Braveheart (1995)

In 1280 A.D., King Edward “Longshanks” (Patrick McGoohan) of England, occupies much of southern Scotland, declaring himself King of Scotland. His oppressive rule leads to the deaths of William Wallace’s father and brother. Years later, after Wallace has been raised abroad by his uncle Argyle (Brian Cox), he returns to the highlands, intent on living as a farmer and avoiding trouble. Wallace seeks out and courts Murron, whom he knew as a child in the village, and the two marry in secret to avoid the custom of primae noctis. After an English soldier attempts to rape Murron, Wallace rescues her, fighting off other soldiers while she escapes. However, while he manages to get away, Murron is captured and executed by the local magistrate. Wallace gets his retribution on the magistrate by killing him; his actions inspire the local villagers to rebel against the English and capture the town.
Wallace then leads an ever-growing army of rebels to successive victories, eventually annihilating the English Northern Army and capturing the town of York. Wallace is knighted “Lord Protector of Scotland” by Scottish nobles, who quarrel amongst themselves for his loyalty. He also wins the respect of young Robert the Bruce (Angus Macfadyen), the chief contender for the Scottish crown. Robert is dominated by his scheming father, who wishes to secure the throne of Scotland to his son by bowing down to the English, despite his son’s growing admiration for Wallace and his cause.
Longshanks sends Princess Isabelle of France (Sophie Marceau) with peace overtures to Wallace and the Scots while at the same time secretly planning a full-scale invasion of Scotland. Wallace flatly refuses the offer and Isabella, sympathetic to his cause, reveals that a large English army has already marched northward into Scotland. Eventually, she and Wallace begin a love affair, after which she becomes pregnant. Two Scottish nobles, Lochlan and Mornay, planning to submit to Longshanks, betray Wallace at the Battle of Falkirk the following year as a new English army invades Scotland. The Scots lose the battle and Wallace discovers that Robert the Bruce has aided the English, at the bidding of his father. However, tormented by his betrayal of Wallace, Robert helps him flee the English when they attempt to capture him on the battlefield.
For the next seven years, Wallace goes into hiding, fighting a guerrilla war against English forces with his remaining band of Scotsmen. In order to repay Mornay and Lochlan for their betrayals, Wallace brutally murders both. Unable to gain total victory by himself, Wallace eventually agrees to meet with Robert the Bruce in Edinburgh in an attempt to unite the clans behind him once again. However, Wallace is caught in a trap set by Robert’s father and the other nobles. Learning of his father’s treachery, the Bruce finally disowns him.
In London, Wallace is brought before the English magistrates and tried for high treason. The court sentences him to be “purified by pain.” Isabella begs a now infirm and dying King Edward to release Wallace, which he refuses. During his torture, a defiant Wallace refuses to cry out in pain, using the last strength in his body to shout, “Freedom!” Wallace is beheaded, his body is quartered, his arms and legs are sent to the four corners of Britain as a warning against rebellion, and his head is set on London Bridge.
In 1314, nine years after Wallace’s death, Robert the Bruce, now a king but still guilt-ridden over his betrayal of Wallace, leads a strong Scottish army and faces a ceremonial line of English troops at the fields of Bannockburn where the English are to accept him as the rightful ruler of Scotland. Just as he is about to ride to accept the English endorsement, the Bruce turns back to his troops. Invoking Wallace’s memory, he urges his charges to fight with him as they did with Wallace. Robert’s army then charges the English, who were not expecting a struggle. The film ends with Mel Gibson’s voice intoning that the Scottish won their freedom in this battle.

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