Abstract The paper draws comparisons between two movies, "Gladiator" (directed by Ridley Scott) and "Braveheart" (directed by Mel Gibson). The paper discusses how, in both Braveheart and Gladiator, the tragic and unassuming hero ultimately suffers a horrible and dramatic death, as a result of his struggle for freedom and justice. Themes, scenes and protagonists of the films are also discussed.
From the Paper "Interestingly, both the movies Braveheart and Gladiator have become popular with both critics and audiences alike. Braveheart won five Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director, both awarded to Mel Gibson. Both Spartacus and Gladiators were epics about romance, patriotism, battle, war, revenge, honor, intrigue, friendship, betrayal, and vain and dishonorable villains.
"Like Gladiator, the movie Braveheart showcases the horror, and futility of war and violence. Interestingly, these movies also honor those heroes, Wallace and Maximus, who stand up and fight against oppression and dishonor.
"In both Gladiator and Braveheart the horrors of the battlefield are clearly depicted and bloody and brutal hand-to-hand combat is clearly portrayed. In both movies both trusted friends and comrades die tragically in battle, and bloodshed and death are unflinchingly shown."
Abstract The story in the movie "Braveheart" is drawn from history, but the film is not history, but rather a fictionalized and romanticized account that some critics see as generally faithful to history, while others see it as veering too far from the real story. The paper shows that while "Braveheart's" version of the life of Scottish rebel and hero, William Wallace is in part fictional, this is not surprising given that so little is actually known of the real Wallace. Still, critics have found much to criticize regarding the historical inaccuracies in the film. The paper argues that despite several inaccuracies, the film gives a fair account of the military career of Wallace and so conveys his importance in Sottish history, something most people did not know before they saw the film.
From the Paper "For that matter, there were other rebellions across the country at that time, and the unrest was due to the imposition of strict rule on the Scots after John Balliol, who had held the throne of Scotland for a brief time, gave up his kingship. Edward I had control of Scotland because Scotland had no king, and he wanted to make certain that the Scots did not break free from his control. Under such oppression, it was not surprising that the Scots did react, and that many of them, being poor, formed weapons from farm implements and set out to protect their land ("The History Behind Braveheart").
Most of the information about William Wallace comes from an old poem which states that "he unified the clans of Scotland and won famous battles against the English before being captured, tortured and executed as a traitor" (Ebert). The history that is known does not agree entirely with the film. Wallace and Murray stated the rebellion and then were aghast when the nobles who had allied with them surrendered to the English on July 9, 1297 at Irvine."
Tags: Edward, I, Princess, Isabella, John, Balliol, Longshanks
Abstract This paper looks at the popular appeal of the films "Braveheart" and "Spartacus" as a result of their theme and cinematic qualities. The paper explores their subject matter of the eternal struggle of man to become free of oppression and external control. Both movies feature a brave, charismatic leader who reluctantly leads an oppressed, but courageous and valiant people to fight against their villainous and greedy oppressors. The paper describes in depth the cinematic techniques, actors and story line of the films of great critical acclaim.
From the Paper "The movies Spartacus and Braveheart are variations on the classic theme of man's unceasing struggle for freedom. Braveheart and Spartacus share numerous similarities, but are also highly distinct. In both movies, an average man is horribly wronged, and is thus forced to fight for freedom and vengeance against what seem to be almost impossible odds. The average man who becomes a tragic hero is charismatic, and rallies his loyal supporters against an overwhelming enemy. In both Braveheart and Spartacus, the reluctant hero dies a dramatic death in his struggle for freedom."
Abstract This paper examines the movie, "Braveheart", which tells the story of the thirteenth-century Scottish hero, William Wallace, who led his countrymen in a quest to gain freedom from the oppressive rule of King Edward I of England. It looks at how the movie distorts its two central characters and contains many inaccuracies, although it heroically depicts William Wallace and the conflict between England and Scotland. It analyzes how, although the basic plot of the film is historically accurate, it overly simplifies the characters of Wallace and Edward. It also shows how the film's representation of Wallace illustrates the attitudes and beliefs that the Scots have held for him throughout the years. Although William Wallace and King Edward were powerful and pivotal foes in the fight for Scottish Independence, Wallace's many faults are overlooked in the movie in order to depict him as a Hollywood hero. Additionally, Edward is villanized to the extreme, despite his legitimate actions as King.
From the Paper "Despite the oversimplification of his character in Braveheart, King Edward was actually a practical and effective ruler. Although Edward was a strict ruler, he became king at a time when feudalism was breaking down in Europe. A firm hand was needed to maintain stability in England as social structures changed. Additionally, his attempted occupation of Scotland would have also benefited England as a whole. Like many logical rulers of the time, Edward wanted to expand his United Kingdom. Increased land holdings were equated with increased royal superiority and national power. It was the aim of many rulers, not just Edward, to protect themselves and increase their power. Edward was given the opportunity, by the nobles of Scotland, to further this aim and acted accordingly."
Abstract The author argues that the popular Mel Gibson film, "Braveheart," is historically inaccurate. Through reference to specific scenes and incidents, the author discusses the extent to which the film confuses the history of William Wallace and his myth, obscures facts, and misrepresents traditional symbols.
