Rating: Summary: A DVD Must-Have for any home video collection! Review: As a film, this is truly an awe-inspiring masterpiece that joins the ranks of great classics like "Lawrence of Arabia". Paramount did an excellent job in bringing this movie to DVD. The picture is clear and pristine due to the anamorphic enhancement & widescreen formatting which is required to convey the beauty of the film's various expansive wide landscape shots of the Scottish valleys. Audio soundtrack is richly detailed and expansive in its use of surround effects which adds the effect of "being there" especially during the brutal battle scenes. James Horner's music score comes through just beautifully. One aspect of this dvd I really enjoyed is the audio commentary track by the director himself Mel Gibson. He was very cordial, humorous, and at times very informative about the whole affair of making this movie. Just listening to Mel Gibson talk while viewing this movie made it feel as if you were watching it with a down-to-earth friend. You'll get a kick out of it. Trust me! There is one thing though: I just wish Paramount had included the TV clips from the Academy Awards show of Mel Gibson receiving the Oscars and his acceptance speech. The entire crew & Mel Gibson himself so richly deserved the Oscars the film won and including those Oscar clips in this DVD's supplements would have been icing on the cake. This DVD is a no-brainer, you can't get any better than this.
Rating: Summary: A COMPLETE cinematic experience. Totally satisfying Review: I saw this movie years ago when it first came out. Most movies aren't as good on second viewing. I just saw it again on DVD and it is BETTER than I remember it. The acting is superb, especially by the young William Wallace at the opening of the film. Infact all the actors are excellent in this film. What really takes my breath away in this film is the stunning (pre-computer generated)scenery, music, costumes, the sets and the magnificent battle scenes which really makes Bravehart a complete cinematic experience. The DVD comes with an entertaining documentary on the making of the film with an excellent full length commentary by director/actor Mel Gibson. A must in any DVD collection. Highly recommended.
Rating: Summary: A true masterpiece! Review: If there was ever a movie I would call an epic masterpiece, this would be it!
A sweeping saga of epic proportions, Mel Gibson directs this superb story of Scottish hero William Wallace.
Extremly well done battle scenes, combined with rich settings and costumes, perfectly complement the story, as Wallace and his band of stragglers pit themselves against the might of the British under their evil King.
Rightly deserving of an Oscar, this film also boasts a wonderful cast, and a lovely soundtrack that is spine tingling in parts.
Quite a sad, moving story in parts, with the viewer sharing in Wallaces sadness and frustration at being betrayed by those he placed his trust in.
I've really run out of superlatives to describe this movie it really is that good!
Well worth seeing! In my humble opinion, one of the best movies
of all time.
The special edition DVD also contains a great little documentary on the making of it that is also very interesting and really makes this even better value.
Thanks for reading
Rating: Summary: Fighting the English Review: This is a brilliant epic and historical story showing the rebellion of the scottish, led by William Wallace against the English. It reminds me as an Irish person, that plenty of other countries had to fight long and hard to win their freedom from the English.
The story itself is captivating and entertaining, with something for everybody.
Yes there is plenty of blood and gore in it but the filming of the battle scenes was done masterfully. It was in fact the Irish IFC that played the parts of the scottish militia for this film.
Mel Gibson did a wonderful job of directing and playing the lead role in this amazing film. His inspirational speech at the beginning of the first battle will always be in my memory.
Rating: Summary: EXCELLENT MOVIE/Guaranteed to shed a tear!!! Review: Definitely a great epic movie, Braveheart, brings to the screen the story of the Scot hero William Wallace, as he seeks revenge against the English for the killing of his wife and family, and the freedom of his country.
Braveheart combines drama, action, adventure, even humor, making it one of the best of its kind, thus, resurrecting interest in historical films after a long dormant period.
Needless to say, Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau, Catherine McCormack, and the rest of the cast have truly outdone themselves with their performances, which are outstanding to say the least!
The setting, the special effects, the music and the costumes are all wonderful!
Love, Honor, Battles, and swordfights are all about.
In short, it is a movie worth watching!
Rating: Summary: Epic drama, extreme gore and misleading history Review: This movie is very dramatic, compelling and moving. If you separate yourself out from the history, this is great theater. Unfortunately, for many people, the only history they will ever learn about from this time period will be this movie, which is erroneous on many fronts.
First of all, leaving the theater, you would think that Wallace was now going to be the father of England's heir to the throne. Well, let's look at the problems here. Wallace died in 1305. Edward II did not marry Isabelle until either 1307 or 1308. I'm pretty sure that Isabelle did not give birth to Wallace's son (I'm willing to bet all the rosary beads in Rome in fact).
The portrayal of Edward I was overstated just a teensey weensey bit. Probably one of England's better monarchs during the period, his supposed savagery in the movie exceeded what was recorded in contemporary history.
