Braveheart: Bravery

Braveheart (1995) is a film set in Scotland during the 13th century, with the central theme being Scotland’s fight for independence, though there are other themes such as loyalty and affection.

The Plot

The film’s central character is William Wallace, who leads all of Scotland to war. The plot revolves around Wallace rallying the Scots against the English empire for the most part. There is a bravery scene in the movie that centers around the main character. Since it illustrates many of the topics that were meant to be illustrated, this section contains the core purpose of the cinema. In London, William is brought before the magistrates and tried for betrayal. However, he denies the charges by proclaiming that he had never acknowledged Edward as his emperor. The court reacts by sentencing him to be purified by soreness. After the punishment, the shaken William prays for power during the upcoming torture and refuses the painkiller given by Isabelle(Xuan n.p). Later, the princess goes to her father-in-law and husband begging them to show mercy to the captive. Nevertheless, Prince Edward speaks on behalf of the terminally sick and mute King Edward Longshanks by telling his wife that the ruler will take pleasure in William’s death. Isabelle lambastes her father-in-law and hubby verbally after which he informs the king about her pregnancy with Wallace and promises that Edward will not last for a long time as the ruler. The ill Longshanks is stunned and unable to explain his plans to Prince Edward.

The Execution

Wallace is later taken to the square on top of the London tower for execution by beheading and torture. During the process, he refuses to submit to the emperor and ask for mercy despite being racked, half hanged, disemboweled publicly, and castrated (Xuan n.p). Awed by William’s courage, the Londoners watching the punishment start to yell for mercy whereby the judge offers him the last chance for forgiveness. Rather than begging for mercy, Wallace utilizes his last strength shouting “Freedom.” Before he is beheaded, he sees the picture of Murron in the gathering smiling at him prior to the blow being struck.

The Message of Bravery and Vision

Through the scene, William is illustrated as a dedicated person who fought for his country with mind and body. He never gave up his vision of freeing Scotland from the harsh administration of the English emperor. Wallace’s determination to get independence remains solid as a rock even during the last moment of his life. He had the chance to save himself from the death sentence by submitting to the king. However, he chooses to remain patriot to his land by standing with the belief that Scotland needed to be a sovereign land. The judgment was structured in a way that the captive would be tortured and scared so as to drop his rigid ambitions for interested. Through his patriotism, the crowd was moved asking for mercy but he never turned down. Based on the scene, Wallace is used to teaching the contemporary world the importance of freedom and how our forefathers experienced difficult moments to establish the world that we are living. Moreover, the scene helps emphasize the need for supporting and fighting for our rights. Also, William remains a role model for leaders and people servants who are urged to remain committed and determined in achieving the interests of the people.

The Theme of Freedom

The theme of vision is illustrated in the scene. William is the hero and a leader of the people who had only one apparent vision: the independence for Scotland. Additionally, he was the master at ensuring that all levels of Scottish residents including the nobility understood his dream and aligned with it. The torture in front of the king and large crowd depicts his commitment to serving and leading people towards independence. The people of Scotland were afraid of challenging the English soldiers but he demonstrated to them that they should not fear even death when he was beheaded. He lived all his life as a leader and made his vision lead other people to success. Although he did not continue fighting or witness the freedom, his unwavering commitment to his vision changed the minds of many residents including Bruce who took the leaders to freedom and victory.

The Cost of Freedom and True Love

Freedom is the major theme of the whole film and it is highly depicted in the bravery plot. While he was in front of the judges, prince, and dying king, Wallace admitted that he will never consider Longshanks as his ruler. The act demonstrates his need for freedom since the administration was considered to be unfair to the Scottish people. Additionally, this part of the movie explains the cost of freedom which includes death, pain, torture, and commitment. William endured much pain comprising of castration and being racked. He sacrificed his life and anguish for the sake of achieving independence. The refusal to submit to the king shows the suffering that Scottish people were going through in the English monarchy. Besides, the scene is able to demonstrate faithfulness and true love as well as hope. For instance, Isabelle loves Wallace after he is tortured and decides to take painkillers so that he could not feel pain. Moreover, the princess begs her father-in-law and husband to show mercy to her lover. The strong bond between William and Isabelle makes her feel that her lover does not deserve such torture, hence doing her best to save him from pain, including providing the painkillers. After her husband refused to forgive Wallace, she discloses about Wallace’s kid and promises that the prince will not stay in power for a long time. Love makes Isabelle challenge the king for not showing mercy as well as being proud that the detainee’s child will one day be the ruler. Further, the Isabelle image during the last moment of execution illustrates love and hope for the future generation and freedom in Scotland.

The Emotional Impact

Conclusively, the scene is emotional for the audience since it illustrates some of the ruthless acts that can be committed to a human being. Wallace is castrated and racked in front of the crowd who were shouting for mercy. Also, William is executed by beheading due to the fight for freedom but accused of treason. Rather than being treated fairly, the leader is killed ruthlessly by the king of the people. However, all is not lost since the pregnancy displays hope for the Scottish individuals. The audience is left wondering if the effort made by Wallace to fight and motivate people against England was in vain. The combination of balanced composition, changes in editing rhythm, color, and moving camera makes the part cinematic and mysterious.

Work Cited

Xuan, Bao Dinh. Braveheart (1995). YouTube, 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tD1-lTm24U4.