Braveheart: Difference between revisions
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== Production == |
== Production == |
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* The movie was, for a very large part, filmed in [[Ireland]] instead of [[Scotland]] and one of the castles seen in the movie is actually [[Trim Castle]] in [[Co. Meath]]. Many of the mountains seen in the movie are actually the [[Wicklow Mountains]] in [[Co. Wicklow]]. [[Kilmashogue]] mountain and [[Djouce]] mountain can be regularly seen during the movie. Bective Abbey on the banks of the River Boyne is the location for the some of the scenes of Longshanks' palace and also for the dungeon scene where Wallace awaits his execution. |
* The movie was, for a very large part, filmed in [[Ireland]] instead of [[Scotland]] and one of the castles seen in the movie is actually [[Trim Castle]] in [[Co. Meath]]. Many of the mountains seen in the movie are actually the [[Wicklow Mountains]] in [[Co. Wicklow]]. [[Kilmashogue]] mountain and [[Djouce]] mountain can be regularly seen during the movie. Bective Abbey on the banks of the River Boyne is the location for the some of the scenes of Longshanks' palace and also for the dungeon scene where Wallace awaits his execution. |
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The decision to make the majority of the film in Ireland was taken early on in pre-production. Section 481 provides significant tax breaks, and the Irish government offered the use of its army reserve as extras for the battle scenes. |
The decision to make the majority of the film in Ireland was taken early on in pre-production. Section 481 provides significant tax breaks, and the Irish government offered the use of its army reserve as extras for the battle scenes. *The young Irish soldiers who were extras in the battle of Stirling were so stirred by Mel Gibson's performance in the "Sons of Scotland" speech that they roared "Yes!", |
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The young Irish soldiers who were extras in the battle of Stirling were so stirred by Mel Gibson's performance in the "Sons of Scotland" speech that they roared "Yes!", |
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when he asked if they would fight. They were supposed to say "no" and turn to leave the field of battle. |
when he asked if they would fight. They were supposed to say "no" and turn to leave the field of battle. |
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In one scene in the actual film, filmed at Glen Nevis, a white van can be seen driving in the background. |
In one scene in the actual film, filmed at Glen Nevis, a white van can be seen driving in the background. |
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Revision as of 17:24, 28 April 2007
| Braveheart | |
|---|---|
| File:Braveheart imp.jpg | |
| Directed by | Mel Gibson |
| Written by | Randall Wallace |
| Produced by | Mel Gibson Alan Ladd, Jr. Bruce Davey Stephen McEveety |
| Starring | Mel Gibson Sophie Marceau Catherine McCormack Patrick McGoohan Angus Macfadyen Brendan Gleeson |
| Cinematography | John Toll |
| Edited by | Steven Rosenblum |
| Music by | James Horner |
| Distributed by | - USA - Paramount Pictures - non-USA - 20th Century Fox |
Release dates | May 24, 1995 |
Running time | 177 min. |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $53,000,000 |
Braveheart is an American 1995 historical action/drama produced and directed by Mel Gibson, who also starred in the title role. Adapted from a screenplay by Randall Wallace, Gibson portrays the Scottish iconic figure of William Wallace who becomes the figurehead of the Scottish movement for independence in early 14th century England, opposed by the great King Edward I (Patrick McGoohan) and abetted by Edward's daughter-in-law Princess Isabelle (Sophie Marceau) and the heir-apparent to the Scottish throne, Robert the Bruce (Angus MacFadyen).
The film won five Academy Awards at the 68th Academy Awards, including the Academy Award for Best Picture and Best Director, and had been nominated for an additional five. Produced by Icon Productions for Paramount Pictures and 20th Century Fox, the film's success may have helped to revive the historical epic genre, with subsequent films such as Gladiator, The Patriot, Alexander, Kingdom of Heaven and 300.
While the movie was criticized by historians for its historical inaccuracies, its epic scope and intense battle scenes won wide praise and has been credited with affecting the political landscape of the UK.
