Discovery Channel - Braveheart The True Story (2012)

Braveheart: The True Story

Mel Gibson’s Oscar winning box office smash of 1995 tells the story of real life Scottish rebel and freedom fighter William Wallace. With savage battle scenes, a cast of thousands and a tragic love story at its heart, it is a sweeping historical epic brought to the screen with stunning photography set amongst the highlands of Scotland. But ever since it was first shown historians have asked questions about the accuracy of the movie. No one doubts that William Wallace was a real historical character - as was Edward 1st, Robert the Bruce, and many others who feature in the film. But was he really the “ordinary joe” made good portrayed by Mel Gibson, and did his life unfold in the way Braveheart depicts? Interviewing script-writer Randall Wallace we discover that the inspiration for the movie was the stories generated by an ancient Scottish poem about the life of Wallace. But an analysis by modern historian’s show that this poem, as much as any movie, was designed to create a legend rather than explain history. Remarkable new archaeological finds from Stirling Castle reveal just how brutal medieval warfare was. And a series of unique experiments with weapons of the day – including medieval war bows – are conducted by historian and weapons expert Mike Loades. These experiments graphically demonstrate the damage 13th century weapons could inflict, and they tell us just how accurate Braveheart’s famous fight scenes really were.

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