his death from the tower?
I also consider the movie sexist. Ostensibly, the movie empowers women, since their tormentors are punished. But the truth is, this three-hour film has only two consequential female characters, both of whom are spectacularly beautiful and in love with Mel Gibson, who is noticeably older than they are (39 versus 23 and 29).
I am more willing than some to forgive Braveheart's historical inaccuracies. Nobody who has seen this movie actually believes it is credible history, instead of historical fantasy a la "Game of Thrones". But it is too much to suggest that the entire line of English succession after Edward I consists of progeny from a French princess and a Scottish rebel leader.
Nonetheless, Braveheart manages to mostly overcome its problems. Patrick McGoohan and David Gant are enjoyably hissable as, respectively, chief antagonist King Edward Longshanks and the Royal Magistrate in the closing scenes. The cinematography is marvelous. The costumes are credible. The Medieval violence is shocking, and many would say excessive, but welcome to surprisingly many viewers.
Braveheart shouldn't be as good as it is. Injustice can be a powerful theme, but it is also compelling. So, we must pay homage to the story, and Gibson's direction. Braveheart is a flawed masterpiece, but much better than not a masterpiece at all.