Director
Mel Gibson
Leading Actors/Actresses
Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau, and Angus Macfadyen
Supporting Actors/Actresses
Patrick McGoohan, Catherine McCormack, and Brendan Gleeson
Genre
War
Language
English
Awards
Braveheart was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Original Screenplay, Best Costume Design, Best Sound, Best Film Editing, and Best Original Score. It won the following Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematographer, Best Sound Effects, and Best Editing.
Date of Release
May 24, 1995
Producer
Mel Gibson, Alan Ladd Jr., and Bruce Davey
Setting and Context
Scotland and England, the late 1200's and early 1300's
Narrator and Point of View
The film is told through the point of view of William Wallace.
Tone and Mood
Violent, Mysterious, Historical, Scheming, and Energetic
Protagonist and Antagonist
William Wallace (Protagonist) vs. Edward Longshanks (Antagonist)
Major Conflict
The major conflict of the film involves the Scottish rebellion (led by Gibson's William Wallace) against the English.
Climax
When Wallace is tortured and later declares freedom.
Foreshadowing
1. William Wallace's death is foreshadowed early on in the film.
2. As a kid, William Wallace is given a thistle (a flower). This foreshadows Scotland's eventual freedom from England because Wallace will be the one that liberates the country. The thistle is also Scotland's national flower.
Understatement
The lengths to which the Wallace and the Scottish people go to liberate Scotland is understated in the film.
Innovations in Filming or Lighting or Camera Techniques
Braveheart won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography and is an incredibly well-made film, but is not innovative in filming or lighting or camera techniques.
Allusions
Allusions are made to the following films: Spartacus (1960), The Hidden Fortress (1958), Conan the Barbarian (1982), and Once Upon a Time in China (1991). Allusions are also made to the Bible, mythology, history, and geography (of England and Scotland, mainly).
Paradox
Wallace played a large role in the liberation of Scotland, yet dies long before Scotland is totally and officially free.
Parallelism
There are no readily apparent instances of parallelism in Braveheart.
