Reel History - Braveheart by Lawrence

"Arrow, Shields and Vast, Wide Fields"
Entertainment Grade: A+
History Grade: B

Entertainment Grade: A+

History Grade: C-

Mel Gibson’s “Braveheart” is an academy award winning film that is about William Wallace’s life in Scotland. The movie is action filled and very well done but does not do William Wallace justice as well as other characters. This movies portrayal of William Wallace is wrong. William Wallace was not a peasant farmer as portrayed in the movie but instead was an English noble. Wallace was a member of the ruling elite and was also a privileged landowner. William Wallace was also not as nice in real life as he is in the movie. William would burn down villages and was labeled as a “berserker” and “monster”. The movie also shows scenes of a love affair between Wallace and queen Isabella. Queen Isabella at the time of this movie was only two years old and was much older portrayed in the movie meaning there was no love affair between the two. Clearly this movies portrayer of characters compared to who these people actually were is very inaccurate. Some of the violence and wars in Braveheart are accurate but also inaccurate at the same time. For example, the battle for Stirling was not actually like it is in the movie. The actual battle took place on a bridge where the Scottish would wait for the English troops to pass and murder them as soon as they crossed. Some of the more violent parts of the movies are portrayed well like the execution of William Wallace. Wallace was hanged, drawn, and quartered almost exactly as portrayed in the movie. William’s parts were also sent to different parts of England and put up on display like said in the movie. Violence and War was a mostly inaccurate in Braveheart but some parts were still very accurate.

Not only are the characters and the violence inaccurate in Braveheart but so is some of the problems and history in the movie. For example, one of the major reasons this war was started in this movie was because of the English kings “Prima Nocte”. This is a problem because Prima Nocte did not even exist during the feudal period and it was more myth then real. Also, after the battle of Falkirk, Wallace did not stay in Scotland. Wallace resigned as guardian and went on a diplomatic mission to Rome and France and did nor return until 1302. Clearly most history in Braveheart is very inaccurate. Braveheart is an outstanding movie that deserves the awards it received but the history of Braveheart is mostly very wrong.

The Week - "Mel Gibson admits Braveheart was Bogus":

William Wallace’s father was landowner so first off William Wallace was not a peasant he came from a family of landowners Another historical inaccuracy was the blue paint the Scottish didn’t paint themselves blue. There was a car in one of the shots it was entertaining

C – for historical grade.

Brave Heart is about a peasant Scottish warrior that has slayed hundreds of English men during the dark ages. Scottish fought for freedom English tried to take land over excuse was the church .

You should watch this but not try to learn from it you wont really teachers should refrain from using it as a teaching source.