One of the biggest film stars of the 90s was the actor Mel Gibson, who later fell into disgrace due to public and private gaffes. At the peak of his career he played the Scottish folk hero William Wallace in the historical war film Braveheart, which he also produced and directed himself.
You can find out on TV today how the film, which was released almost 30 years ago, has held up.
Today on TV: The historical war epic Braveheart with Mel Gibson
Braveheart is set in 13th century during the reign of the English King Edward I (Patrick McGoohan), who has several Scottish noblemen killed to ensure his power over the north. William Wallace (Gibson) returns home years later to build a new life and marry his childhood friend Murron (Catherine McCormack). When he loses everything at the hands of the English soldiers, he rounds up his compatriots to defend themselves against the English “Freedom!” to obtain.
The film won five Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director, and is also popular with the Moviepilot community, which gives Braveheart a score of 7.6. Randall Wallace’s screenplay was also nominated for an Academy Award – although it is full of historical errors that have been annoying historians for 30 years.
Neither war paint nor kilts were commonplace at the front in William Wallace’s time. Furthermore, there is no historical evidence for Ius primae noctis aka The Law of the First Night, which is a major plot point. Also the relationships from Wallace to Robert the Bruce (Angus MacFadyen) or Isabella of France (Sophie Marceau) have nothing to do with reality, to name just a few inconsistencies.
When is Braveheart on TV?
Braveheart by and with Mel Gibson runs on Saturday, December December 28, 2024 at 8:15 p.m. on RTL 2. The repeat comes the following Monday at 11:05 p.m. Alternatively, you can find the film on Disney+ in the streaming flat.