Braveheart [VHS]
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VHS Movie Reviews of Braveheart [VHS]
Movie Review: An amazing film gets a beautiful HD transfer.
Summary: 4 Stars
Braveheart is an inspiring film. One with great direction, breathtaking cinematography and a very gripping(albeit inaccurate) story. Since the onset of High Definintion and Blu-Ray, I have been salivating at the prospect of this film being released in HD and it's finnally here.
Braveheart tells the story of William Wallace, the scottish freedom fighter that inspired a nation to face England head on, is a virtual clinic in epic filmaking. Arguably Mel Gibson's best film, (both as a director and actor) the succeeds at so many levels, that it is easy to forgive the historical inaccuracies that so many critics have pointed at the film. Not only beacuse the result is such a powerful film, but since the most of what we know of William Wallace is based on legend, word and song. Gibson and screenwriter Randall Wallace take broad creative liscense in telling this story, but the result is a film that makes you want to go out and fight for whatever cause you feel is worth fighting for.
But many words have already been written praising this film as is. Lets go into the HD transfer. This Blu-Ray features impressive picture and sound quality. Braveheart was realeased in 1995, which is fairly recent compared with other HD transfers so one would expect at least the possibility of a near-flawless transfer and for the most part it delivers. The colors are rich and detail is clear throughout. The stunning vistas that help the film give it so much of it's character and personality look breathtaking in HD. The greens especially, which is so prominent in the hills of Scotland and the fields where the battles take place in the film. Textures come through quite nicely with clothing and surfaces looking quite good.
It is not without some minor flaws though. I was able to pick up several scratches and things of that sort throughout the film which I found strange considering that the film is not that old. Apparently the master from which the transfer was made was not in optimal condition or was not cleaned up properly. Which is another issue. It is again minor, but I feel the film could've looked cleaner. It is also a bit inconsistent with some scenes looking better than others. However, I don't want people to read this review and think that these issues are big enough to hinder the enjoyment one can get from watching this film in HD. This things are quite minor and you really notice them if you are combing over the film like I did for this review. I mention them because given the quality and importance of the film I was expecting a little bit more work from the studio when it came to the transfer but the operative word here is minor.
Overall, this is a must-buy for fans of this film and film in general. Despite minor issues, this is the most breathtaking Bravheart has looked and sounded. Ever. Better I would say, than in theaters. So pop it in you BD player and cry: "FREEDOM!"
Movie Review: Great Collector's Edition
Summary: 5 Stars
The words "Blown away" can not adequately describe my feelings upon my first viewing of Braveheart.Being a fan of long epic adventures,I was immediately drawn to the almost mystical story of a lowly Scottish clansmen who rose to glory to defy a tyrranical English King and lead a rebellion all in the name of love.Mel Gibson deserves great credit for bringing this story to screen in such an emotional and unbiased historical way.(unlike The Patriot).Allthough the English are rightfully portrayed as cruel and without honor,the Scots are equally shown in a bad light for their political scheming. BRAVO! Movie Review: The violence is slightly curbed
Summary: 5 Stars
William Wallace, a commoner, is a legend, a myth, a hero for sure in Scotland. In his thirteen century he opposed the rule of the king of England over Scotland and the ruthless colonial attitude of that king and his soldiers. Why a commoner and not a noble? Because the nobles accepted to be paid prisoners, salaried slaves of the king of England. As a commoner he only suffered the ruthless violence from these soldiers and the indifference of these nobles. He started a rebellion against the English and that rebellion actually swept the whole Scotland and climaxed in the battle of Stirling. He had managed to bring the nobles behind the commoners and he got a full victory. He was knighted at once but did not change his logic. So in order to force the king of England to grant Scotland full independence he crossed the border and attacked the English at home. He took and ransacked the city of York, and killed the duke of York, the very nephew of the king of England. But in the next confrontation the nobles betray him and he is defeated after the nobles leave the battlefield. The Bruce gets him off that battlefield in due time. But later on the nobles again will betray him again, attract him in a trap and deliver him to the king of England. He will be duly executed as a traitor. The film evokes that treatment though it remains rather far from the real stuff and the fact that he was executed on the day before the Bartholomew Fair on the Fair ground itself as a festive entertainment added to all the others by the king himself. The point is historical and the film is valuable because of that historical dimension. A commoner could easily bring commoners together and make them fight for their freedom, even their national freedom. That is the birth of popular nationalism, of nationalism as such, the only nationalism that represents some historical progress, that of the people, of simple people. That nationalism is going to develop in Europe over the coming centuries, but we can witness its birth in Scotland here. At the same time the film shows very well that nationalism is in absolute contradiction with feudalism. That nationalism is based on self-pride and individual freedom, and the protection and guarantee of that individual freedom. The right of the first night (the local esquire or noble has the right to make love to the newly wed woman, before her newly wed husband on the evening of their marriage) is one of these unbearable privileges of the nobles. Furthermore, the nobles satisfy themselves very well with the financial dependence on the king of England, as long as it does not question their local dominance in Scotland over the local Scots. They have no real national spirit, and the freedom of the people is not their problem. They have sworn allegiance to the King of England and that guarantees their privileged position and they are quite satiated with that. At the same time we must understand a different approach of feudalism that is no longer very active in our minds. The king was the very secular representative of God due to his appointment by God himself, under the only authority of the Pope who is the direct spiritual representative of God on earth. If such is the reality of feudalism, then no one can question the decisions and acts of the king, certainly not the nobles who are under allegiance towards that king. A duke can fight against a count or another duke, because they are of the level but they cannot fight against the king who is over them. But the surprising element is that the battle of Stirling took place on September 11, 1297 some 80 years after the first signing of the Magna Carta and 30 years after the final acceptance of this Magna Carta that shows how the English nobles and the English Church actually joined against the king to impose onto him some freedoms that were unheard of before. I tend to believe William Wallace was the development of this Magna Carta and that it brought the third social element into the picture, the third estate, the commoners. The defeat is all the more significant, and the execution is also all the more significant. It was more a martyrdom than anything else. We know that a poet, Blind Harry, will turn the oral legend into a myth with his epic poem written at the end of the fifteen century. This film is just the adaptation of this myth.
Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne, University Paris 8 Vincennes Saint Denis, University Paris 12 Val de Marne Creteil, CEGID Boulogne Billancourt
Movie Review: Great Movie of Mel
Summary: 5 Stars
Finally it's done for wait this Bluray Braveheart. Movie's fan knew how's this film. When they come to Bluray...sound and picture is awesome. Think Movie collector should have this one.Movie Review: Excellent Film - Terrible Blu-ray
Summary: 1 Stars
There is no doubt this is an excellent film. 7 Academy Awards good. But, this blu-ray disk is an insult to the film itself.
Neither the film nor sound is enhanced to fully utilize the depth and capacity of blu-ray. You're better off just watching your old regular dvd of Braveheart on a quality DVD player. What a shame. Sorry I bought this blu-ray. Hey! Paramount! How can
a puff-ball sci-fi film like 'The Last Starfighter' get to be beautifully enhanced for blu-ray with excellent sound but a
multiple Academy Award winner doesn't deserve the same? And, then, to market this low ball edition as something special
called 'Sapphire Series'??? I guess Sapphire Series means "we didn't want to spend the money on enhancing the film for blu-ray". Tragic.