Braveheart

Course Home Syllabus Course Plan Historical Fiction Course Pack: Index Page Bibliography	*Braveheart* (Paramount Pictures, 1995; 177 min. Rated R "for brutal medieval warfare") Dir. Mel Gibson; Wr. Randall Wallace
	http://www.cocc.edu/cagatucci/classes/eng339/coursepack/Braveheart.htm
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Braveheart (1995) Internet Movie Database (IMDb.com): http://us.imdb.com/ Film Title Search Keyword [i.e. type in]: Braveheart http://us.imdb.com/Title?0112573 [Last accessed 3 April 2002] Genre categories: Drama / War / Romance / Action ...Directed by Mel Gibson: http://us.imdb.com/Name?Gibson,+Mel [Last accessed 3 April 2002] ...Written by Randall Wallace: http://us.imdb.com/Name?Wallace,+Randall [Last accessed 3 April 2002] ...Genre & Plot Keywords [for Braveheart]: http://us.imdb.com/Keywords?0112573 [Last accessed 3 April 2002] *...External Reviews [of Braveheart]:* http://us.imdb.com/TUrls?COM+0112573 [Last accessed 3 April 2002]
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*Some Film Reviews of Braveheart:* ø *...Ebert, Roger. "Braveheart."* Chicago Sun Times 24 May 1995:** http://www.suntimes.com/ebert/ebert_reviews/1995/05/980742.html "Mel Gibson's Braveheart is a fullthroated, red-blooded battle epic about William Wallace, the legendary Scots warrior who led his nation into battle against the English in the years around 1300....Gibson is not filming history here, but myth." ø *...Ranier, Peter. "Movie Review: Braveheart." CalendarLive, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 1995:* http://www.calendarlive.com/top/1,1419,L-LATimes-Movies-X!ArticleDetail-3798,00.html "But Gibson, as a director, doesn't go beyond the good guys/bad guys war plan. For the battle scenes to be great, they would have to show us how the Scots, especially when they pushed into York, were also driven into frenzies of inhumanity. The film never tries to confuse our loyalties or question the strategies of our hero or bring home the all-embracing soul-destroying horrors of war for * all sides. Braveheart may be rip-roaring, but it isn't all that brave." ø *...James, Caryn. "Film Reviews: Braveheart."* New York Times 23 May 1995: http://www.nytimes.com/library/filmarchive/braveheart.html "As director, star and producer of "Braveheart," [Mel Gibson] turns the unpromising story of a 13th-century kilted wonder into one of the most spectacular entertainments in years." ø ...Stack, Peter. "FILM REVIEW -- Macho Mel Beats His Chest in Bloody Braveheart*." San Francisco Chronicle* 24 May 1995: Entertainment Sect. D-1. Online SFGate** Rpt. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/1995/05/24/DD1274.DTL "There's no denying Braveheart' is an eyeful"; its battle scenes "have a gritty bite that helps keep Braveheart big and boldly handsome," and its setting is "[s]ometimes hauntingly beautiful in its green, mud-daubed and gray-sky tones (mostly Irish locations)." But Braveheart "comes up short by beating the drums of human treachery and violence so loudly they become assaults." ø ...Hinson, Hal. Rev. of "Braveheart." Washington Post 24 May 1995. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/ braveheartrhinson_c01781.htm "There's all too little opportunity in modern life for righteous anger — particularly of the sort that affords the aggrieved party license to take off an enemy's arm with a broadsword. Not so in the 13th century, when men were men, and certainly not during the life of William Wallace. . . ." "According to Gibson...and screenwriter Randall Wallace, the great Scot is a hero in the Robin Hood mode. A common farmer who wants simply to be left alone to work his land...." "[T]he movie doesn't have any lofty ambitions. It is entertaining, especially when the director sets his armies in motion against each other...." Gibson "has created a completely adequate modern facsimile of the classic romantic epic." ø ...Howe, Desson. Rev. of *"Braveheart."* Washington Post 26 May 1995. