setinthelate13thcentury,'braveheart'isthestoryofoneofscotland',ultimatelysuccessfulstruggletofreescotlandfromenglishrule...

　　cruciallycharismaticinthetitlerole,gibsonplaystheheroicfigureandemergesasaremarkableherowithwitandromanticsoul,determinedtoridhiscountryofitsenglishoppressors...

　　wallace'srevolutionwassetinmotion,,,bycomparison,isamanofhonor,'guardianandhighprotectorofscotland,'butasmuchasherailedagainstthescottishnobles,submittedtoedwardi,kingofengland,hewasastonishedandinshocktodiscoverthetreacheryoftheleadingscotcontenderforthethrone—robert,theearlofbruce—towhomheconfided,'thepeoplewouldfollowyou,ifyouwouldonlyleadthem.'sophiemarceauisexquisiteasthedistressedprincessisabellaoffrancewhoendsupfallinginlovewithwallace,warninghimoutofseveraltraps...

　　catherinemccormackisastunningbeautywhoigniteswallace'srevolution...

　　patrickmcgoohanischilling,brutal,andviciousastheruthlessedwardi,knownbythenickname'longshanks.'thiskingremainssimplytheembodimentofevil...

　　whileangusmcfadyenmovesasanoblemantornbetweenhisconscienceandpoliticalaspiration,andbrendangleesonbringsstrengthandhumortohisroleastherobusthamish,davido'haraisveryeffectiveasthecrazyirishmanwhoprovidesmuchofthefilm'scomicrelieffromeventhemosttensedmoments...

　　melgibsonhasreasontobeproudof'braveheart.'(yetstagedforfilms)evenexcessively,-makingatitsgloriousbest...

　　gibson's'braveheart'focusesonthehumansideofwallace,acharactersoimmense,sointelligent,andsopassionate,exploringthedefinitionsofhonorandnobility,pushingustofollowtheherointohisstruggleagainstinjusticeandoppression...