A Scene of Historical and Biblical Significance in Braveheart - Research Paper Example

A Scene of Historical and Biblical Significance “Freedom!” Everyone who has seen the film Braveheart will agree that the term freedom has never had a more meaningful illustration until it was shown in the film directed by the very talented actor, director and producer, Mel Gibson. The last scene in which the main character, William Wallace is sentenced to death by axe relates significant historical and biblical views of the film makers, which every person should conceive in order to live a more meaningful life. A thorough analysis of the scene allows the audience to deduce its essence both in the film and in literary history. Upon the release of the film in 1995, Scotland observed an additional 156% in its tourism rates (Clough 2). This illustrates the success of the film, and curiosity of the people over Scotland’s hero, William Wallace. The film, Braveheart depicts the bravery of William Wallace, a Scottish knight who opposes and fights the kingship of Edward I of England (Wallace 18). Recognizing the injustice that the king has done to his people, Wallace, along with his men, fights the king for the independence of their land. Prior to this, Wallace lost his wife, Murron, when she was guillotined after being accused of assaulting one of the king’s men. In the last scene, William is sentenced to die for treachery. As he faces beheading, Wallace is given a chance to beg for mercy. However, instead of uttering the word, “mercy,” he shouts “Freedom!” The death scene of William lasts for 3 minutes and 33 seconds. It starts with William being made to lie down on a wooden surface in preparation for the axing. As he is prepared for the final execution, Wallace is tortured by the guards while the public, composed mostly of women, summons him to pronounce mercy. William’s friends, who are present in the crowd, await in deep remorse; nevertheless, they cannot do anything to help William. The English magistrate, dressed up in red, stands beside William, enticing him to beg for mercy. While he awaits for his death, William sees a vision of his wife, smiling at him, confirming the correctness of his decision not to beg for mercy. At the end of the scene, William shouts, “Freedom!” and releases the cloth he is holding, thus signifying his death and his final embrace with freedom. Shot Analysis A shot analysis of the scene based on the ideas of Bordwell and Thompson guides readers to understand the real essence of the scene in the film. As Bordwell and Thompson (“Film Art” 231) propose, it is important to look for continuity in a film. Intense continuity can be achieved by “using brief shots to maintain interest...[while] making each shot yield a point” Bordwell and Thompson (“Minding Movies” 169). In the scene, most of the shots last for less than two seconds, whereas some shots with Murron last for more than two but less than three seconds. Every shot shows the face of a character with outpouring emotions that contribute to the unified effect of the scene. The first few scenes show the face of William Wallace. These scenes serve as the foundation to establish what is happening. From the facial expressions of Mel Gibson, these shots elicit empathy from the audience. Likewise, the next few scenes attempt to make the audience empathize with the characters as they show the facial expressions of the other characters such as William’s friends, his lover, and the crowd. Notably, the shots showing Murron, William’s wife who passed away earlier in the film are longer than the other shots. At first, it seems convenient to say that these shots are made longer to show the beauty of the actress but on a second thought, the director must have a particular reason for making the shots longer. It can be considered that these shots are made longer in order to establish the contrast between the views of the characters and Murron’s. With Murron smiling in the middle of a frightened crowd, we get the idea of the contrast. However, this visual contrast further suggests a more in-depth idea, that is the contrast between Murron’s and the people’s view of William’s death. Specifically, while the people try to convince William to beg for mercy, Murron affirms William’s choice to die. Hence, the choice of the director to make the Murron shots longer is justified. Literary Analysis of the Scene Analyzing the scene in light of its literary merits could lead the audience to a deeper appreciation. In general, the audience will appreciate the scene for its sustained and intense continuity. As mentioned previously, the shots showing the outburst of emotions of the characters in the film lead the audience to empathize with William and his friends. Moreover, Christians may tend to appreciate the scene more as it presents a biblical allusion on the death of Christ. This allusion is achieved through the props, costumes, pacing, characterization, and theme. The initial part of the scene shows William lying on his back on a wooden cross. The English magistrate who supervises the execution stands by William’s side, wearing a red dress and a black robe as the painting of Preti shows (See Figure 1). The allusion is made more evident as the magistrate whispers to William to beg for mercy. This scene reminds the audience of Pilate’s plea for Christ to claim that he is not under Pilate’s rule (John 19:11-12). Figure 1. The photo on the right shows William Wallace after the English magistrate, while the photo on the left depicts a painting of Pilate as he washes his hands. Moreover, William’s embrace of death vivifies the scenario when Christ chooses to suffer and die on the cross rather than save himself. Furthermore, the characters in the scene strongly suggest the allusion. First, William’s friends remind the audience of Christ’s apostles who come to the execution in disguise for fear of being identified. Second, the Lady of France cries unceasingly as Magdalene did at the time of Christ. Third, the crowd gathered during the execution demonstrates mixed emotions but overall, they are there to mock William. Fourth, William’s submission to death suggests the submission of Christ to the will of his Father. Primarily, the literary merit of the scene is achieved through the biblical allusion. Secondarily, the rhetorical aspect of the scene or simply the dialogue also contributes to its beauty. In the scene, William refuses to beg for mercy or bow to the king’s power as illustrated in his shout for freedom. The contrast between the two