Braveheart (1995)
Mel Gibson directs and stars in this 13th century epic based on the life of William Wallace, a Highlander who led the Scottish revolt against the tyranny of English King Edward 'Longshanks' - a sneering Patrick McGoohan.
Although factually all over the place this is stirring stuff with heroic characters who rally us with even more heroic speeches in true classic Hollywood epic style giving the film a wonderful emotional impact, but it's the superb (and graphic) battle scenes involving hundreds if not thousands of extras, in which Gibson thrusts the viewer into the midst of the blood soaked mayhem, that both shocked and exhilarated at the same time and changed big budget action scenes forever.
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