William Wallace, a commoner, unites the 13th Century Scots in their battle to overthrow English rule. [imdb]
Nominated for 10 Oscars:
Best Picture (WINNER)
Best Director: Mel Gibson (WINNER)
Best Original Screenplay
Best Cinematography (WINNER)
Best Original Score
Best Costume Design
Best Editing
Best Sound
Best Sound Effects (WINNER)
Best Makeup (WINNER)
There are two sides to Braveheart. First: it's a homophobic, xenophobic, historically very inaccurate film. On the other hand: it's a well directed film with a good technical part, with memorable fighting scenes and a beautiful cinematography. So, one should choose for himself.
The original score and the cinematography are terribly good and the technical wins and nominations seem justified. Other than that: the acting is mediocre and the romantic side of the film sucks. I think the screenplay is overrated bullshit, from the character clichés to the huge lack of respect for the historical facts. Oh yeah: and everybody is so patriotic and it's so cool to day on the battlefield. I do think this film has its own target; and maybe I'm not included. :P But truth is: Mel Gibson knows how to direct! He didn't deserve the Oscar, nor did the film deserve Best Picture. But I must hand it to him that parts of Braveheart were very well directed. I don't want to leave the impression I hated the movie; it was enjoyable at times and the cinematography was a delight.
My rating for the film: 7/10. A bit too much, considering how paper thin the story really is.
Posts
Yeah, this movie is just okay. It was like an "oh, look what else Mel Gibson can do" kind of thing that somehow translated to Best Picture.
ReplyDeleteIt reminds me of Kevin Costner's Dances with Wolves victory, which imo should have gone to Scorsese and Goodfellas.
I confess I've never seen Dances with Wolves, just scenes of it. I always imagined it to be a 3-4 hours movie with a boring storyline. BUT I really intend to give it a shot soon.
ReplyDeleteObviously, Goodfellas is a classic and one of my favorites ever