terms (mercy and freedom) adds interest to the scene as the audience watches out for William’s choice. The climax is further heightened and held at the peak as Wallace is tortured while he remains unyielding to the English. While the torture is going on, the audience may tend to relate with the way the crowd is feeling, which makes the scene revealing of the empathy that people would have felt during the time of Christ’s death. The third aspect that possibly adds to the literary merit of the work is the simplification of the shots (Rosteck 159). Particularly, each shot focuses on the face of the character. The camera is centered on the face, for instance, of William and not the entire occurrence. On one hand, centering attention on the facial expression allows the audience to deduce the feelings of the characters. On the other hand, this simplification may be interpreted as a means to avoid historical relevance. Rosteck argues that the film strays away from the historical model of the life of William Wallace and the 13th century Scotland. In particular, there are some elements of the film that deviate from its historical reference (Calvert). These include the use of sword by William instead of a broadaxe. (Rosteck 160). The deviation from historical reference, which is considered a flaw, is nevertheless compensated by the strength of emotions of the characters. Considering this, we may argue that the makers of the film are not totally after giving a historical account of WilliamWallace’s life or his bravery. Rather, they could be after addressing the current American identity that characterized the 1990s (Rosteck160). In the analysis of Rosteck (160), the question being addressed at the time of Braveheart’s release was the question of masculinity rather than historical authenticity. Rosteck (160) noted the “crisis of masculity” that was evident in the 80s and the 90s. In response to this, the film makers focus on the characterization and theme. In particular, the focus on the face, which demonstrates character emotions especially in the execution scene shows the attempt to underscore behavior, feelings, and personal views more than historical accounts. Following this idea, the execution scene is full of emotional outpour to affect the audience’s attitudes and views, whereas there is a lack of authentic materials for the scene. This may be considered a flaw because of the confusion due to the attempt to deviate from reality. Despite the fact that the setting of the film is in Scotland, its general feel is rather American (Rosteck 160). For instance, the women in the execution scene are dressed up in simple clothes, and there are no traces of purely Scottish elements or those far from the American way of life in the 1930s. Therefore, Americans can easily relate with the character of William, which could in turn make it easier for them to imbibe the essence of the story and the principle of Wallace, that is, to value individual freedom above all things, even above life itself. Capturing emotions typically helps to emphasize the value of freedom. Each shot shows the facial expression of the characters as William lies on the cross, waiting for his final execution. Despite the different shots, unity is achieved at the end because the characters display emotions that construe the theme of the story. Such example given emphasizes the importance of props, facial expression, characterization, theme, and son on in making a film. Similar to the abovementioned, the historical relevance of the film is not in relation to Scotland but America. The theme of the story, which emphasizes freedom , is an appeal addressed to Americans or citizens of other countries to value their freedom as they do their lives. In the film, William is captured by the English and is made to suffer in front of the public in order to make him denounce his principles. Nevertheless, such efforts become futile as the protagonist refuses to submit to the English ruler. Conclusion Every scene in a film should be carefully thought of and shot to merit the appreciation of the audience and film critics. As Bordwell and Thompson (“Film Art” 216) suggest, there should intense continuity, which can be achieved by providing a glance-long picture of each scene rather than just a glimpse. In addition, unforgettable scenes such as the execution scene in Braveheart will be more appreciated if it employs familiar elements to which the audience can rely. Such elements may include biblical allusion, historical significance, and so on. Moreover, film makers should make it a point to simplify themes, dialogues, and overall visual image in order to facilitate registry in the minds of the viewers. The elements applied in the execution scene in Braveheart provide a sample of what should be incorporated in order to come up with a moving and unforgettable scene. As discussed in this paper, it is important to consider the primary aspects of filmmaking but above all, the unity of all elements should never be overlooked. With all the themes, film elements and story line employed, Braveheart may be considered one of the greatest films of heroism ever produced in the history of filmmaking (Wilson and Herman 5). Works Cited Braveheart. Dir. Mel Gibson. Perf. Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau, Catherine McCormack, and Patrick McGoohan. 2oth Century Fox, 1995. Film. Bordwell, David and Kristin Thompson. Film Art: An Introduction. NJ: McGraw Hill, 2008. Print. Bordwell, David and Kristin Thompson. Minding Movies: Observations on the Art, Craft and Business of Filmmaking. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2011. Print. Calvert, Leon Saunders. Ideology and the Modern Historical Epic: How the Political Concerns in the Genre have Changed Since the 11th September 2011. N.d. The Film Journal. 21 November 2011. Web. Clough, Julie. “Travel: Stirling Effort for Scotland’s Liberator Seven Hundred Years After Local Hero William Wallace Routed the English Here, The Town is Enjoying a Renaissance.” Daily Telegraph. 16 August 1997. The Electronic Library. Online 12 December 2011. “John 19:11-12.” Web. 2011. Biblegateway.com. 13 December 2011. Preti, Mattia. Pilate Washiing His Hands. 1663. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Web. Rosteck, Thomas. At the Intersection: Cultural Studies and Rhetorical Studies. NY: Guilford Press, 1999. Print. Wallace, Randall. Braveheart. NY: Simon and Schuster, 1995. Wilson, Wendy and Gerald Herman. World History on the Screen. Maine: J. Weston Walch, 2003. Read More