HIS FPX 1150 Assessment 5 History in the Movie, Fact or Fiction
Capella University
HIS FPX 1150 History
Prof. Name
November, 2024
History in Cinema: Authenticity vs. Creative Interpretation
Generally, the tension between authenticity and creative interpretation is common in historical films that use actual events to build the drama (Saxton, 2020). For example, Braveheart, directed by Mel Gibson, is a movie regarding the battle history of William Wallace, the Scottish hero who fought for Scotland’s independence during the 13th century. The movie did an excellent job portraying the spirit of rebellion that Wallace represented as bringing out the brutality during the Middle Ages; however, it needed to be more about the original facts of history. Key events, characters, and relationships are developed to create more drama while narrating the story. It is this artistic interpretation that further solidifies the themes of freedom and heroism in the movie, even if dramatic license took precedence over strict historical fidelity. The composition of fact and fiction presented in Braveheart is exactly characteristic of how filmmakers sometimes sacrifice strict historical fidelity for emotional impact and effective narrative flow.
Movie Synopsis
Braveheart is the story of William Wallace, a Scottish warrior who led his people in an intense rebellion against English oppression in the late 13th century (Carradice, 2022). He was in reality a peaceful farmer who, seeing his wife killed at the hands of the gruesome English soldiers, became a passionate leader and unleashed all-out war on them. As Wallace unites the clans and incites his countrymen toward freedom, he is betrayed by treachery, savage battles, and politics. His valor and strength became the hope of Scotland’s stamina to lose everything for independence. Braveheart is a genre fusion of action, romance, and historical drama, combining themes of loyalty, sacrifice, and the fight for liberty.
Analysis of the Film
Braveheart is one of the most appealing historical dramas which revolves around epic storytelling and themes like freedom, sacrifice, and patriotism. Directed by Mel Gibson himself, the film truly captures that spirit of rebellion with the protagonist William Wallace who transforms from a humble farmer to a fierce leader fighting for the independence of Scotland. Epic sweeping vistas and giant battle scenes quite underscore the scope of the struggle and the depth of emotion that the story warrants. But the historical value of the film is often questioned as well, for even though it takes some creative liberties with major themes, such as almost upending Wallace’s private life and turning key events, it tends to dramatize Wallace’s personal life and change key events for better dramatic effect. To an extent, the character Wallace is a mythical representation symbol of justice and freedom. This elevated to a phenomenal level the feeling pervaded throughout the movie. The film would not be merely historical or a chronicle of the era but reflect values people living at that time possessed. Yet the message it has is standing up against oppression and is universal. Braveheart’s visual and thematic choices illustrate the emotional cost that has to be made for war as well as the permanent inheritance they leave in regards to fighting for freedom and turn it into a very compelling as well as thought-provoking movie.
Movie’s Impact on Public Perception
Braveheart touched the minds of the people, especially when it compared Scotland’s struggle to achieve independence and its move towards historical heroes who symbolized freedom (Lummus, 2021). The movie deviated from facts and truth, but it became one catalyst that ignited the fire of national pride and interest in Scotland’s history. The imagery of William Wallace, embodied by Mel Gibson, transcends generations and borders and, to this day, remains an icon of the fight for resistance from oppression among Scots and beyond. The emotional storytelling of the film and the sacrifice through the character of Wallace reached the people and framed fighting for liberty as noble and common. This cultural influence extended beyond the film itself and transformed Wallace into a symbol of veneration in Scottish identity and even into political debates concerning Scottish independence.
On the other hand, it further solidified some myths and misconceptions concerning historical events that even to this day create controversy. The dramatic liberties taken in the film, such as the portrayal of central figures and plot, resulted in some distortion of real history as presented to people how to view the reality of Scotland’s past. For instance, the idea of Wallace as this heroic, larger-than-life figure was blown up for viewers, with some based less on factual accuracies, to view the historical narrative with the eyes of the film. Despite these contradictions, Braveheart undoubtedly changed the way many people felt about the Scottish battle for liberation, often dissolving the lines between fact and artistic vision (Whigham, 2022). Accordingly, this film was a critical factor in shaping public opinion concerning Scottish history and its cultural heritage.
Proposed Enhancements to the Braveheart Film
Possible improvements that could be made to Braveheart would have emphasized more on a history that is closer to reality but not at the expense of losing the emotional elements of the film (Ye, 2024). Such improvements could include the introduction of such balanced historical figures, whose motivations and contributions toward the circumstances in 13th-century Scotland could be further explained. For instance, with the film idealizing the quest for Scotland’s independence, more attention can be given to the political dynamics and strategic alliances that characterized this campaign. More careful inclusion of historical context would then make the film offer a richer and more accurate understanding of the complexities of the time without relinquishing the drama that makes the story interesting.
More importantly, improvement in diversity in character representation can also be crucial. Majorly, it is from Wallace’s perspective, but input from much more different social and cultural backgrounds within Scotland and wider perspectives from other countries would have made it balanced and more representative of the era (Arora & Tiwari, 2023). This could mean that the roles of women, citizens of the lower class, and other key figures are taken into focus, thereby further elaborating on what would be seen in a tale of Scotland’s campaign for independence. This way, broader perspectives of the multitudes would be vividly rendered. The history and culture layers would be richened but kept well within the core emotional experience for the viewers.
HIS FPX 1150 Assessment 5 Conclusion
There is no doubt that Braveheart is a very powerful and emotive film with a lasting legacy on public perception of Scotland’s fight for independence (Chandler, 2021). Even though it had lent itself to much historical debate in terms of taking artistic liberties with events and characters, the overall theme of freedom, sacrifice, and resistance to oppression echoes strongly through the film. Other suggested improvements, such as a more accurate history and inclusion of characters, might further aid the fleshing out of the story of the movie and provide some much-needed depth into its interpretation of nuance on the period. Merging drama with an even more faithful approach to this history, Braveheart would perhaps provide an even deeper, even more inclusive take on Scotland’s fight for independence, yet not lose the engaging storytelling that made it a cultural landmark.
HIS FPX 1150 Assessment 5 References
Arora, A., & Tiwari, R. (2023). Using gender diversity to improve intellectual capital performance: An Indian investigation. International Journal of Disclosure and Governance. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41310-023-00199-z
Carradice, P. (2022). Robert the Bruce: Scotland’s true braveheart. Www.torrossa.com, 1–232. https://www.torrossa.com/en/resources/an/5368507
Chandler, A. S. (2021). Testing the limits of the “hard man” in the film: masculinity and male health behavior in Scotland’s public health films 1934-2000. Theses.gla.ac.uk. https://theses.gla.ac.uk/82163/
