Braveheart

Braveheart is a historical war film directed by Mel Gibson in 1995. The story is based on Blind Harry's poem The Actes and Deidis of the Illustre and Vallyeant Campioun Schir William Wallace. It has been described as one of the most historically inaccurate modern films. The film was nominated for ten Academy Awards.

Braveheart was one of the most popular films of 1995. Nearly three hours long, it cost about $53 million to make, and has been compared to the great historical epics of the 1960s, such as Spartacus.It stars Mel Gibson as Wallace, French actress Sophie Marceau as Princess Isabella, and Patrick McGoohan as King Edward I. Gibson also directed and produced the film.

Braveheartwas shot partly in Scotland and partly in Ireland, where 2,000 members of the Irish army were used as extras in the film’s very impressive battle scenes.

It is said that Braveheart has had an effect on today’s Scottish movement for complete independence

Braveheart is based on the life of William Wallace, one of Scotland’s greatest national heroes, and took place in the 13th century. The English King Edward I invades Scotland and makes himself its ruler. Many Scots want to fight back but need leadership, and find it when William Wallace turns from peaceful farmer to rebel, after an English sheriff kills his wife. He gathers an army of a few thousand men and not only defeats the English but takes the war into their own country. But the murderous King Edward is not a man to be stopped so easily, and the Scottish nobles are too afraid of him, and too jealous of each other, to support William for long. Even though William wins the love and secret help of the King’s daughter-in-law, Princess Isabella, he cannot stand against England and his own countrymen as well. When the English return to Scotland, all William has left is his courage and integrity.

This film has an impressive effect on tourism. Fans came from all over the world to see the places in Scotland where William Wallace fought, also to the places in Scotland and Ireland used as locations in the film. In 1996, the year after the film was released, the annual three-day "Braveheart Conference" at Stirling Castle attracted fans of Braveheart, increasing the conference's attendance to 167,000 from 66,000 in the previous year. They mostly said the film was one of the main reasons for their visit in Scotland. In the same year, a tourism report said that the "Braveheart effect" earned Scotland ₤7 million to ₤15 million in tourist revenue, and the report led to various national organizations encouraging international film productions to take place in Scotland.

 

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