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/ braveheartrhowe_c01836.htm "I'm no historian, ...but I have the gravest doubts that 13th-century Scottish rebel William Wallace instructed his troops to moon the English at the beginning of the Battle of Stirling Bridge." "Gibson's second directorial effort, in which the oppressed people of Scotland are led to freedom by a short man with dazzling blue eyes, a dreadlock wig, an Australian accent and excellent biceps, is a rambling disappointment." ø *...Barclay, Ali. Rev. of Braveheart* (1995). [27 Oct. 2000?] BBCi [British Broadcasting System]: Entertainment: Films: Reviews; 2002. http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2000/10/27/braveheart_1995_review.shtml "Gibson's tale of Scottish heroism steers pretty clear of historical accuracy and political implication, its primary aim being to showcase Gibson and entertain. It achieves this with a certain amount of success. Gibson, who is rarely off screen, is an earnest Wallace and surprisingly stoic, so much so that even when suffering extreme torture he barely grimaces." Braveheart is "[a] simplistic tale of good versus evil with large quantities of heroism thrown in for good measure," but "the battle scenes are staged well with a fast bloody pace...." ø ...Mowe, Richard** (curator of film at the National Museum of Scotland). Braveheart: Top 20 Scottish Films. IOX Films, Scotland; 1997-2001 <insideout.co.uk>. http://www.insideout.co.uk/eiff/feats/top5films.htm "A passionate and bloody account of William Wallace’s rebellion against the English with Mel Gibson as a Mad Mac set to right wrongs and bring freedom to the oppressed. Patrick McGoohan makes a wonderful villain out of Edward 1st with Sophie Marceau and Catherine McCormack as the women in Wallace’s heart. Epic battle scenes of the highest order."
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Film Genres. Tim Dirks, 1996-2002. http://www.filmsite.org/genres.html [Last accessed 3 April 2002]. ...including Epic/Historical Films: http://www.filmsite.org/epicsfilms.html [Last accessed 3 April 2002]. ...Greatest Films:Academy Award Best Picture includes commentary on Genre Biases: "Long, epic dramas with grand production values (e.g., Out of Africa (1985), The Last Emperor (1987), Braveheart (1995), The English Patient (1996), Titanic (1997), and Gladiator (2000)) are normally preferred over action blockbusters..., and many independent productions are ignored." http://www.filmsite.org/bestpics.html [Last accessed 3 April 2002]. ...Top 250 Films: Internet Movie Database user poll of the top 250 films rated *Braveheart* number 66 (score:8.1/10) based on 47,392 votes: http://us.imdb.com/top_250_films [Last accessed 3 April 2002].
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ø *William Wallace: The Truth Behind the Man. Highlander Web Magazine, 1994-2001.* http://www.highlanderweb.co.uk/wallace/index.html "Do you want to know about William Wallace? Then look no further....Packed full of pages and pictures Highlander Web Magazine brings you the ULTIMATE William Wallace site anywhere on the Web." A BBC Education Web Site. ø Braveheart. TonySpain.com, 2002. All about the movie Braveheart, William Wallace and Scotland including the voice of Mel Gibson. Lots of pictures and much more! http://wtv-zone.com/Tspace/Braveheart/menu.html ø Campbell, Roy. Sir William Wallace (c1270 - 1305). *Significant Scots* ("This section is about Scottish born people that made a difference"). Electric Scotland (Grangemouth, Scotland; no date). http://www.electricscotland.com/history/wallace.htm Abstract: An extended biography of William Wallace, "one of Scotland's greatest national heroes, undisputed leader of the Scottish resistance forces during the first years of the long and ultimately successful struggle to free Scotland from English rule at the end of the 13^th Century." "Records of Wallace's life are patchy and often inaccurate....Many of the stories surrounding Wallace have been traced to a late-15^th Century romance 'The Wallace,' ascribed to Henry the minstrel, or 'Blind Harry.' This epic is vehemently anti-English in