Braveheart (1995)

Braveheart is the story of William Wallace(Mel Gibson), a Scottish independence fighter who puts his heart, soul (and outrageous fake long hair) into driving out the heathen English.

It starts with William as a child living in complete starvation (when most likely he grew up as a son of a noble) when his father is murdered and little William is left with his uncle. It then skips to Mel Gibson having a cheesy romance with a local and your thinking 'okay it's been nearly an hour and nothing has happened yet' or 'when is his girl going to get murdered! Get on with it!'.

The film shows good authenticity when it comes to Scottish costumes and poverty but that doesn't disguise the fact that it is mostly historically inaccurate. It puts together people who never met, probably never heard of each other and they have a romance! The English helmets look like a fashion fail from a nineteen sixties 'glam rock' band! Somehow William Wallace's best ally fights for the English!

Mel Gibson has got a good exciting story about patriotic will, gore and peace loving rebels and he's turned it into a sixties fashion catwalk and soppy romance!

But the film is not all that bad; it leaves you wanting to be Scottish and it fulfills you with battle excitement and good tension.

It is quite appropriate for the upcoming Scottish Independence vote.

Overall it is an okay film (rather long) but definitely not an educational film!