1. Braveheart
{ Director: Mel Gibson
Released: 1995
Synopsis: William Wallace, a
commoner, unites the 13th
Century Scots in their battle to
overthrow English rule.

2. Historical Context
Alexander II ruled Scotland from 1214 till 1249. He was succeeded by his son
Alexander III who suffered a fatal accident at Kinghorn in March 1286. During this
time Scotland was at peace with England, and after 1263 at peace with Norway.
Alexander’s immediate successor was his granddaughter Margaret (the Maid of
Norway), then three years old. She was in Norway and in poor health, but her claim to
the throne was upheld. The Scottish nobles established Guardians of Scotland until
Margaret reached her majority. In 1290 Margaret died, and the power struggle began.
The main contenders were the Baliol family and the Bruces.
Edward I had made no attempt to intervene in the succession prior to 1290 because his
intention had been to marry his son to the Maid of Norway. Since this wedding had
only been mooted as a possibility, the Scots were wary, but not hostile to Edward, and
turned to him for advice on whom to select as king.
Amazing though this might sound, it is fact. Edward had previously acted as honest
broker over at least two other European monarchies. He chose Baliol, a man whom
history has treated roughly. John Baliol genuinely seems to have tried to rule
independently of England, but this was not on Edward’s agenda. Edward wanted a
puppet king, and when Baliol did not collude, Edward ordered the Scots lords to
support his invasion of France in 1294. Baliol, among others, refused to go, and
Edward sacked Berwick.

3. Historical Context
Who was William Wallace?
William Wallace was the second son of an Elderslie squire.
How he sprang, full–blown, into the national
consciousness is not at all clear. One legend suggests that
it was as a result of his killing of the Sheriff of Lanark in
retaliation for the murder of Wallace’s wife. Other legends
suggest that the Wallace family were already disenchanted
with Edward, as the Wallace name does not appear on the
oath of loyalty to Edward. Whatever the cause, the result
was that between the spring of 1296 and the autumn of
1297 William Wallace became the leader of a guerrilla
army which took on and defeated Edward’s army, a
formidable military machine.

4. Wallace’s Rising
At Stirling Wallace defeated Edward’s army at the bridge, not, as in
the film, on an open plain. He was appointed Guardian. At Falkirk
he was deserted by the Scots lords. He did invade England, burning
and sacking in retaliation for Berwick. He backed Baliol’s claim for
the throne. Finally he was betrayed and executed in 1305. Precisely
what he did in the years between 1297 and 1305 is unclear. There is
some evidence to suggest he travelled abroad seeking support.
Equally unclear is his relationship with Bruce.
What is clear is that he had an extraordinary military genius, and a
passion for Scotland. It is also worth noting that, despite his power
and support, it was not his aim to take the throne for himself. He
wished a Scottish king to rule in Scotland, and he believed Baliol to be
that rightful monarch.

5. The Martyrdom of William Wallace
Wallace was declared an outlaw, which meant his life was forfeit and that anyone
could kill him without trial. He continued his resistance, but on August 3rd, 1305,
he was captured at Robroyston, near Glasgow. Wallace was taken to London for a
show trial in Westminster Hall. He was charged with two things - being an outlaw
and being a traitor. No trial was required, but, by charging him as a traitor,
Edward intended to destroy his reputation. Inevitably he was found guilty and
was taken for immediate execution - in a manner designed to symbolise his crimes.
Wrapped in an ox hide to prevent him being ripped apart, thereby shortening the
torture, he was dragged by horses four miles through London to Smithfield. There
he was hanged, as a murderer and thief, but cut down while still alive. Then he
was mutilated, disembowelled and, being accused of treason, he was probably
emasculated. For the crimes of sacrilege to English monasteries, his heart, liver,
lungs and entrails were cast upon a fire, and, finally, his head was chopped off. His
carcase was then cut up into bits. His head was set on a pole on London Bridge,
another part went to Newcastle, a district Wallace had destroyed in 1297-8, the rest
went to Berwick, Perth and Stirling (or perhaps Aberdeen), as a warning to the
Scots. Edward had destroyed the man, but had enhanced the myth.