Plot
In 1280 A.D. King Edward I, known as "Longshanks," has annexed Scotland as part of England, and his oppressive rule leads to the deaths of William Wallace's father and brother. Years later and after Wallace has grown up with his uncle outside of Scotland, the Scots continue to live under the harsh thumb of Longshanks' cruel laws. Wallace returns, intent on living as a farmer and avoiding involvement in the still-simmering Scottish rebellion. Wallace rekindles a romance with Murron after showing her the carefully preserved thistle she gave him as a child, and the two marry in secret. After Wallace attacks a group of English soldiers attempting to rape Murron, she is executed by the local Sheriff. Wallace enacts revenge on both him the local English fortress, and unintentionally starts a Scottish rebellion.
News of the rebellion spreads quickly, and hundreds of Scots from the surrounding regions volunteer to join Wallace's militia. Wallace leads his army through a series of successful battles against the English, however, he eventually falls to the King's Northern Army at the Battle of Falkirk. He goes into hiding, fighting a guerrilla war against England and personally executes Scottish nobles who betrayed him in the unsuccessful battle. Robert the Bruce and the remaining nobles realize that Wallace has become more powerful than ever before, having thrived with the common folk and seen as the most revered man in Scotland and therefore untouchable. Wallace is eventually caught in a trap when he believes he is meeting with The Bruce, whom he trusts with his life.
In London, Wallace is tried before the English magistrates and found guilty of treason. Wallace refuses to admit his guilt and is brutally tortured to death in a London square, being alternately hanged, racked and finally eviscerated alive. Despite the agony, he refuses to declare his guilt, cry for mercy, or even cry out in pain (very likely). Wallace uses every last ounce of strength in his ravaged body to shout the word "Freedom" before being beheaded. It is not mentioned in detail in the film... but he was hanged, drawn and quartered — strangled by hanging but released while still alive, emasculated, eviscerated and his bowels burnt before him, beheaded, then cut into four parts — at the Elms in Smithfield. His preserved head was placed on a pike atop London Bridge. It was later joined by the heads of his brother, John, and Simon Fraser. His limbs were displayed, separately, in Newcastle, Berwick, Stirling, and Aberdeen.
Robert the Bruce takes control of the remaining Scottish army and faces a ceremonial line of English troops near the fields of Bannockburn. Cheering Wallace's name, the Bruce and the Scots charge the surprised English lines and finally defeat the English and win their freedom.
Production
- The movie was, for a very large part, filmed in Ireland instead of Scotland and one of the castles seen in the movie is actually Trim Castle in Co. Meath. Many of the mountains seen in the movie are actually the Wicklow Mountains in Co. Wicklow. Kilmashogue mountain and Djouce mountain can be regularly seen during the movie. Bective Abbey on the banks of the River Boyne is the location for the some of the scenes of Longshanks' palace and also for the dungeon scene where Wallace awaits his execution.
The decision to make the majority of the film in Ireland was taken early on in pre-production. Section 481 provides significant tax breaks, and the Irish government offered the use of its army reserve as extras for the battle scenes. *The young Irish soldiers who were extras in the battle of Stirling were so stirred by Mel Gibson's performance in the "Sons of Scotland" speech that they roared "Yes!",
when he asked if they would fight. They were supposed to say "no" and turn to leave the field of battle.
In one scene in the actual film, filmed at Glen Nevis, a white van can be seen driving in the background.
- The battle of Stirling took six weeks to film; roughly half a million feet of film (90+ hours) were shot for the sequence.
- Mel Gibson, who has a reputation of being a prankster, directed several scenes (including the funeral scene for Wallace's father) while doing an Elmer Fudd impersonation. This caused several actors to break character mid-scene, and burst out laughing on several occasions.