language and tone. The most popular tales about Wallace are not supported by documentary evidence, but they show his firm hold on the imagination of his people." ø William Wallace - "Scotland's National Hero" http://www.macbraveheart.freeserve.co.uk/html/people/william_wallace/index.htm Wallace made Scotland; he is Scotland; he is the symbol of all that is best and purest and truest and most heroic in our national life. You cannot figure to yourself Scotland without Wallace. So long as grass grows green or water runs, or whilst the mist curls through the corries of the hills, the memory of Wallace will live. --R B Cunninghame Graham ø MacBraveheart: "Let Me Tell You of William Wallace..." (John and Linda Anderson of Edinburgh, Scotland). Updated: 13 June 1999. http://www.braveheart.co.uk/index.htm New URL: http://www.macbraveheart.co.uk/index.htm [Accessed 3 April 2000] ø Images of William Wallace and Robert the Bruce. Magic Dragon Multimedia, 1996 - 2000. http://www.magicdragon.com/Wallace/ ø Sir William Wallace of Ellerslie (AD1272 - AD1305) "from Outlaw to Guardian of Scotland" http://www.waichung.demon.co.uk/william/wallace.htm ø William Wallace Gallery. A Celtic Heart Remembers, 2001, 2002. http://wtv-zone.com/Scotland/Wallace/gallery.html There's a difference between us. You think the people of this land exist to provide you with position. I think your position exists to provide those people with freedom. And I go to make sure that they have it. ~ Sir William Wallace ~ ø Stirling Castle on AboutBritain.com. Excelsior Information Systems Limited, 1999-2002. http://www.aboutbritain.com/StirlingCastle.htm?RefID=1505126 Abstract: "The mighty royal castle of Stirling towers above some of the most important battlefields in Scotland's history, including William Wallace's victory over the English at Stirling Bridge in 1297 and Robert the Bruce's defeat of the same foe at Bannockburn in 1314." ø Archer, Ed. William (Braveheart) Wallace: A Blow for Freedom. Lanark [historic burgh where Wallace once resided and fought for freedom]. Aug. 1996. Biggar-Net, 1997, 1998. http://www.biggar-net.co.uk/wallace700/freedom.htm ø The Death of William Wallace. [By BW, February 2000.] Gathering of the Clans: Scottish History and Culture. 2002. http://www.tartans.com/articles/wallacewilliamdeath.html Abstract: "William Wallace was the son of a Scottish knight, but in the strict hierarchical order of 14th century Scotland, he was no better than a ordinary commoner. That he survived as long as he did to become one of the greatest of Scottish heroes, fighting both the English and his own Scottish noblemen, is an achievement in itself." http://www.tartans.com/articles/famscots/wallace.html ...Sir William Wallace,1276- 1305 [Biography]. Famous Scots. http://www.tartans.com/articles/famscots/wallace.html Abstract: "Called the greatest hero in Scotland's history, William Wallace lived seven centuries ago, but remains to this day a representative of Scottish independence." Scots, wha hae wi Wallace bled, Scots, wham Bruce has aften led, Welcome to your gory bed, Or to victorie! --Robert Burns, "Scots Wha Hae" See also: http://wtv-zone.com/Tspace/Braveheart/scots.html ø [Battle of] Falkirk. Scotland's Kings and Queens (Created by AmericanScot--Scotlass, a Bruce: Linda Bruce Caron, 1998). http://www.nwlink.com/~scotlass/falkirk.htm "Wallace could have side-stepped the battle,...but his power and leadership depended upon successful campaigns against the English and upon winning battles to free Scotland." "Although Wallace lost at Falkirk, due in large part to betrayal, he remains to this day a symbol of resistance to tyranny, loyalty to one’s country, and a true hero to all peoples of the world." Scotland's Past (Fergie Meek, MA, FSA; Killin, Scotland--"On the Web since 1996"). Search Term: William Wallace http://www.scotlandspast.org/ [accessed 3 April 2002]. "This site is devoted to all aspects of Scottish history and culture." 'The Last Men on Earth, the Last of the Free' --attributed to Calgagus before the Battle of Mons Graupius, AD84.
