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电影勇敢的心英语观后感
《勇敢的心》是由梅尔·吉布森 Mel Gibson导演的电影，影片以13-14世纪英格兰的宫廷政治为背景，以战争为核心，讲述了苏格兰起义领袖威廉·华莱士与英格兰统治者不屈不挠斗争的故事。百分网小编给大家整理了勇敢的心英语观后感，仅供参考。
勇敢的心英语观后感篇一
The film entitled Braveheart,which tells of the story of Sir William Wallace ,a Scotland’s hero in 13th century to protest against the cruel king of England, Edward I.
Although the reason is seemingly a romantic revernge for his fiancée who was killed by an English landlord.The struggle was so fierce ,bloody and magnificent that any spectator can not come to himself or herself after seeing a series of campaigns that were shown in the movie and we are most touched by the desire for freedom of Sir William Wallace on the last scene of his execution ,in which William’s sky blue eyes were shone as bright as the sky ,a metaphor for the freedom which is hopeless but the determination was never abandoned in pursuit for it.
However,one cannot stand the spiteful rebellion of the Scottish nobles and just imagine Wallace’s disbelief and shock when he got to know that the knight of Edward I,who is most willing to kill him in the battlefield,is the one who is most likely to become the king of Scotland,the man who swore to stand alongside with Wallace from the majority of the Scotland’s aristocrats who suspected Wallace and kept looking down upon him.Wallace had presumed that he was his companion but the reality just showed the just opposite side of Wallce’s naïve dream and both the hero and the audience cannot bear this betrayal from the bottom of their heats.
But Wallace still chose to believe,to tolerate and to take an adventure which led to his death and the end of this poetic struggle while meantime ,setting in motion another more intensive campaigns by those who carried on Wallace’s dream to realize the freedom of Scotland.Wallace’s death is like the ringing of the bell in the darkness of midnight,announcing that dawn should be cast upon the ones who never halt to pursue freedom sooner or later.
The scene which showed Wallace’s calling for freedom,while the executor’s axe moving ,the clouds floating,the wicked king’s last breath and the judge’s disappointment out of expectation. “Every man dies, not every man really lives.”Wallce’s last words echoed in the midst of the air,despite the physical death and the passing of the decades of years.
he real meaning of braveheart lies on that not only we do not dare to encounter the rivals and the unfair,but also the courage to tolerate,to resist the temptation to give up in despair ,to face the genuine aspect of ourselves .
Trust,belief,struggle,determination,betrayal and of course ,the love epic ,are the images we can associate with this marvelous film and we cannot urge our passion to extol Wallace,our hatred for the wicked Edward I and those both mentally and physically delicate Scotland’s nobles.Given the fact that both these two nations are now sections of the United Kingdom。
The film reminds us of the love for one’s own motherland the desire for freedom,which is the gifted nature since mankind was born with and we shall never be scared of any obstacles ,frustrations and sacrifices in our fight for freedom ,the goal generations of all classes,eras and races have been longing for and we shall never be in shortage of the courage to gain freedom.
勇敢的心英语观后感篇二
In times of anguish, we can find solace in art. A great movie can always offer you some kind of power to face your own problem. And this one did a good job. It brings us a tough hero, William Wallace，leader of the Scottish resistance forces against England‟s rule. Although he is dead at last, his spirit had led his people to fight and get freedom. This meaningful work has touched so many hearts by its significance theme and content.
The theme of this work can mainly be seen over the growing image of William Wallace. First we see his childhood. His father was killed by the English intruder, which may definitely leave a scar on his heart. With this great hatred, when he saw his wife killed by the enemies, everything stuck deep down his heart was released all of a sudden with magnificent power. So in the fighting scene, we see a warrior dared his life waving the sword. It is a common wonder where his courage is from. Let‟s say, if it is an ordinary person, who lost his parents since he‟s very young, he may not have the conviction to grow up as a hero. However, heroes are as heroes are.
