Scottish warrior William Wallace leads his countrymen in a rebellion to free his homeland from the tyranny of King Edward I of England.
William Wallace is a Scottish rebel who leads an uprising against the cruel English ruler Edward Longshanks, who wishes to inherit the crown of Scotland for himself. When he was a young boy, William Wallace's father and brother, along with many others, lost their lives trying to free Scotland. Once he loses another of his loved ones, William Wallace begins his long quest to make Scotland free once and for all, along with the assistance of Robert the Bruce.
Tells the story of the legendary thirteenth century Scottish hero named William Wallace. Wallace rallies the Scottish against the English monarch and Edward I after he suffers a personal tragedy by English soldiers. Wallace gathers a group of amateur warriors that is stronger than any English army.—Jwelch5742
Scotland, 1280. With England oppressed by King Edward I, William Wallace, a charismatic Scottish knight of humble descent, leads a righteous campaign to end tyranny. In the commander-in-chief's gallant quest for freedom during the First War of Scottish Independence, the mighty warrior and gifted strategist risks life and limb to inspire the hopelessly disorganised Scots, oppressed people thirsting for independence. But blood covers the road to liberty.—Nick Riganas
In 14th Century Scotland, William Wallace leads his people in a rebellion against the tyranny of the English King, who has given English nobility the 'Prima Nocta' - a right to take all new brides for the first night. The Scots are none too pleased with the brutal English invaders, but they lack leadership to fight back. Wallace creates a legend of himself, with his courageous defense of his people and attacks on the English.—Rob Hartill
In the 13th century (1280 AD), after several years of political unrest (As the King of Scotland had died without a son), Scotland is invaded and conquered by King Edward I of England (known as "Longshanks") (Patrick McGoohan). The Scottish nobles lost easily as they could not unite against a common enemy.Young William Wallace witnesses the treachery of Longshanks when he killed all the Scottish nobles (including William's father and brother) in cold blood after he invites them for a peace treaty. William's father and brother were late to the meeting and hence survived and return to their village.
Hamish (Brendan Gleeson) is William's best friend growing up. The villagers decide to go to war against Longshanks for his betrayal but they are hopelessly outnumbered.William survives the death of his father and brother and is taken abroad by his uncle Argyle where he is educated. Years later, Longshanks grants his noblemen land and privileges in Scotland, including Primae Noctis, the right of the lord to take a newly married Scottish woman into his bed on the wedding night. Longshanks strategy is to breed the Scots out of their own lands.When he returns home, Wallace (Mel Gibson), intending to live peacefully, falls in love with his childhood sweetheart Murron MacClannough (Catherine McCormack), and they marry in secret so that she does not have to spend a night in the bed of the English lord. Wallace also refuses to join the Scottish army as he intends to raise a family and be a farmer, to live in peace.Meanwhile Longshanks has his son Edward marry the daughter of his rival (Princess Isabelle), the King of France. Edward is indicated to be gay, and hence no sire is born into the family. Edward is not interested in the affairs of the state and sends Isabelle to all meetings with Longshanks and his advisory council.
When an English soldier tries to sexually assault Murron, Wallace fights off several soldiers and the two attempt to flee. Wallace manages to escape the village, but Murron is captured and publicly executed by the village sheriff, who proclaims "an assault on the King's soldiers is the same as an assault on the King himself." In retribution, Wallace attacks the soldiers and starts killing them one by one. Several villagers join the fight and slaughter the English garrison, which ends with Wallace executing the sheriff.
Wallace is now compelled to rebel against the English, and as his legend spreads, hundreds of Scots from the surrounding clans join him. Stephen (David O'Hara) claims to be the King of Ireland, and saves Wallace from an assassination attempt of a fellow Scot.The news of Wallace and his rebellion reaches Longshanks. Longshanks is to depart for France, and leaves Edward in charge of dealing with Wallace and the Scots.Princess Isabelle, who has never known love from Edward, is swayed by tales of Wallace's fight for his lost love. She hears that the English tried to trap him at Murron's grave, but he fought through the trap and took her body to a secret place.All the while, Wallace seeks the assistance of Robert the Bruce (Angus Macfadyen), son of nobleman Robert the Elder, and chief contender for the Scottish crown.Despite his growing admiration for Wallace and his cause, Robert is dominated by his father, who wishes to secure the throne for his son by submitting to the English.Wallace leads his army to victory at the Battle of Stirling. Wallace orders the construction of long spears to counter Longshanks' heavy cavalry. Wallace inspires the Scots to fight as free men for the concept of freedom, and to set aside their narrow identities defined by their nobles and Lords.After the battle the nobles fight among themselves to appoint a King but cannot agree on a single name. Wallace knows that the English will return, and his plan is to invade England and fight them in their own land. Wallace tells Robert that men follow courage and not titles.Wallace then leads the Scottish army to sack the city of York.
Longshanks returns from France and throws Edward's gay lover out of the castle window to his death. Longshanks knows that Edward has done nothing to quell the Scottish army. Worried by the threat of the rebellion, Longshanks sends the wife of his son Edward (Peter Hanly), the French princess Isabelle (Sophie Marceau), to try to negotiate with Wallace.Longshanks was hoping that Wallace kills her, and the French king declares war on Wallace in revenge. Wallace refuses the bribe (a chest of gold and offer of titles and estates in exchange for withdrawing the attack) sent with Isabelle by Longshanks, but after meeting him in person, Isabelle becomes enamored with him. Meanwhile, Longshanks prepares an army to invade Scotland.
Warned of the coming invasion by Isabelle, Wallace implores the Scottish nobility, who are more concerned with their own welfare, that immediate action is needed to counter the threat, and to take back the country. Leading the English army himself, Longshanks confronts the Scots at the Battle of Falkirk where noblemen Lochlan and Mornay betray Wallace. The Scots lose the battle, and Wallace is wounded. As he charges toward the departing Longshanks on horseback, Wallace is intercepted by one of the king's lancers, who turns out to be Robert the Bruce. Remorseful, Bruce gets Wallace to safety before the English can capture him. Wallace kills Mornay (Alun Armstrong) and Lochlan (John Murtagh) for their betrayal, avoids assassination attempts, and wages a protracted guerrilla war against the English.
Robert the Bruce, intending to join Wallace and commit troops to the war, sets up a meeting with him in Edinburgh where Robert's father has conspired with other nobles to capture and hand over Wallace to the English. Learning of his treachery, the Bruce disowns his father. Following a tryst with Wallace, Isabelle exacts revenge on the now terminally ill Longshanks by telling him she is pregnant with another man's child, intent on ending Longshank's line and ruling in his son's place.
In London, Wallace is brought before an English magistrate, tried for high treason, and condemned to public torture and beheading. Even after being hanged and mutilated, Wallace refuses to submit to the king by begging for mercy. As cries for mercy come from the watching crowd, the magistrate offers him one final chance. Wallace instead shouts the word "Freedom!" Just before the ax falls, Wallace sees a vision of Murron in the crowd smiling at him.
In 1314 AD, years after Wallace's death, Robert the Bruce, now Scotland's king, leads a Scottish army before a ceremonial line of English troops on the fields of Bannockburn where he is to formally accept English rule. As he begins to ride toward the English, the Bruce stops and turns back to his troops. Invoking Wallace's memory, he implores them to fight with him as they did with Wallace. He then leads his army into battle against the stunned English, winning the Scots their freedom.
