Audience Rated by buyers R (Restricted)
Type of bind: Video On Demand
Release Date: August 22, 2008
Running Time: 178 minutes
Sale Popularity Level: 1529
Studio: Paramount
Theatrical Release Date: May 23, 1995
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Rated by buyers 
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As I watched this movie, I kept thinking of an analogy: The English are brutally suppressing the Scottish. The english, at this time in history, treated the Scots like animals: murdering, demeaning and disregarding any kind of human rights whatsoever. This Treatment of the Scots reminded me of the way Israeli Jews treat the Palestinians yesterday - right now! The English like the Israelis, and the Scots victimized and being murdered like the Palestinian Today! These were more barbaric times in history, and the English have long since changed their ways to be a decent, civilised and human rights-minded nation. This cannot be said about Israel, which is choosing to be contemporary Nazi's. This analogy has a lot of creibility. The Palestinians need a William Wallace fast. Great, great movie that you'll watch and be inspired to help the underdogs in the world: Darfurians, Palestinins and all victimd of genocide and savagery. Get it, now - WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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After watching the movie, I became totally interesting in learning the history of William Wallace. I enjoy watching this movie so much. Mel Gibson did an excellent job in protraying William Wallace. This movie capture the reality between the warfare of England against the Scottland country. This movie can enrich the mind with a different aspect of warfare between this two remarkable nation. There are many good and outstanding battle between these two countries. This movie can intricate the person mind, and many people would enjoy the plot of this movie, braveheart. Braveheart displays a totally reality between two struggling nation of war. I wasn't aware of the battle between nation. I was totally enrich with the action and the scence between these two nation. I recommended this movie to anybody who want to view the action of the movie.
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Mel Gibson shines in this movie. Well scripted and plenty of action. Battle scenes are tremendous and reminds one of the slaughter the Scots went through. I highly recommend this movie.
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I have never understood Hollywood's need to take actual history which is exciting in itself and change it. The endeavor is often horribly misleading and down right insulting. As a member of the Wallace "family" we weren't a kilted clan. I'm insulted they could take such rich history of a man, and a country and dumb it down for the masses and to think a Wallace was part of this abuse was further insulting. The dates, people and events were all skewed to make this a blockbuster $$ maker and be damn the history. One wonders why if the history was so great, why change it on the big screen. But it wasn't only the inaccuracies of Wallace's life and history but they couldn't even get the production right..
The piper is playing a great war pipe but the sound/music we hear is a bellows pipe, the uilean pipes played in Ireland. Well Duh!! And "first night" privileges give me a break not in Scotland, a flirtation with Isabella? she was a child born in apprx 1295 (she would have been 10 at his death and the age to marry in Scotland was 12) and wasn't married to Ed 2 until years after Wallace was dead and a kilted Wallace, as a Ayshireman I highly doubt it nor were the Scots savage peasents. My God they (Borders and lowlands) had a strong economy with mainland Europe since the 1100's and were aware of a world outside their own as well as fashions, so though there were peasants in Scotland, William Wallace's family wasn't one of them.
Want a better portrayal of Scottish history find a copy of CHASING THE RED DEER, different period but much more realistic. Save you $$ and time a read a good book on Wallace.
Rated by buyers 
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By now William Wallace's battle cry for freedom has gone down in cinematic history, and why not? It's a rousing speech that drives a group of historical underdogs to victory in a battle that they certainly had no business winning. And as an added bonus Americans love the concept of freedom. So even though we aren't free at all the image of Mel Gibson up there screaming, "But they can never take....our FREEDOM!!!" is just the kind of foot stomping jolt that can fool the masses into caring about Scottish history. The film itself hasn't done too bad either, winning that best picture statue and all, and it is a perfectly solid throw back to an earlier time. Wallace fights bloody, beautifully show battles to avenge the murder of his bride and to promote "freedom" in the face of British imperialism (13th Century Style). The characters are broadly drawn (the crazy Irishman, the dim witted brute, the evil King) and the plot is less than adventurous. The values pander to a middle class audience (have a family, brains over brawns, don't rape brides on their wedding days) so all in all the average movie goer is well taken care of. I even caught myself becoming emotionally involved in the cause of the Scots, but that could just be due to the anti-imperialist in me. Gibson, as director, is able to produce real magic with some of his shots and nothing he does here takes away from his reputation as a born storyteller.
What was most interesting to me was to see how much of this film foretold the future of Gibson's oeuvre. We have a trip into an obscure moment in history that ultimately results in a pretty conventional action flick ("Apocalypto"). We see his obsession with all things Christ and torture related ("Passion of the Christ"). And yes I know he didn't direct it but we see a dumbed down, Americanized version of this exact story in "The Patriot." I liked this movie and I liked "The Patriot" but now I'm questioning whether or not it was only made to sell the same tale to xenophobic types who aren't comfortable rooting for non-Americans. Who knows. I do know that I respect his ability to cater to modern tastes in an endeavor to school people on parts of history that they should know about and would find entertaining. Unlike his hero, Gibson is willing to compromise. And while that may mean that this is not a great film it does mean that he reached a far greater audience than had he strictly stuck to the script that the history books provide. ***1/2
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