Wallace's revolution was significant, seen from many aspects, with great obstacles from his countrymen, as well as enemies. Many Scottish nobles lent him only grudging support as most of them were more concerned with wealth and titles than the freedom of the country. In fact, the Scottish leaders are in favor of revolt-or not-depending on English bribes. Wallace, by comparison, is a man of honor, incorruptible and righteous. He was knighted and proclaimed „guardian and high protector of Scotland‟, but as much as he railed against the Scottish nobles, submitted to Edward I, King of England, he was astonished and in shock to discover the treachery of the leading Scot contender for the throne—Robert, the Earl of Bruce—to whom he confided, „The people would follow you, if you would only lead them.‟ Sophie Marceau is exquisite as the distressed princess Isabella of France who ends up falling in love with Wallace, warning him out of several traps. Catherine McCormack is a stunning beauty who ignites Wallace‟s revolution. Patrick McGoohan is chilling, brutal, and vicious as the ruthless Edward I,known by the nickname „Long shanks.‟ This king remains simply the embodiment of evil. While Angus McFadyen moves as a nobleman torn between his conscience and political aspiration, and Brendan Gleeson brings strength and humor to his role as the robust Hamish, David O‟Hara is very effective as the crazy Irishman who provides much of the film‟s comic relief from even the most tensed moments. Mel Gibson has reason to be proud of this work. It is a motion picture that dares to be excessive... Gibson presents passionately the most spaciously impressive battles (yet staged for films) even excessively, and it is his passion and excess that make the motion picture great. The horror and futility of massed hand-to-hand combats are exciting rather repulsive. It is epic film-making at its glorious best. This movie focuses on the human side of Wallace, a character that is so immense, so intelligent, and so passionate, exploring the definitions of honor and nobility, pushing us to follow the hero into his struggle against injustice and oppression. And this is the power of a hero.
Also, this movie is a red-blooded battle epic. Not much is known about Wallace, known as Braveheart, except that according to an old epic poem, he unified the clans of Scotland and won famous battles against the English before being captured, tortured and executed as a traitor.
Wallace cried, as his body was stretched on the rack. That isn‟t exactly based on fact (the concept of personal freedom was a concept not much celebrated in 1300), but it doesn‟t stop Gibson from making it his dying cry. It fits in with the whole glorious sweep of Braveheart, which is an action epic with the spirit of the Hollywood swordplay classics and the grungy ferocity of “The Road Warrior”. What people are going to remember from the film are the battle scenes, which are frequent, bloody and violent. Just from a technical point of view, Braveheart does a brilliant job of massing men and horses for large-scale warfare on film. Gibson deploys what look like thousands of men on horseback, as well as foot soldiers, archers and dirty tricks specialists, and yet his battle sequences don‟t turn into confusing crowd scenes: We understand the strategy, and we enjoy the tactics even while we doubt some of them.
Gibson is not filming history here, but myth. William Wallace may have been a real person, but Braveheart owes more to Prince Valiant, Rob Roy and Mad Max. Once we understand that this is not a solemn historical reconstruction (and that happens pretty fast), we accept dialogue that might otherwise have an uncannily modern tone, as when Braveheart issues his victory ultimatum to the English. In the film, Wallace's chief antagonist is King Edward I, played by Patrick McGoohan with sly cunning; he is constantly giving his real political interpretation of events, and that's all the more amusing since he‟s usually guessing in a wrong way.
Edward‟s son, the Prince of Wales, is a very weak role who marries a French woman only for political reasons and he‟s a gay himself. Even his father doesn‟t like him. “I may have to conceive the child myself!” the king says, and indeed, under the medieval concept, or “first night,” nobles were allowed a first chance to sleep with the wives of Scottish men. The Princess, played by the French actress Sophie Marceau, does not much admire her husband, who spends most of his time hanging about moon-eyed with his best friend (until the king, in a fit of impatience, hurls the friend out the castle window).
Edward, smarting from defeats, dispatches the Princess to offer his terms to Braveheart, but soon she‟s spilling all the state secrets, “because of the way you look at me.” The Princess is the second love in Wallace‟s life; the first, his childhood sweetheart Murron (Catherine McCormack), marries him in secret. The two spend their wedding night outdoors, and the backlit shot as they embrace gains something, I think, from the frost on their breaths.
These characters come from hardened stock. When Wallace has a reunion with his childhood pal Hamish, they hurl rocks at each other for entertainment; later, when a Scotsman has his wound cauterized all he says is, “That‟ll wake you up in the morning, boy!” It is sometimes seen as an egotistical gesture when actors direct themselves, especially in heroic epics costing $53 million. The truth is, given this material, I do not know that anyone could have directed it better. Gibson marshals his armies of extras, his stunt men and his special effects, and creates a fictional world that is entertaining, and thrilling.