The old chapel at Dunsany Castle in Co. Meath was the location for the Westminster Abbey wedding of the Prince of Wales to Princess Isabella of France. The scene where Wallace and his horse plunge into the lake from the castle was filmed at Blessington Lake in Co. Wicklow. The tower built for the stunt was 9 metres high, and on the night of shooting, the water level in the lake around the tower had dropped to under 2 metres deep.
Cast
- Mel Gibson as William Wallace, After his wife is unjustly killed by the English, he starts an uprising demanding justice that leads to a war for independence.
- Patrick McGoohan as King Edward I Nicknamed "Longshanks", the King of England, determined to ruthlessly put down the Scottish threat and ensure his kingdom's sovereignty.
- Peter Hanly as Edward, Prince of Wales. The effeminate son of King Edward and husband of Princess Isabelle through arranged marriage.
- Ian Bannen as Robert the Bruce, Sr.. Unable to seek the throne personally due to his disfiguring leprosy, he pragmatically schemes to put his son on the throne of Scotland.
- Angus MacFadyen as Robert the Bruce, Son of the elder Bruce and rightful heir to the throne of Scotland, he is inspired by Wallace's dedication and bravery.
- Sophie Marceau as Princess Isabelle. Unhappily married to the effete Edward the second, she finds herself deeply attracted to Wallace's passion and bravery.
- Catherine McCormack as Murron MacClannough. The executed wife of Wallace. Her name was changed from Marion Braidfute in the script so as to not be confused with the Maid Marian of Robin Hood note.
- Brendan Gleeson as Hamish Campbell. Wallace's childhood friend and lieutenant in the Wallace's army, he is often short-sighted and thinks with his fists.
- David O'Hara as Mad Stephen. An Irish recruit into Wallace's army, he endears himself to Wallace with his humor, which may or may not be insanity, He professes to be the most wanted man on "his" island, and claims to speak to God personally.
- Brian Cox as Uncle Argyle. After the death of Wallace's father and brother, Argyle takes Wallace as a child into his care, promising to teach the boy how to use a sword after he learns to use his head. Cox also had a role in another period Scottish film, Rob Roy. both Braveheart and Rob Roy were released the same year.
- James Robinson II as Young William. The 10-year old actor reportedly spent weeks trying to copy Gibson's mannerisms for the film.
- "[Andrew Weir] as Young Hamish.
- "[Julie Austin] as the "prima nocte" bride. Her soundless reassurance to her new husband [Tommy Flanagan] as she is about to taken away has been the subject of much speculation. Julie refuses to divulge what she actually whispered to him.
Reception
Box office
Braveheart is the 271st largest grossing film worldwide.
- US: $75,609,945
- Worldwide: $210,409,945
On opening weekend, Braveheart grossed:
- US: $9,938,276
The film's depiction of the Battle of Stirling Bridge is often considered one of the greatest in cinema history.[1][2]
The film generated huge interest in Scotland and in Scottish history, not only around the world, but in Scotland where Scottish history had not been comprehesively taught in schools. Fans still come from all over the world to see the places in Scotland where William Wallace fought for Scottish freedom, and also to Ireland to see the locations used in the film. At a Braveheart Convention in 1997, held in Stirling the day after the Scottish Devolution vote and attended by 200 delegates from around the world, Braveheart author Randall Wallace, Seoras Wallace of the Wallace Clan, Scottish historian David Ross and Bláithín FitzGerald from Ireland gave lectures on various aspects of the film. Several of the actors also attended including James Robinson (Young William), Andrew Weir (Young Hamish), Julie Austin (the young bride) and Mhairi Calvey (Young Murron).
