The movie Braveheart, directed by Mel Gibson, tells the story of William Wallace, a freedom fighter for Scotland who lived at the end of the 14th century. The movie reflects the universal theme of freedom and that being completely free is worth fighting for. The story is complex on multiple levels, perhaps rooted in Wallace's desire to raise his family in peace. This desire conflicts with the King
of England, Edward "Longshanks," who reined with dominance over the lives of the people of Scotland. His tactics, such as "prima noctur," where English landowners have sexual rights to every Scottish bride on the night of her wedding, are unacceptable to Wallace. Longshanks struggles with multiple internal conflicts: his only son is a homosexual, and although he has a wife, it is unlikely that he will produce an heir. The prince's wife has met Wallace, and because Longshanks underestimates her abilities, she is able to pass along military information to Wallace.
In Braveheart, Gibson ensures that each character is carefully introduced to the audience. The first time we see Wallace, he is a young boy pretending to fight the English by throwing rocks at them. When he returns to his village as an adult, he throws rocks again, providing humor as well as a solid connection to his childhood. When Wallace's wife first appears in the film, they are both children, and at Wallace's father's funeral, she gives him a flower. Later in the film, we see that Wallace has kept the flower into his adulthood.
Longshank's son and his wife are introduced at their wedding, where
the conflict is made clear as the prince communicates clearly with his eyes
to his male companion. The entrance of Robert the Bruce is more subtle.
He is heard before he is seen, as a voice-over. The text he reads is
neutral, like listening to a well-written history book being read. This
reflects his great conflict throughout the movie. He admires Wallace and
...