And as to Braveheart, Gibson plays his role with flamboyance, and cuts it with sly humor. He is an amazing battlefield strategist, inventing new strategies and weapons, outsmarting the English at every turn, leading his men into battle with his face painted blue, like a football fan. There is a scene where he is so pumped up with the scent of battle that his nostrils flare; not many actors could get away with that, but Gibson can.
In the meanwhile, this movie is a very touching love story. William lost beloved woman, it means losing the only love of life, suddenly of heart desperate for power, revenge for the loss of love, so he killed the Scottish soldiers and chieftains. I understand it as a fight for the love of battle.
This is actually a blasting fuse, the real highlight of the Scottish people with the pursuit of freedom in William's leadership, the struggle against the King of England. So we can say that the light of freedom is the most eye-catching thing. However, human nature once again deceived William, when he was betrayed noble chieftains sent after the trial units in England, when William learned that his dream of freedom can be completed, and only mind eagerly looking forward to it! At the time, as long as he can head down to England, he confessed to treason and asked for mercy, he can get the most enjoyment of relief, replacing many of the lingering death of torture. But William the final calls out from the throat or the “free” word. This is his deep, strong cry, he would rather lose his body could not betray his heart! England at this time the public was moved by whom, and they seem to see a real hero! William has a brave heart!
William‟s life was strangled and decapitated! When the ax head down towards him the moment he saw his wife the former Founder directed at his smile, seemed to admire his courage, love and freedom, while William seems to have been! Brave heart, after all, is the brave! He uses his own blood stirred up the Scottish people longing for freedom!
Sudden death, left to the people is a constant moving! Able to adhere to the death of their convictions, this is a heroic bosom. Free about life, William has become a finished, for this faith, have nothing to fear death?
Today, we are in a period of relative peace; the meaning of freedom seems to transform our way of interpreting it. So, what belief is it that touches the bottom of our souls? What does William‟s spirit mean? Have a belief, this belief should work hard to our spiritual life is a driving force upward, right? Otherwise, our souls will be slack, will be illusory, in that sense, we have one of their own faiths, although not great and noble William, but enough to sustain our lives! It is the innocent and romantic memory of first love full of fragrance of purple thistle that invokes William Wallace in returning homeland. The purple thistle that Murron gives William Wallace at his father‟s burial symbolizes the immortal love. Under the horrible shade of cruel oppression of England they struggle for their perfect love courageously. Unfortunately, Murron is seized and killed ruthlessly by an English official so that William Wallace‟s heart is stricken by great grief and pain. The moment he kills the wicked official to take his revenge he realizes the essential responsibility placed on his shoulders. He changes his individual anguish into enormous power of national spirit so as to devote himself to the innumerable and arduous combats for the great freedom of Scotland. During war, maybe the most fatal threat is not the formidable weapons but the confused and evil hearts. The Scottish aristocrats yield to England and betray William Wallace twice. It is in the second time William Wallace is arrested and killed inhumanly.
The most touching and affecting scene is that at the last moment of his life, enduring inconceivable torture, William Wallace exhausts himself to shout out: “Freedom!” to the boundless sky and the people. At the gate of paradise, his beloved wife---Murron is waiting for his coming. His brave heart wins everything, including the heart of Murron, the most elegant heart of Princess of England (played by Sophie Marceau) and the countless people‟s hearts. Through the dignified ablution of blood, all the burden and hardship are released from his respectable and noble soul. Supported and encouraged by William Wallace‟s eternal spirit, at the great expense of countless precious lives, Scotland wins her freedom.
People who have seen this film will never forget when William Wallace‟s strong voice “Freedom!” echoes in minds of the entire human race; the sky of Scotland emerges in our eyes. A wonderful movie can hit people‟s hearts, however this time, not with beautiful scenes or gorgeous actors and actress, but with the pursuit of love and freedom in people‟s hearts.
勇敢的心英语观后感篇三
When the plain Scottish bagpipe music rings, a vast heroic epic pulled open heavy curtain. With Scottish bagpipe, the end of the movie has nearly three hours. Scottish bagpipes and Scotland skirt, Scottish scenery, this about Scottish hero, William Wallace's films from the beginning I was deeply in love with it.
