Very rarely in a historically based film is every action fact but rather there is a mix of fact and fiction in the film. Braveheart follows this mold since it is a historically based film that includes fiction intertwined with true history. These fictious additions to the film make it a better film cinematically but can make the film too over the top, which would take away from the film. Braveheart is able to tell the true tale of William Wallace in a way that is mostly true and the fictions parts only add to the plot and do not take away from Wallace and are easy to point out and don't adversely degrade him. However, in Braveheart, there is a lot of fa ...view middle of the document...
The most glaring and important piece of fiction pertaining to Wallace was the fact that he was a landed commoner with a good education, and in peaceful times he might have been a scholar. However, in the movie he was portrayed as a poor man who was secretly married right before he got in trouble with the English. So in the respect of Wallace the movie did truthfully show his greatness but added some fictions information to make him seem more "middle class". (Sullivan)The other main component of the film was the battle scenes. It is true that Scotland did not win every battle, and the English were not immediately cast out of Scottish territory. Only after Wallace was killed, did Scottish victory come. One part of the film showed that Wallace invented the use of spears against horses however this tactic is literally ancient. Also, they didn't stand in one big mob, but in circular formations called schiltrons. Another inaccurate part of the film was the Scottish painting their faces. It is true that it was a Celtic practice but it was during Roman times, over a thousand years before. In the film Irish troops switched sides, as they were suppose to charge against the Scottish however this too is false. (Sullivan)Braveheart does a wonderful job tell the story in a accurate matter and the only time false information is used it is obvious that it was added by Hollywood. Braveheart in general is a accurate film and can be used to discuss its time period.