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Film Adaptations of Literature URL: http://www.cocc.edu/cagatucci/classes/eng339/biblio/film.htm
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Film Basics URL: http://www.cocc.edu/cagatucci/classes/eng339/coursepack/filmbasics.htm
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WEBSEARCHING THE MOVIES: under construction The Internet Movie Database The Internet Movie Database Tour Movie Terminology: Internet Movie Database's Online searchable Film Glossary. "Here, you will find definitions of terms and phrases frequently used in the world of movies, film, acting, and cinemagoing" (The Internet Movie Database Ltd., 1990-1999). The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (The Oscars) The Oscars 1999 (The New York Times on the Web, 1999) Cinemania (Microsoft Corp., 1999) Movielink FILM/VIDEO (2/9/99) from VOICE OF THE SHUTTLE: MEDIA STUDIES PAGE (Voice of the Shuttle: Web Page for Humanities Research, by Alan Liu, English Dept. Univ. of Calif., Santa Barbara) NuReel.com (Kamala Appel, CEO/Founder), founded "to help a diverse group of aspiring film and television professionals get the support and education they need to succeed." http://www.nureel.com [last accessed Aug. 2001] Penn Library Film Studies Infoseek Guide for Movies Yahoo search engine for Films & Movies Starting Point search engine for Movies Screensite for the Study of Film and Television - Film/TV Education Martin Irvine's Narrative Matters: Resources for Studying Narrative in Fiction and Film (Georgetown Univ.) CCT TheoryBase:A Guide to Theory and Inquiry for Studies in Communication, Culture, and Technology with links to Film and Media Resources (from CineMedia), Media Studies (Voice of the Shuttle), and Media and Communication Studies Site (Daniel Chandler, Univ. of Wales, Aberystwyth) The Film Festivals Server (English version) "portal into the universe of cinema via its actors, directors and films being shown at film festivals all over the world. Over 6000 pages, full of film reviews." List of all Film Festivals 1995 - 99 Worldwide Selected Film Reviews: Shakespeare in Love, Life is Beautiful From filmlinc (Film Society of Lincoln Center): 1998 New York Film Festival and Film Comment, "a forum for smart, idiosyncratic writing about movies," published biweekly by the Film Society of Lincoln Center, claims to be "the finest film magazine in the English language," each issue "notable for the unusually literate, often elegant, style of its authors" and brimming "with provocative, cutting-edge articles about all aspects of the art, entertainment and industry of filmmaking." Academic Info Film Studies (Mike Madden): "the primary focus of this page is the critical study and appreciation of cinema in all its forms and functions. " Recommended: ScreenSite (University of Alabama, the College of Communication, and the Department of Telecommunication and Film; last revised: January 29, 1998) "stresses the teaching and research of film and television and is designed for educators and students. A wonderful resource for the academic study of TV & Film," including Bibliographies and Research Guides CineMedia (American Film Institute), with "Links to over 18,000 sites," including "both scholarly and tribute pages." Cinema Connection (Federico Passi, 1999), with many WWW links, including World Cinema inforM Women's Studies: Film Reviews Women in Cinema-A Reference Guide, "Philip McEldowney's on-line reference guide to sources concerned with women and film" (Univ. of Virginia) Women's Studies Database: Film Reviews (Univ. of Maryland) Cinema Related Resources from the Media Resources Center (since 1996, Moffitt Library, Univ. of Calif., Berkeley), including Bibliographies and Full-Text Articles, holdings in special topics such as African Studies (last update 2/25/99), and CinemaSpace, from the Film Studies Program at UC Berkeley, "devoted to all aspects of Cinema and New Media and is the primary link for resources from the UC Berkeley Film Studies Program."

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