Awards
The film won numerous awards including the 1995 Academy Award for:
Nominated:
Cultural effects
The film is credited by Lin Anderson, author of Braveheart: From Hollywood To Holyrood as having played a significant role in affecting the Scottish political landscape in the mid to late 1990s.[1]
Despite the film's many historical inaccuracies, its portrayal of the English occupation of Scotland (combined with the unpopularity of Conservative government policy in Scotland in the 1980s and 1990s) contributed to an upsurge in Scottish nationalist sentiment in the years leading up to the General Election of 1997.[citation needed]
Wallace Monument
In 1997 a statue of Gibson as "William Wallace" was placed outside the Wallace Monument near Stirling, Scotland.[3] The statue, which includes the word "Braveheart" on Wallace's shield, was the cause of much controversy and one local resident stated that it was wrong to "desecrate the main memorial to Wallace with a lump of crap".[4] In 1998 the statue was vandalised by someone who smashed the face in with a hammer. After repairs were made, the statue was encased in a cage at night to prevent further vandalism. This has only incited more calls for the statue to be removed as it now appears that the Gibson/Wallace figure is imprisoned; an irony, considering that the statue bears the word "Freedom" on the plinth.[5]
Historical inaccuracy
- Braveheart's plot includes an affair between William Wallace and the Princess Isabelle, based upon Isabella of France. The film implies she is pregnant at the time of Wallace's execution, carrying the future Edward III of England. Historically, the real Isabella was a child of nine still living in France at this time, meaning she never met Wallace, and furthermore, was never a Princess of Wales, as she married Edward II after he became king - three years after Wallace's death. This idea may have been derived from the play The Wallace by Sydney Goodsir Smith, or it may be derived from a fictional episode in Blind Harry's poem, where Marguerite of France, second wife of Edward I, attempts to seduce Wallace.
- The Battle of Stirling Bridge, the first skirmish in the film, was filmed without a bridge. The actual conflict was more of an ambush of the English as they attempted to cross the River Forth.
- The opening juxtaposition of the line "The King of Scotland had died without a son" and the caption "Scotland, 1280 A.D." is inaccurate: Alexander III did not die until 1286, and the country was not immediately taken over.
- The opening narration continues "and the King of England... claimed the throne of Scotland for himself". Edward I never claimed the kingship of Scotland: he claimed lordship over it, but after the deposition of John Balliol in 1296 did not recognize its status as a kingdom.
- Edward III was born in 1312, seven years after Wallace's death; thus it is impossible for Edward III to have been Wallace's son.
- The film depicts Edward I dying at the same time as Wallace was executed. In fact, Wallace's execution took place in 1305 in Westminster or Smithfield, and King Edward died in 1307, two years later, en route to put down a fresh rebellion of the Scots led by Robert the Bruce.
- The film depicts Scots going into battle wearing woad, an ancient Pictish practice not thought to have still existed in the thirteenth century. However, in Blind Harry's poem, Wallace does dream that the Virgin Mary paints a saltire on his face, and this is the likely inspiration for the anachronistic use of warpaint in the film.[6]
- The film opens with the Wallaces seeing the hanged bodies of the thirty Scottish noblemen and their pages who went there thinking they were there for a meeting with Edward's men. While Longshanks was capable of such a deed, (see the Battle of Evesham) in 1280, when this was supposed to have happened, he was busy with putting down revolts in Wales and dealing with their leader Llywelyn ap Gruffydd. In fact many Scottish nobles, who actually held lands in both Scotland and England, were serving in Edward's army at the time. This included the Bruces.
- A Welsh rebel who had been captured by the Scots in Edward's service reportedly told his captors, "When Longshanks is done with us he'll turn on you."
Spoofs and cultural references
- In the South Park episode, "Starvin' Marvin", both Chef and the leader of the evil turkeys deliver speeches a la Wallace to their people just before leading the charge into battle.
- In a 2007 episode of the US version of The Office, boss Michael Scott uses the term "Primae Noctis" inappropriately during preparations for Phyllis Smith's wedding. Character Jim Halpert states that it is used in the movie Braveheart and that this fact is "confirmed on Wikipedia".