Where there is oppression, there is resistance. When a people oppressed by a certain amount of time, there will always be so a person or a group of people in right time right place, then make a breathtaking world on fire.Stringer bridge battle, when the soldiers to life but to quit the war, when the Scottish nobles to concessions to the British, Wallace appeared, this culminated should be one thousand people, the impromptu speech, let those who oppressed Scots against heart light,”you`ve come to fight as free men,And free men you are.What will you do with that freedom?Will you fight?Aye.Fight,and you may die.Run,and you`ll live…at least a while.And dying in you beds many years from now,would you be willing to trade all the day from this day to that for one chance…just one chance … To come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives ,but they`ll never take our freedom?”That is a what a battle blood boiling, nation's sense of honor, the nation's spirit of solidarity, the power of the nation may only when has been foreign clearer .Falkirk battle because the betrayal of Scottish nobles,Wallace failed.People with brave rushed forward, there will always be people who will retreat to escape, perhaps shouldn't blame them, noble and civilian is two classes, the different experiences of life, in the face of war does choose is different.
When Wallace the flicker in the run out of energy to shout out "FREEDOM!!!!!" , I was completely conquered.Every man dies, not every man really lives. Wallace's life is very short, and the final outcome is not perfect, but he really lived.
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勇敢的心英语观后感篇四
William Wallace (1272–1305) was a Scottish knight and landowner who is known for leading a resistance during the Wars of Scottish Independence and is today remembered in Scotland as a patriot and national hero.
Along with Andrew Moray, he defeated an English army at the Battle of Stirling Bridge, and became Guardian of Scotland, serving until his defeat at the Battle of Falkirk. A few years later Wallace was captured in Robroyston near Glasgow and handed over to King Edward I of England, who had him executed for treason.
Wallace was the inspiration for the poem The Acts and Deeds of Sir William Wallace, Knight of Elderslie, by the 15th century minstrel, Blind Harry and this poem was to not the basis of Randall Wallace's screenplay for the 1995 film Braveheart as the screenplay had almost no resemblence to the Blind Harry poem.
On September 11, 1297, Wallace won the Battle of Stirling Bridge. Although vastly outnumbered, the Scottish forces led by Wallace and Andrew Moray routed the English army. John de Warenne, 7th Earl of Surrey's professional army of 3,000 cavalry and 50,000 infantry met disaster as they crossed over to the north side of the river. The narrowness of the bridge prevented many soldiers from crossing together (possibly as few as three men abreast), so while the English soldiers crossed, the Scots held back until half of them had passed and then killed the English as quickly as they could cross. The infantry were sent on first, followed by heavy cavalry. But the Scots' sheltron formations forced the infantry back into the advancing cavalry and in the general confusion the bridge collapsed, sending armoured knights to drown in the river below. A pivotal charge, led by one of Wallace's captains, caused some of the English soldiers to retreat as others pushed forward, and under the overwhelming weight, the bridge collapsed and many English soldiers drowned. Harry claims that the bridge was rigged to collapse by the action of a man hidden beneath the bridge. The Scots won a significant victory which boosted the confidence of their army. Hugh Cressingham, Edward's treasurer in Scotland, died in the fighting and it is reputed that his body was subsequently flayed and the skin cut into small pieces as tokens of the victory. The Lanercost Chronicle records that Wallace had "a broad strip [of Cressingham’s skin] ... taken from the head to the heel, to make therewith a baldrick for his sword". William Crawford led 400 Scottish heavy cavalry to complete the action by running the English out of Scotland. It is widely believed that Moray died of wounds suffered on the battlefield sometime in the winter of 1297, but an inquisition into the affairs of his uncle, Sir William Moray of Bothwell, held at Berwick in late November 1300, records he was "slain at Stirling against the king."
A year later, Wallace lost the Battle of Falkirk. On 1 April 1298, the English invaded Scotland at Roxburgh. They plundered Lothian and regained some castles, but had failed to bring Wallace to combat. The Scots adopted a scorched earth policy in their own country, and English quartermasters' failure to prepare for the expedition left morale and food low, but Edward's search for Wallace would not end at Falkirk.
Wallace arranged his spearmen in four "schiltrons" — circular, hedgehog formations surrounded by a defensive wall of wooden stakes. The English however employed Welsh longbowmen which swung strategic superiority in their favour. The English proceeded to attack with cavalry, and breaking up the Scottish archers. Under the command of the Scottish nobles, the Scottish knights withdrew, and Edward's men began to attack the schiltrons. It remains unclear whether the infantry firing bolts, arrows and stones at the spearmen proved the deciding factor, although it is very likely that it was the arrows of Edward's bowmen. Gaps in the schiltrons soon appeared, and the English exploited these to crush the remaining resistance. The Scots lost many men, including John de Graham. Wallace escaped, though his military reputation suffered badly.
