Braveheart

In 13th century Scotland William Wallace a common farmer unites the clans to fight for independence after the English murder his wife. Mel Gibson’s Oscar-winning epic is romanticized history but it commits to its vision completely — the battle sequences are genuinely impressive the performance is magnetic and the film’s arc toward sacrifice and freedom is executed with real emotional force. Whatever its historical liberties Braveheart captures something essential about the human longing for liberty that has kept audiences returning for three decades.