Even with the historical flaws, the movie is an inspirational affair, promoting freedom and liberty (rather than self-rule which is what most scots wanted). Taken for what it is worth, it can inspire you to believe that courage and determination can make a difference in the your life and that of your community.
Despite the gore and the inaccuracies, I still recommend this movie.
Rating: Summary: That is the best movie of the century Review: "Every man dies, not every man really lives."
BRAVEHEART is an epic film that drives home the truth of the statement above in a compelling, spectacular way! Mel Gibson is masterful as both the creator of this saga and as the lead role, portraying the life and death of William Wallace.
The story of William Wallace is one of courage and sacrifice, and Gibson's portrayal of this bold Scotsman strongly reflects the attributes and ideals that make up a true fighter. BRAVEHEART is the story of how one man, William Wallace, led his countrymen in a fight for liberation against the oppressive English forces of the corrupt king of England, Edward the Longshanks. Longshanks has seized the throne from Scotland after the king of Scotland died without an heir, thus taking over Scotland and putting the people of Scotland under English rule. William Wallace builds a makeshift army of courageous peasants and strives to defeat overwhelming odds to secure the freedom of Scotland. This film depicts that freedom fight in richly-detailed splendor that gives viewers a feel for what it was like to live in the rough and dangerous medieval era. It is uncompromising and unrelenting in its realism and authenticity. The acting is top notch and down-to-earth, the characters are developed fully, and the storyline is a sweeping and inspiring true story that is presented in a powerful and compelling way. It definitely ranks as one of my top five favorite films. Mel Gibson is one who knows how to make a powerful, awe-inspiring movie! I highly recommend BRAVEHEART to anyone age 13 and up. Rated R for brutal medieval warfare. 5 stars.
Rating: Summary: Gibson's No Historian, but is a religious zealot/idiot. Review: Wow, to think I actually liked this movie way back when I first viewed it in 95. (Is it just me or did Gibson lash out at the two sources who oppose Catholic mindset: England and the Mid-East.) What on earth was I thinking? Could it be the excessive violence and fighting that caught my then 11 yr. old eye? Short answer: Absolutely! Mel is an interesting character, mostly because of his chauvanism and machismo than anything else. In watching "The Making of Braveheart" on DVD, I nearly fell over in hysterics; Mel reveals how inaccurate and amateurish he can be. For example, he talks about his design of an armband w/ spikes in it, one that he could use for gashing peoples faces w/ in the movie. It proves he by no means aims for historical deference, but rather a brute outlook on days of yore. Mel has to realize something which will play out in the future and will very much hurt the Catholic church, (as if its priests and past murders haven't enough already) and that is the awakening of more and more people to the oppressive and nonsensical view of the church itself. Its saints are all white or Roman, its laws are dumbfounding, and its theory is tainted with opinion and too much emotion for the modern world. With the rise of a new world order, which will happen, and is not as terrible as many proclaim it to be (can't be much worse than old imbeciles wearing robes and telling women how to live), Catholicism and all its old suppressing habits will be no more. China, Russia, England, France, Germany, Japan, and the U.S. have a growing number within their populace whom disagree with old notions and papal decrees. Now of course many buy into Mel's dislogic (The Spanish despise the English, and somehow they have deluded the Hispanic peoples of the west into following old Spain, which would and has treated Native Americans far worse than any other conquering nation) and even they will probably come to see the church for what it is: A propogation tool for control over them and as a collector of their hard earned money! Nay to Gibson's off-the-mark history, and enough of this old line of thinking, all the workings of a dying belief system: Catholicism.
Rating: Summary: The epic seed! Review: In the thirteen century , William Wallace decides to rebel against the tyranny of Edward I . The increasing tension will be enforced by an organic script , fine humor and bloody battle sequences .
Gibson directed his undeniable masterpiece . Consider this film , Saving Private Ryan and Gladiator as the three big scale and epic breathe films in the nineties .
Superb movie from start to finish .
Rating: Summary: Great as a Movie, not a reference to Historical events Review: Since the first time I've seen this movie in 1996 and I consider it one of the best movies although the copy that I watched was a VHS censored copy. The first time I watched the full copy was when I bought the DVD special edition of it last year.
The story is so powerful and although it was a typical story about the battle between good and evil but the fighting scenes were the biggest of that time and they were simply amazing. Of course if you try to watch this movie after watching a movie like Matrix. well, you will feel that Braveheart is a kid movie and the tricks in the fighting scenes are so obvious and done poorly. My advice to anyone watching this movie is to enjoy the story line instead of concentrating on the special effects.
Another important point about the movie is that it can't reflect an accurate or even near view of what actually happened to Wallace. Reading a little in history or watching some of the programs about this man's life will make you ask the question 'was this man a hero after all?'. Anyway, the history is as good and as bad as who writes it want it to be. so enjoy the movie and just don't take its events as historical facts.
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