Braveheart

REVIEW
Gibson's second feature film as director is an accomplished, realistically staged historical epic about 13th-century Scottish patriot and freedom fighter William Wallace. Written by Randall Wallace, reportedly a descendant of the hero himself, it shows us William's youth, courtship of his wife, his reluctant entry into "the Troubles" with the English King Edward the Longshanks (McGoohan), and his eventual embrace of the military leadership of his country. Three hours in length, Braveheart is remarkably never dull - a credit to Gibson's direction since the script must juggle several story lines.

The most amazing thing about the film, however, is its savagely authentic battle scenes, two of which are of an epic scale not seen in film since Spartacus. But Wallace's psychological transition from revenge to revolution and his courage in the face of death lift the film above the limitations of an action/adventure movie.

FAVORITE LINE
"Lower your flags and march straight back to England, stopping at every home you pass by to beg forgiveness for a hundred years of theft, rape, and murder. Do that and your men shall live. Do it not, and every one of you will die today." — Mel Gibson as William Wallace