A Braveheart review that focuses more on love than war – not exactly how I expected to start my year but I’m not complaining.
I made a goal for myself this year to watch some of the absolute cinema staples that have alluded me to this point. Cut to me stumbling across Braveheart and thinking yeah, I’ve got almost 3 hours to kill watching Mel Gibson run around in a kilt. But needless to say, I wasn’t expecting this movie to be so heavy on romantic subplots.
I will preface this piece by saying I am aware this film is littered with historical inaccuracies. However, as I don’t know the story of William Wallace any deeper than he was a freedom fighter of Scotland, I am willing to let these inaccuracies slide and just judge this as a stand-alone story. I do fully understand those who will not be able to enjoy this Braveheart review due to this.
Braveheart Review: Love, War, and a Few Shortcomings
Braveheart Review: Love
The first act of this film really caught me off guard. A love story about a boy and girl that have known each other since they were children?
Wait, what? I thought I was set for a three-hour bloodbath.
But you know what – man, does that first act work incredibly well.
It gives the film heart, emotion, and some very real stakes beyond life and death.
This isn’t just about the war for Scotland’s freedom. It is about the people of Scotland taking back their lives.
All William Wallace wants is to live a peaceful life.
He wants to marry and have children.
He wants to raise crops and live an honest life according to the lessons he was taught by his father: Mind over muscle, thought over action.
Scotland isn’t just the land and title (both of which are often dismissed throughout), Scotland is the people.
It is life, love, and peace.
That is what they are fighting for and the depth of their motivations are evident.
So, hell yeah I’m all for the romantic avenue of the first act.
Braveheart Review: War
Pivot then to the adrenaline we came for – a war film with blood, guts, and backstabbing likely to get your heart pumping.
The speech that this film is most famous for happens halfway through the movie. I thought that this was supposed to be the climax!
Regardless, the action feels intense while also remaining grounded. It doesn’t appear overly choreographed nor is it flashy in direction. It lets the brutality and barbarism do the talking.
Braveheart Review: Shortcomings
I could do without the tacked-on second love story that seemingly develops instantly but plays a pretty minor role overall and does make for good viewing when the King gets his comeuppance.
You definitely feel the run time in parts of this movie. Clocking in at almost three hours it would be hard not to.
The editing can come across as quite blocky and segmented at times but that may just be due to the fact there is so much going on and the filmmakers felt it best to give everything its own space.
This does help to make the movie narratively concise and avoids a lot of mess and muddle that other films have struggled with when tackling such a multifaceted story.
