mvscal wrote:Personally, I never watch what purports to be a "true, historical story" with the expectation of it being historically accurate. I'll settle for a great movie rather than great history. I think it's enough if a movie can give you the flavor of the event.
As far as it goes, I would say the Band of Brothers mini-series was very accurate. The Longest Day is another one that comes to mind that made a good effort at being an accurate chronology of events but it's kind of difficult to get past the "all-star cast" cheese.
Bravo Two Zero is a very underrated and excellent movie about an SAS mission in the first Gulf War.
Of the ones you listed, I've only seen Braveheart which was a great movie, but very poor history. Gibson himself admitted he took quite a bit of artistic license with the film. I haven't really studied that particular period in any great detail. About all I can say is that there was a man William Wallace who did in fact battle the English during that time frame.
By all accounts he was a huge, strapping brute of man with a violent temper who took shit from nobody and found himself on the wrong side of the law as a result. He was also a capable guerilla fighter who caused some problems for Edward.
It's likely that he wasn't nearly the hero portrayed in the movie while Edward I (Longshanks) probably wasn't quite as villainous.
Edward the Longshanks was just as villianous as they described in the movie Mvscal.
The Scotch (which I am decendant from on my father's side) represent William Wallace as a sort of national hero though nothing could be further from the truth. His hatred for the English held more weight than his love of Scotland. The many years he spent in France lobbying for their support is proof of such.
This leads me to one of the gretest travesties in film making history in my opinion. The battle of Stirrling in the movie takes place in a large field where Sir Wallace gives a rousing speech to encourage the army to remain and fight the English. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Battle of Stirling
Bridge took place litterally on a bridge. The Scottish Guerilla army hid in the reeds north of the bridge and as the English were crossing attacked leaving the English Military unprepared and bottle necked. All that was left was a slaughter and rout. The Scots were out numbered almost 4 to 1 in the battle but because of Wallace's masterful plan and implementation of it the English army was decimated. Hugh de Cressingham was never allowed to lead an English army into battle ever again. [Mel Gibson admitted to the misportrayel of this event because he did not have sufficent funds to film it in the correct light but could not avoid telling the story without the presence of the conflict]
At Falkirk the movie portrays the Irish as switching sides at the begining of the battle. This is not true either. It was the Welsh Longbowmen who refused to participate but this had more to due with payment than anything concerning treason or loyalty to the scottish. The Welsh simply sat the battle out and watched from a distance, fighting for neither side of the conflict. Luckily for the English they had three company's of heavy Knighted cavalry to utilize. The battle took longer than most as Wallace had positioned his archers and pikes in a bog that the Knights had to muddle their way through but when they did all that was left was a routed Scottish force.
William Wallace escaped to France where he spent the next four to seven years (conflicting dates make this hard to extract an exact time period) gaining their support.
William Wallace had finally garnered the French support and military was being formed to aid the scots in France and was set to depart when the first wild card came out and the King of France died leaving his coniving heir Phillip "the Fair" (because of his skin not his morality) took the throne. Wallace saw the writting on the wall and returned to Scottland without a French army at his rear.
William was betrayed by a Templar Noble of Scotland trying to gain the favor of the English by giving Wallace into the hands of the English by identifying him at a secret confrence by turning the bread counter clock wise and angled infron of sir Wallace where English Knights in hiding were watching for it and then arrested Sir Wallace with little fight.
Phillip "the Fair" would then commited the most detrimental act to the English conquering the Scots unintentionally. He began his persecution of the Knights Templar. Many of the order escaped to the British Isles where Longshanks welcomed them with open arms and ailing health. Upon Edwards death his son under great pressure and the threat of excommunication from his brother in law Phillip and the Pope succumbed to their will and excommnicated the remaining Templars and arresting as many as possible. He did not enjoy the act as the Templars of the region had always been loyal to the throne. The Templars that were not arrested simply moved further north to Scottland where Robert the Bruce had already been excommunicated by the pope for the killing of John Comyn and they would be gladly accepted.
Robert the Bruce, as they expected, accepted them happily and still smarting from the deceit by Pembroke and the English forces Methven where the English had convinced him to postpone battle until the following day and then attacked under the cover of darkness later that evenning, immediatly formed the knights into heavy cavalry.
In the movie Bannockburn is displayed as group of Scots that followed both Wallace (post humosly) and Robert the Bruce into battle and winning a quick victory. This once again is false. The Battle was fought over two days. The first day were very minor skirmishes but strategically the most important day of the battle as it allowed the Scots to form its troops at places of its choice. The second day of battle was begun with a very disorganized heavy cav charge by the English which was repelled by Scottish schiltrons in strict formations. The heavy cav was pushed back into the English Infantry that was still attempting to cross the burn. At this poitn with the English flanks reeling Robert the Bruce Unleashed his most deadly and secret weapon, the excommunicated Knights Templar rode into battle and throughly decimated the entire Northern Amry of England. England could muster no more troops to waiste in the north while trying to repel the French in Brittany and a ceasation of conflict ensued though it would be another decade before Robert the Bruce was recognized by them as the King of Scotland and their independance given.