By September 1298, Wallace had decided to resign as Guardian of Scotland in favour of Robert Bruce, Earl of Carrick (the future king) and John Comyn of Badenoch, King John Balliol's brother-in-law. Bruce became reconciled with King Edward in 1302, while Wallace spurned such moves towards peace.
According to Harry, Wallace left with William Crawford in late 1298 on a mission to the court of King Philip IV of France to plead the case for assistance in the Scottish struggle for independence. Backing this claim is a surviving letter from the French king dated 7 November 1300 to his envoys in Rome demanding that they should help Sir William. Whether or not Wallace made it to Rome is uncertain. Harry also states that on their trip down the English coast, the small convoy ran into the infamous pirate Thomas Longoville, also known as the Red Reiver for his red sails and ruthless raids. Hiding in the hold of the ship while Crawford and a small contingent of men sailed, Wallace surprised the pirates as they boarded the ship. Longoville was captured and taken to Paris where the Scots convinced Philip to grant amnesty so that Longoville could prey on English ships. This last story is one of many recorded by Blind Harry for which there is no evidence. Harry also invented a major action against Edward I at Biggar, which, though often cited, never actually occurred.
In 1303, Squire Guthrie was sent to France to ask Wallace and his men to return to Scotland, which they did that same year. They slipped in under the cover of darkness to recover on the farm of William Crawford, near Elcho Wood. Having heard rumours of Wallace's appearance in the area, the English moved in on the farm. A chase ensued and the band of men slipped away after being surrounded in Elcho Wood. Here, Wallace took the life of one of his men that he suspected of disloyalty, in order to divert the English from the trail.
In 1304 he was involved in skirmishes at Happrew and Earnside.
Wallace evaded capture by the English until 5 August 1305 when John de Menteith, a Scottish knight loyal to Edward, turned Wallace over to English soldiers at Robroyston near Glasgow. Wallace was transported to London and taken to Westminster Hall, where he was tried for treason and was crowned with a garland of oak to suggest he was the king of outlaws. He responded to the treason charge, "I could not be a traitor to Edward, for I was never his subject." With this, Wallace asserted that the absent John Balliol was officially his king. Wallace was declared guilty.
Following the trial, on 23 August 1305, Wallace was taken from the hall, stripped naked and dragged through the city at the heels of a horse to the Elms at Smithfield. He was hanged, drawn and quartered — strangled by hanging but released while he was still alive, eviscerated and his bowels burnt before him, beheaded, then cut into four parts. His preserved head (dipped in tar) was placed on a pike atop London Bridge. It was later joined by the heads of the brothers, John and Simon Fraser. His limbs were displayed, separately, in Newcastle upon Tyne, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Stirling, and Aberdeen.
勇敢的心英语观后感篇五
Set in the late 13th century, 'Braveheart' is the story of one of Scotland's greatest national heroes Sir William Wallace. leader of the Scottish resistance forces during the first years of the long, ultimately successful struggle to free Scotland from English rule...
Crucially charismatic in the title role, Gibson plays the heroic figure and emerges as a remarkable hero with wit and romantic soul, determined to rid his country of its English oppressors...
Wallace's revolution was set in motion, with great obstacles from his countrymen... Many Scottish nobles lent him only grudging support as most of them were more concerned with wealth and titles than the freedom of the country... In fact, the Scottish leaders are in favor of revolt-or not-depending on English bribes... Wallace, by comparison, is a man of honor, incorruptible and righteous... He was knighted and proclaimed 'guardian and high protector of Scotland,' but as much as he railed against the Scottish nobles, submitted to Edward I, King of England, he was astonished and in shock to discover the treachery of the leading Scot contender for the throne—Robert, the Earl of Bruce—to whom he confided , 'The people would follow you, if you would only lead them.' Sophie Marceau is exquisite as the distressed princess Isabella of France who ends up falling in love with Wallace, warning him out of several traps...
Catherine McCormack is a stunning beauty who ignites Wallace's revolution...
Patrick McGoohan is chilling, brutal, and vicious as the ruthless Edward I, known by the nickname 'Longshanks.' This king remains simply the embodiment of evil...