- In the Video Game Daxter, there is an unlockable Braveheart dream sequence.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack for Braveheart was composed by composer James Horner, who also composed soundtracks for Titanic, Aliens, and Apollo 13. The music was recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra. The first soundtrack was noticeably successful, and Horner produced a follow-up soundtrack in 1997 titled More Music from Braveheart. International and French versions of the soundtrack have also been released. [citation needed] The original album contains 77 minutes of background music taken from significant scenes in the film.
Braveheart (1995)
- Main Title (2:51)
- A Gift of a Thistle (1:37)
- Wallace Courts Murron (4:25)
- The Secret Wedding (6:33)
- Attack on Murron (3:00)
- Revenge (6:23)
- Murron’s Burial (2:13)
- Making Plans/ Gathering the Clans (2:05)
- “Sons of Scotland” (6:19)
- The Battle of Stirling (6:07)
- For the Love of a Princess (4:07)
- Falkirk (4:04)
- Betrayal & Desolation (7:48)
- Mornay’s Dream (1:18)
- The Legend Spreads (1:09)
- The Princess Pleads for Wallace’s Life (3:38)
- “Freedom”/The Execution/ Bannockburn (7:24)
- End Credits (7:12)
More Music from Braveheart (1997)
The follow-up soundtrack features much more dialogue taken from the actual film than did the original soundtrack.
- Prologue/ "I Shall Tell You of Williams..." (dialogue-Robert the Bruce) (3:35)
- Outlawed Tunes on Outlawed Bag Pipes (2:03)
- The Royal Wedding (dialogue-Robert the Bruce) (2:12)
- "The Trouble with Scotland" (dialogue-King Edward the Longshanks) (0:40)
- Scottish Wedding Music (1:14)
- Prima Noctes (1:46)
- The Proposal (dialogue-Wallace and Murron) (1:35)
- "Scotland is Free!" (dialogue-Wallace) (0:17)
- Point of War/JonnyCope/Up in the Morning Early (traditional) (2:59)
- Conversing with the Almighty (dialogue-various) (1:20)
- The Road to the Isles/ Grendaural Highlanders/ The Old Rustic Bridge by the Hill (traditional) (3:52)
- "Son of Scotland!" (dialogue-Wallace) (12:09)
- Vision of Murron (1:45)
- "Unite the Clans!" (dialogue-Wallace) (0:23)
- The Legend Spreads (dialogue-Storytellers) (1:07)
- "Why Do You Help Me?" (dialogue-Wallace and Princess Isabelle) (0:37)
- For the Love of a Princess (previously released score) (4:05)
- "Not Every man Really Lives" (dialogue-Wallace and Isabelle)
- "The Prisoner wishes to Say a Word (dialogue-The Executioner and Wallace) (3:43)
- "After the Beheading" (dialogue-Robert the Bruce) (1:48)
- "You Have Bled for Wallace!" (dialogue-Robert the Bruce) (1:22)
- Warrior Poets (dialogue-Wallace) (0:29)
- Scotland the Brave (traditional) (2:47)
- Leaving Glenhurqhart (traditional) (3:32)
- Kirkhill (traditional) (4:08)
References
- ^ "The best -- and worst -- movie battle scenes". CNN. 2007-03-30. Retrieved 2007-04-01.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Noah Sanders (2007-03-28). "GREAT MODERN BATTLE SCENES - UPDATED!". Double Viking. Retrieved 2007-04-02.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ http://www.uwenowak.de/bilder/holiday_with_mechthild/stirling/wallace_monument_002_full.jpg
- ^ http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=10191
- ^ http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=10191
- ^ Elspeth King, introduction to _Blind Harry's Wallace
External links
- 1995 films
- 20th Century Fox films
- American films
- Best Picture Academy Award winners
- English-language films
- Epic films
- Films directed by Mel Gibson
- Films set in the middle ages
- Films whose director won the Best Director Academy Award
- French-language films
- Historical films
- Latin-language films
- Paramount films
- War films
- Wars of Scottish Independence