6.  The film is NOT historically accurate. The
relationship with the princess did not happen;
the battle at Stirling centred on a bridge; and
Wallace backed the Baliols, not the Bruces.
 However it is NOT the business of media
students to pick holes in the historical accuracy
of the film.
 Instead, we will look at how the film has been
CONSTRUCTED as a text.
Narrative

7. Can you identify the three strands
of the narrative?
 It tells the …
 It presents …
 It follows …
Narrative

8. There are three strands to the narrative:
 It tells the life of William Wallace from childhood to
death. It presents his political shaping, his actions, and
his private life.
 It presents Edward’s drive to conquer Scotland from the
re-introduction of prima noctre until his death.
 It follows the manoeuvrings of the Bruce family for the
throne until the death of Robert the Bruce’s father.
Narratives

9.  The three plots are laid, developed and
intertwined until they are resolved at the end.
 How are they resolved at the end?
 Is the ending similar to any other texts you
have read or watched?
Narrative

10.  The narrative is built on a series of
parallels, which allows for an
exploration of the central issues of the
text.
 For example, there are three deaths at the
end of the film.
 Can you identify any other parallels?
 Consider the function of each.
Narratives

11.  The language of film is concerned
with the techniques of filming.
 Meaning is achieved through what
the viewer sees. This is termed the
MISE EN SCENE.
Language of Film

12.  In ‘The Great Gatsby’ Daisy is described as ‘in
white’, with her dress rippling and
fluttering’, and with a kind of voice that the ear
follows up and down’, while Myrtle is ‘in her
middle thirties, and faintly stout, but she
carried her flesh sensuously.’
 These descriptions set their character and their
action in the plot.
Language of Film

13.  Wallace in today’s terms would be described by the English as a
terrorist, but in Braveheart he is constructed as a selfless fighter for
freedom.
 The construction of Wallace as the hero, through all the devises
employed, ensures that he carries the ideologies (central concerns)
of the text.
 This is a complex concept - in its basic form it is a set of ideas or
beliefs which are held to be acceptable by the creators of a media
text. For example, a text might be described as having a feminist
ideology, meaning it promotes the idea that women are the equal of
men and should not be discriminated against on the grounds of
gender.
 Central Concerns:
 The paternal relationship
 The nature of freedom
 The role of monarchy/ leadership
Heroes and Villains

14. Representation involves the construction the choices
that are made when it comes to portraying something or someone in a
mass media text.
 When you're analysing representation, think about the following questions:
 •Who or what is being represented? Who is the preferred audience for this
representation?
 •What are they doing? Is their activity presented as typical, or atypical? Are
they conforming to genre expectations or other conventions?
 •Why are they present? What purpose do they serve? What are they
communicating by their presence? What's the preferred reading?
 •Where are they? How are they framed? Are they represented as natural or
artificial? What surrounds them? What is in the foreground and what is in the
background?
Scene 1 – 8

15.  When producers construct a media
representation, they often assume that the
audience is one homogenous mass that
will all decode the representation in the
same way. However, people see even the
most basic images in different ways. Look
at the two famous optical illusions below.
What do you see first?

16. Narrative Representation
Scene 1 – 8
Montage Ideology Icons
Camera Work Sound Mise En Scene

17.  Analyse and evaluate how the director, Mel Gibson,
encouraged his audience to sympathise with and
support William Wallace in his quest for freedom and
retribution? (A/E)
Retribution - the act of punishing or taking vengeance for
wrongdoing, sin, or injury
The Exposition
Constructing a Hero

18.  Westerns often portray how desolate and
hard life was for frontier families. These
families are faced with change that would
severely alter their way of life. This may
be depicted by showing conflict between
natives and settlers or U.S. Cavalry or
between cattle ranchers and farmers or by
showing ranchers being threatened by the
onset of the Industrial Revolution.
 The Western depicts a society organized
around codes of honor and personal,
direct or private justice .
 The main character is usually a semi-
nomadic cowboy or a gunfighter.such as
the Arthurian Romances
 Like the cowboy or gunfighter of the
Western, the knight errant of the earlier
Genre European tales and poetry was wandering
from place to place on his horse, fighting
The Western villains of various kinds and bound to no
fixed social structures but only to his own
innate code of honor