From the Paper "Hollywood has offered the world many great historical epics that have survived over the years and are watched by generation after generation. These films include the "Ten Commanders," "Cleopatra," and more recently, "Troy," "Alexander," and "Braveheart." These films are magnificent epics that, from the audience's view point, bring the past alive. As Bruce Wallace observes about Mel Gibson's " Braveheart," the film "is on people's lips so much that it has become contemporary." It has brought the life of a man who has been dead for 800 years alive. However, from the viewpoint of historians, these films are not good because they distort history and invent facts just to attract audiences and profits. As Robert Brent Toplin writes in an article on the way that Hollywood films treat history, the films do not accurately present the past but are "innovative approaches to looking at the past" (1216). Historians argue that historical films are distorting the past and complain that Hollywood has "compromised, stretched, abused and fabricated" history(1210). This criticism, even though it sounds very hard, is correct. There is little respect for the facts in Hollywood's historical films and this claim is completely supportable through an analysis of Mel Gibson's historical epic " Braveheart." Now audiences are misled into assuming that this film is the life of Willliam Wallace, one of Scotland's most famous and important thirteenth century patriots. In no place, throughout the film there is not any hint at all that shows the events presented are not factual or that there may be any historical inaccuracies. The audience, instead,sits throughout the film believing that this is history. However, it is not. As emphasized by Graeme Morton, the life of willliam Wallace is based more on myths than on history and there are only a few known and supported facts about the life of this Scottish hero. "Braveheart" does not clarify the difference between myth and history, bases the film on a source which historians object to, disregards important symbols and in the final analysis, misleads audiences into believing that this is a historically factual film while it is not."
Abstract This paper discusses the life of William Wallace, known as Braveheart. It includes a brief biography, and a description of his character and experiences in trying to rid Scotland of the English. The paper focuses on Wallace as the founder of Scottish Nationalism.
From the Paper "William Wallace immortalized by Mel Gibson in the film "Braveheart" is considered the founder of Scottish nationalism. The three adjectives I would most use to describe him are ferocious, pious and nationalist. For a long while it was assumed that ..."
Tags: Scotland, Braveheart, liberty, freedom, combat, English, history
Abstract This paper examines this movie telling the story of William Wallace as a nationalist and freedom fighter for Scotish rights. Despite its grandeur, the writer shows that this movie had historical inaccuracies and portrays a very simple view of the world. A brief description of the historical story of William Wallace is presented followed by a comparison of the way this story is portrayed in "Highlander".
From the Paper "The film Braveheart, a tale of a Scottish nationalist hero, follows Mel Gibson's William Wallace through and love through war, stopping periodically to comment on the very nature of love and war. A narrative in which love conquers all, the movie, while and emotionally manipulative, reinforces extremely pedestrian and normative social ideas. Furthermore, many of the fundamental tensions that drive the film, the distinction, for example, between the brute strength and the intellect are contradicted by the narrative imperative itself. Braveheart is a movie that cannot bear the burden of its own epic status, fundamentally reducing broad historical themes to unsophisticated Star Wars-esque banalities."
Abstract A paper about Mel Gibson's life, career, and a review of some of his most notable movies. The paper also explores the reasons for his success and why he is the writer's favorite actor.
From the Paper "Although he is widely believed to be an Australian, Mel Gibson was actually born in Peekskill, New York on January 03, 1956 of Irish Catholic parents, the sixth of eleven children. His father was a railroad brakeman while his mother was an Australian opera singer. The family shifted to Australia when Mel was 12 years old, partly because his father wanted his children to avoid being drafted for the Vietnam War and partly because (as legend would have it) he had recently won a large amount of money at Jeopardy.(Brennen, 2002). Perhaps the family of 13 (!) just needed more elbowroom than was available in Peekskill, NY."
Tags: actor, film, movie, art, star, braveheart, oscar
From the Paper "The movie Braveheart is an interesting study in film marketing techniques. The film seemed to lack many elements which would make it easy to promote a wide audience, and yet its high earnings demonstrate that it was a success. The film was set in a time and place that is unfamiliar to most Americans, and this was a problem that marketing efforts needed to address. In response to this problem, the movie was sold to the public as a romance and as an action adventure, themes the public could easily recognize. Further efforts were made to inform the public that Mel Gibson, a well-liked and known actor, played an important role in the film and behind the scenes. Overall, marketing efforts worked well to get audiences into theaters by focusing on the film's most appealing and universal attributes.
Film marketing is a process that often begins even before a film.."
From the Paper " The film Braveheart (Mel Gibson, 1995) tells an epic story in traditional Hollywood epic fashion. The story is drawn from history, but the film is not a history but a fictionalized and romanticized account that some critics see as generally faithful to history while others see it as veering too far from the real story. Many of the characters portrayed in the film, among them William Wallace, Robert the Bruce, Edward I, Princess Isabella, Prince Edward, and the Sheriff of Lanark, were historical figures. One critic noted of the film,
Although it may pretend to present a true depiction of the events of that time, it's really just Hollywood glamorizing the story again. This does not in any way detract from the main reason you should be watching this film for enjoyment (Hong)."
Abstract This paper gives an in-depth account of the life of Scottish hero, William Wallace who is more commonly known as "Braveheart" after a film was made on his life 700 years after his death. The paper draws information from several sources such as the poem "Scots Wha Hae" by
Robert Burns and the book, "William Wallace: Brave Heart" by James Mackay to show the rise and fall of this man. The paper examines Wallace's early life, his father's death at the hands of the English which fueled Wallace's desire for revenge, his outlaw years and finally his capture and horrible execution in 1305.
From the Paper "Long negotiations took place between King Edward I of England and King Eirik II of Norway concerning the betrothal of King Edward's five-year-old son, Edward, the Prince of Wales, and the six-year-old Queen Margaret of Scotland, King Eirik II's daughter. Finally, they agreed upon the terms of the marriage of these two children. These negotiations resulted in the Treaty of Bingham being ratified. The one glaring problem in all of this was the fact that an English king and a Norwegian king were making very important decisions concerning the future of Scotland (Barrow). Tragically, the child queen of Scotland contracted an illness on the voyage from Norway and died shortly thereafter. Her death threw Scotland into a political upheaval."
