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Braveheart Movie Essay

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"William Wallace: And if this is your army, why does it go?
Soldier: We didn't come here to fight for them.
Second Soldier: Home, the English are too many!
William Wallace: Sons of Scotland! I am William Wallace.
Second Soldier: William Wallace is seven feet tall!
William Wallace: Yes, I've heard. Kills men by the hundreds. And if HE were here, he'd consume the English with fireballs from his eyes, and bolts of lightning from his arse.
[Scottish army laughs]
William Wallace: I AM William Wallace! And I see a whole army of my country men, here, in defiance of tyranny. You've come to fight as free men, and free men you are. What will you do with that freedom? Will you fight?
Soldier: Against that? No, we will run, and we will live.
William Wallace: Aye, fight and you may die, run, and you'll live... at least a while. And dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willing to trade ALL the days, from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they'll never take... OUR FREEDOM! “ -William Wallace One of the most well-known monologues in movie history is William Wallace’s speech before the Battle of Stirling. It shows why he is such an inspiring leader. It also contains just enough humor and seriousness to be taken to heart. This must be the reason for the name behind it all: Braveheart, perhaps Mel Gibson’s finest film.

Mel Gibson is the star and director of Braveheart. He has also produced many movies. Braveheart won two Oscars for best director and best picture. It also won a Golden Globe for best director. The movie is based on an epic poem written by a man known as Blind Harry in 1722. The setting takes place in the 13th century when the country of Scotland was under the malicious rule of King Edward I of England. It revolves around a man and his desperate need for freedom not only for himself, but for his fellow Scots as well. Braveheart had a historically accurate setting. The 13th century was home to the cruel reign of King Edward “Longshanks” I of England. The Scottish peoples were being oppressed by the English and just recently their King died without a male heir. The English took advantage of this and forcefully took Scotland as their own. The Scots disliked the English rule and repeatedly tried to run them out of Scotland but failed. The English were tired of this and tried to get rid of them by breeding them out. The King ordered Primae Noctis, the right of the lord of the area to take a newly married Scottish woman into his bed on her wedding night. This was one of many reasons Wallace started his rebellion.

The movie making for this story had many challenging aspects. They had to cut down on the details a bit, because they had a maximum budget of 57 million dollars. Many of the extras didn’t even get paid at all. Most of the soldiers were played by members of the Irish army. Mel Gibson used “new” actors so he didn’t have to pay millions to famous actors and actresses for small parts. He also used a boys choir for the soundtrack. The sound and music were two of the most important story telling instruments used in the making of this film. James Horner was the composer for the music. He has worked on over 200 movies and TV shows and was uncredited for most of them. This was the first time he had composed for Gibson. The sound was key to making the movie seem real. Also the music coordinated with the script, and that made the movie a whole lot more interesting

The cinematography was fantastic for several reasons. First-of-all, the camera angles were varied. Also, the extras showed how extremely difficult it was to get the shots right, because of the unpredictable weather of Ireland, and limited amount of film. In addition, the cameras had to be stationed correctly so none of the “modern” background and landscape showed. This movie’s script and screenplay were very emotional at parts. Certain scenes were real tear jerkers, and the words truly dug deep. I felt so touched by the end of the movie. I couldn’t stop thinking about how great this man Wallace was. During the the last scene, Robert the Bruce leads his armies onto the battlefield to surrender to the English. However, he remembers the words of Wallace, “You have courage and respect. All you have to do is lead them. And they will follow”. Robert the Bruce then turns his back to the English and says to his army, “ You have bled with Wallace, now bleed with me “. The Scots charged the English and won their freedom. The way that the writers of Braveheart composed that scene is impactful to the movie.

I give this movie five stars and highly recommend it. It has great music and fantastic screenwriting. Braveheart tells a story of courage and perseverance in an oppressive time. The actors did an excellent job portraying their characters. I can’t recommend this movie highly enough.

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