19.  In ancient myths and legends there are many examples of modern heroes
and heroines.
 They are adventurous, resourceful and often subjected to difficult
journeys or tasks. They often stand for good against evil, or one man
against the odds.
 William Wallace is a folk hero, a man of the people. He belongs to that
category of men who are driven by passion, idealism and an heroic
impulse which is in direct contrast to their opponents who are self
seeking, mean and merciless.
Constructing a Hero

20.  It was earlier mentioned that the narrative is built on a
series of parallels, which allow for an exploration of
the central issues of the text.
 A number of characters in the film function as foils.
Can you identify these oppositions?
Foil - anything that serves by contrast to call attention to
another thing's good qualities; "pretty girls like plain
friends as foils"
Constructing a Hero
through the Villainous
Other.

21.  There are three villains in the film:
 Bruce Senior.
 The Scots lords,
 The English soldiers and Edward,
1. Watch scene 22 (1hr) identify how Bruce senior is established as a villain.
Consider fictional stereotypes and appearance.
2. How do the Scots lord’s ideologies differ to those of William Wallace?
What villainous acts do they commit?
3. Identify key moments in the plot which construct the English as
repulsive?
4. Gibson’s constructs these characters actions as villainous. How do these
constructions add to our understanding of the central concerns?
 What attributes does a hero/leader/king possess?
Villains

22.  How has the director used MISE EN SCENE to construct the Scots
and Wallace as natural?
 How are the English constructed as the enemy and ‘other’?
Constructing a Hero
Mise En Scene

23. ‘Go back to England. Tell
them Scotland’s daughters
and sons are yours no more.
Tell them Scotland is free.’
Analyse and evaluate how language has been
used to suggest Wallace is a leader?
Constructing a Hero
Dialogue

24. Scene 44
Wallace’s revenge for Falkirk.
Watch the scene again. Discuss how the director
has used camera shots and composition to
construct Wallace as a hero.
Constructing a Hero

25.  The scene where Wallace sends the head of the
Governed of York to Edward, is juxtaposed by
Edward killing his son’s lover and beating his
son.
 What purpose does this juxtaposition serve?
Montage / Juxtaposition

26.  Identify the characteristics of a hero.
Brave / Courageous
Resilience
Passionate
Caring
Honesty
Respected
Selfless
Quick thinking The use of
other / ‘bad
guys’ Strong / Powerful
Leadership

27.  Learning Intention
 We are going to explore how the director has constructed
William Wallace’s character as
 Honourable
 Morally Right
 Influential
The ending

28. Explain how each of the following characters influence William
Wallace’s thoughts on freedom.
 Uncle Argyll
 Father
Just before his betrayal Wallace tells Hamish that ‘a home is nothing
without freedom.’ What does freedom involve?
William Wallace is ‘politicised out of love’. Explain what you think is
meant by the description.
How has Gibson introduced Wallace’s primary motive? How is this
motive emphasised as the film draws to its final conclusions?
Nature of Freedom

29.  Sign/ Icon - a symbol which is understood to refer to something
other than itself. This may be very simple - think of a "No Entry"
road sign. it may get more complicated when reading media texts,
where a sign might be the bright red coat that a character is wearing
(which signals that they are dangerous)
Signs and Icons

30.  What kind of a flower is the
thistle?
 Note down all its
appearances in the film.
 What do you associate with
thistle?
 Evaluate how effective the
presence of the thistle is in
conveying the films
ideologies/central concerns.
Symbols
The Thistle

31. Symbol
The Sword
 Identify events in the film where the sword becomes a main focus.
The left - In politics, left-wing describes an outlook that accepts or
supports social equality, often in opposition to social hierarchy and social
inequality. It usually involves a concern for those in society who are
disadvantaged relative to others and an assumption that there are
unjustified inequalities (which right-wing politics views as natural or
traditional) that need to be reduced or abolished
 Consider the composition, shot type, colours etc of the still frame
above. Can you draw any connections between this frame and the
definition of left wing politics and ideologies/central concerns of the
film.