While Angus McFadyen moves as a nobleman torn between his conscience and political aspiration, and Brendan Gleeson brings strength and humor to his role as the robust Hamish, David O'Hara is very effective as the crazy Irishman who provides much of the film's comic relief from even the most tensed moments...
Mel Gibson has reason to be proud of 'Braveheart.' It is a motion picture that dares to be excessive... Gibson presents passionately the most spaciously impressive battles (yet staged for films) even excessively, and it is his passion and excess that make the motion picture great... The horror and futility of massed hand-to-hand combats are exciting rather repulsive... It is epic film-making at its glorious best...
Gibson's 'Braveheart' focuses on the human side of Wallace, a character so immense, so intelligent, and so passionate, exploring the definitions of honor and nobility, pushing us to follow the hero into his struggle against injustice and oppression...
勇敢的心英语观后感篇六
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. It's an ambitious film, big on simple emotions like love, patriotism and treachery, and avoids the travelogue style of so many historical swashbucklers: Its locations look green, wet, vast, muddy and rugged.
Not much is known about Wallace, known as Braveheart, except that according to an old epic poem, he unified the clans of Scotland and won famous battles against the English before being captured, tortured and executed as a traitor.
Wallace's dying cry, as his body was stretched on the rack, was "freedom!" That isn't exactly based on fact (the concept of personal freedom was a concept not much celebrated in 1300), but it doesn't stop Gibson from making it his dying cry. It fits in with the whole glorious sweep of "Braveheart," which is an action epic with the spirit of the Hollywood swordplay classics and the grungy ferocity of "The Road Warrior." What people are going to remember from the film are the battle scenes, which are frequent, bloody and violent. Just from a technical point of view, "Braveheart" does a brilliant job of massing men and horses for large-scale warfare on film. Gibson deploys what look like thousands of men on horseback, as well as foot soldiers, archers and dirty tricks specialists, and yet his battle sequences don't turn into confusing crowd scenes: We understand the strategy, and we enjoy the tactics even while we're doubting some of them (did 14th century Scots really set battlefields aflame?).
Gibson is not filming history here, but myth. William Wallace may have been a real person, but "Braveheart" owes more to Prince Valiant, Rob Roy and Mad Max. Once we understand that this is not a solemn historical reconstruction (and that happens pretty fast), we accept dialogue that might otherwise have an uncannily modern tone, as when Braveheart issues his victory ultimatum to the English: "Scotland's terms are that your commander present himself in front of our army, put his head between his legs and kiss his - - -." Uh, huh.
In the film, Wallace's chief antagonist is King Edward I ("Longshanks"), played by Patrick McGoohan with sly cunning; he is constantly giving his realpolitik interpretation of events, and that's all the more amusing since he's usually guessing wrong.
Edward's son, the Prince of Wales (Peter Hanly), is an effete fop who marries a French woman only for political reasons. "I may have to conceive the child myself!" Longshanks says, and indeed, under the medieval concept of prima nocte, or "first night," nobles were allowed a first chance to sleep with the wives of their lessers.
The Princess, played by the French actress Sophie Marceau, does not much admire her husband, who spends most of his time hanging about moon-eyed with his best friend (until the king, in a fit of impatience, hurls the friend out the castle window).
Edward, smarting from defeats, dispatches the Princess to offer his terms to Braveheart, but soon she's spilling all the state secrets, "because of the way you look at me." The Princess is the second love in Wallace's life; the first, his childhood sweetheart Murron (Catherine McCormack), marries him in secret (so the local English lord won't claim his rights). The two spend their wedding night outdoors, and the backlit shot as they embrace gains something, I think, from the frost on their breaths.
These characters come from hardened stock. (When Wallace has a reunion with his childhood pal Hamish, they hurl rocks at each other for entertainment; later, when a Scotsman has his wound cauterized, all he says is, "That'll wake you up in the morning, boy!") It is sometimes seen as an egotistical gesture when actors direct themselves, especially in heroic epics costing (so they say) $53 million. The truth is, given this material, I do not know that anyone could have directed it better. Gibson marshals his armies of extras, his stunt men and his special effects, and creates a fictional world that is entertaining, and thrilling.
And as Braveheart, Gibson plays his role with flamboyance, and cuts it with sly humor. He is an amazing battlefield strategist, inventing new strategies and weapons, outsmarting the English at every turn, leading his men into battle with his face painted blue, like a football fan. There is a scene where he is so pumped up with the scent of battle that his nostrils flare; not many actors could get away with that, but Gibson can.