Bloodtype Online

     As a film fanatic, I have literally tons of favorite movies. I like almost all genres and will give pretty much anything a chance. If it's a film; I will watch it. I watch movies consistently and constantly. Now, since helping Ed and Runk with the creation of Bloodtype and becoming a writer and film reviewer, my film watching has amazingly doubled. The reason I have revealed all of this is to assist in building up what the subject of this particular review means to me. From these opening sentences I hope that it is thoroughly explained just how much I love the film medium. So with all of this said I finally come to my point. As much as I love movies and have a huge abundance of top films, there is one that stands out as my all time favorite. The subject of this very review, 1995 Best Picture winner, "Braveheart".

     "Braveheart" is my favorite film of all time. From the story, to the cinematography, and to the performances. I love everything this film has to offer. Now, with the release of a brand new, two disc, special edition DVD, I can rewatch this epic masterpiece for the fifteenth (or so, I lost count) time. This time digitally remastered and featuring some brand new special features. These include commentary by star and director Mel Gibson, two trailers, and a 30 minute "making of" feature entitled, "A Filmmaker's Passion: The Making of Braveheart".

     As just stated, the film stars and is helmed by Mel Gibson. The script was written by Randall Wallace. The supporting cast is stellar including Brian Cox, Brendan Gleeson, Angus Macfadyen, Patrick McGoohan, and Sophie Marceau. The story is based off of the historical legend of Scottish rebel William Wallace (Gibson). It is a time in Scotland where the entire country is under British rule. The current king, Edward the Longshanks (McGoohan), is a ruthless and brutal ruler. At the outset of the film, the viewer is introduced to the Wallace clan. William is the youngest and has an older brother. Their mother has passed away and their father is a rebellious leader who sets off with William's brother to what is described to them as a peaceful meeting. They head off in hopes of negotiating with the English to try and find a peaceful way to gain back their freedom. It turns out that this was a trap and Williams' father and brother are brutally murdered. Young William, who had trailed his family, arrives late and witnesses the hanging bodies of his father and brother with other Scottish rebels. He is then taken by his uncle Argyle. Argyle is a very intelligent and well rounded warrior and raises young William teaching him vital and important lessons.

     The story then skips fifteen years or so to when William is a grown man and is returning back to his village in Scotland for the first time since leaving with Argyle. I can give a scene by scene description of this movie, so I will sum up the remaining plot. Even though they were both children when they met, William never forgot the girl who gave him a piece of cloth and some flowers to aid in his grieving. Shortly after returning to the village, William woos her and marries her in a secret service since, by law, the English get to have Scottish brides for sex on their wedding night. This leads to his new wife being murdered by the local English soldiers. His wife's death enrages William past sanity and he viciously attacks the soldiers, killing them all. This event creates a rebellion and soon William has enough rebels on his side to put up a fight against the much larger English army. Wallace uses strategy to outwit the English even though he and his men are outnumbered. The remainder of the story follows William and the Scottish rebels as they team up with some Irish, take part in violent and bloody battles, William has an affair with an English princess, and the Scots continue their plight for freedom.

     As stated in previous paragraphs, I can't say enough about how much I love this film. The soundtrack is one of the best in film history. It sweeps you away going from dramatic dialogue scenes with the characters to the bloody battle sequences. The cinematography is also beyond magnificent. The landscape and ariel shots of the Scottish countryside are breathtaking. The battle scenes are of epic proportions and are visually violent and gory. Arms are cut off, heads are decapitated, men are impaled, and arrows pierce chests on a regular basis. Mel Gibson does an excellent job as William Wallace. The classic scene of him (in blue face paint) giving his men a pre-battle pep talk about the importance of freedom gets me every time. Plain and simple "Braveheart" is classic and masterful film making. It is the picture perfect example of everything an epic film should be. If you are reading these words and have happened to have never experienced this film before, you must go and do so right the fuck now! For those that have, the new two disc special edition from Paramount Home Video is a great reason to relive this epic classic.

Rating - ****

Jared Bajoras