But when someone he loves is murdered by the English, he is capable of slitting the murderer's throat in revenge. Wallace is a warrior with wit and a romantic soul. Zany rock-throwing contest between Wallace and his loyal friend Hamish (Brendan Gleeson). And there are flashes of irreverent wit, including a weirdly The love affair with Murron plays off the actor's heartthrob image. Just enough of the typical Gibson persona shows through to make Wallace accessible and likable in modern terms.

The romantic marriage ceremony, at night in a clearing in the woods, is so evocative of 'Romeo and Juliet' Wallace and Murron are married in secret to elude an English law allowing a nobleman to rape a Scottish bride on her wedding night. Wallace is sent abroad to be educated, returns as Mel Gibson and falls in love with a beautiful woman named Murron (Catherine McCormack). Theīoy sees their bodies hanging from the rafters, establishing right away that this movie is about a savage time.ĭespite that, the early episodes are more lyrical than brutal. At the start of the film, the child William (sweetly played by James Robinson, who looks remarkably like Gibson) wanders into a hut where his clansmen have gone to make peace with the English.

They get quite bloody in the process, too. The medieval Scots use spears, swords, axes and giant rocks, and they use them The logical comparison is not with the pallid 'Rob Roy' but with a 'Die Hard' film. 'Braveheart' is also an explosive action movie. Romance and unbounded heroism, gorgeous photography and a cast of thousands - and add a swift contemporary kick. Gibson's stroke of brilliance is to revel in those epic qualities - tragic

The story of William Wallace, who led the Scots in a struggle for freedom from England's brutal rule, 'Braveheart' evokes old-fashioned movie epics. Of 'Braveheart,' he turns the unpromising story of a 13th-century kilted wonder into one of the most spectacular entertainments in years. Braveheart By CARYN JAMES e know Mel Gibson as one of the prettiest guys in Hollywood who would have thought he was also one of the canniest? As director, star and producer

Brave heart freedom