BRAVEHEART
The
plot of the film (spoiler's alert)
The
films starts like this: Edward I of England , nicknamed Longshanks
("
leggy ") , occupies a large part of Southern Scotland . His
oppression leads to the deaths of the father and brother of the young
William Wallace.
Years
later, after Wallace has been raised abroad by his uncle, Scotland
continues to live under the cruel laws of Edward I . Wallace returns
with the intention of living as a farmer and avoiding any involvement
in the unrest in the country.
He
finds his friend and childhood sweetheart Murron MacClannough, to
which he shows a thistle, carefully preserved, she had given him when
they were children . The two young people marry in secret to avoid
the decree of the king “primae noctis”. Later, when an English
soldier bullies Murron and tries to rape her, Wallace rescues her .
He helps her to ride away. But she is finally captured, and the
sheriff cuts her throat in public, proclaiming "an attack
against the soldiers of the king is like an attack against the king
himself ." In retaliation, Wallace and villagers massacre the
English garrison and Wallace cuts the throat of the sheriff on the
place where he has killed Murron and with the same dagger. So begins
the quest of Wallace for the independence of Scotland.
When
Edward I hears the news of the rebellion of Wallace, he supports his
son, also named Edward , to marry Isabella of France but the son
doesn't care about her because he is homosexual.
Meanwhile,
Wallace and his troops multiply the strikes and new forces join him
as his fame grows more and more . Wallace inflicts a crushing defeat
to the English army at the Battle of Stirling . He then sacks the
city of York.
Wallace
is also seeking the support of Robert Bruce , a solid pretender to
the throne of Scotland, but this one, despite his admiration for
Wallace, is heavily influenced by his father, who urges him to
support Wallace officially while secretly remaining close to the
English king.
Edward I sends Princess Isabella to negotiate peace
with Wallace. He refuses the gold that is offered in exchange for his
submission and makes a strong impression on Isabella , who was
expecting to meet a barbaric blood-thirsty peasant and not a
well-read and grown man . She tells him that Edward is preparing a
surprise attack against Wallace , Isabella warns him of the danger
and sleeps with him.
Wallace
tries to unite the Scottish nobles against the English, but on the
battlefield of Falkirk, he is betrayed by the nobles Mornay and
Lochlan . The Scots are defeated and Wallace discovers that Robert
Bruce was in the English staff. However, he refuses to kill him and
Bruce, seized with remorse, allows him to escape capture. Wallace
then kills Lochlan and Mornay in retaliation and now leads a guerilla
against the English.
Robert
Bruce is now eager to join forces with Wallace , but at a meeting
held between the two, the father of Bruce and other Scottish nobles
betray them. Wallace is captured and delivered to the English while
Bruce disowns his father. Wallace is taken to London and is
sentenced to death for treason.
Edward
I is now seriously ill. Isabella comes to prison to see Wallace,
offers him poison to escape the torture, but he refuses. Isabella
tells the king, now unable to speak, that the child she is expecting
is Wallace's and promises to put an end to his lineage.
Wallace
suffers a terrible public torture but refuses to implore the grace of
the king. Instead of yelling " Mercy " to put an end to his
torment , he screams "Freedom" and he is then
beheaded.
Years later, Robert Bruce refuses to submit to an
English army, and invoking the memory of Wallace, he leads the Scots
to victory at the Battle of Bannockburn , ensuring the independence
of Scotland.
Filming
information
While
filming, the team spent six weeks in Scotland. However, the main
battle scenes were filmed in Ireland, with the participation of
reserve members of the Irish army. On this occasion, they were
granted the right to exceptionally grow a beard. To underestimated
costs, Mel Gibson used the same extras to play soldiers on both
sides. The number rose to 1,600 extras for some scenes.
Box
Office
Braveheart
reported a total of $ 210,409,945 at the worldwide box office
(including $ 75,609,945 in the USA only) , ranking thirteenth-largest
film hit in 1995. In France , he realized 1,231,534 entries. He is
currently the 456th most successful film in the history of cinema
End
of Life of the real hero
William
Wallace had to relinquish his title of guardian of the kingdom
between July and December 1298. After leaving the country for 6 years
, William Wallace returned to Scotland where he resumed his life as
an outlaw. He was captured near Glasgow in 1305 by the men of Sir
John Menteith, the keeper of Dumbarton Castle, who, like most
Scottish nobles, had made his submission to the king of
England.
William Wallace was transferred to London on the 22nd
of August 1305 and was sentenced to death for high treason against
his sovereign. On Monday, August 23rd
, 1305 he was taken in procession on a horse to Westminster Hall and
executed ( Hanged , drawn and quartered ) at the age of 33 years old.
William Wallace was put to death in atrocious conditions reserved for
traitors, dragged by horses through the several miles from
Westminster to the Tower of London and thence to Algate half hanged,
drawn and set fire to his womb . He was finally beheaded, then cut
into pieces.
But instead of destroying the spirit of liberty among
the Scots , the execution quickened the Scottish nationalist
sentiment, and other men prepared to fight against England,
especially Robert the Bruce . In 1314 , the Scots , under the command
of Robert the Bruce, who was joined by nobles and proclaimed King of
Scotland , defeated the English army at the Battle of Bannockburn ,
and ensured at the end of the war, the Scottish independence in 1328
.
ADRIEN & AMAURY
