Latest news with #Brian Cox
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
The surprising parts of Braveheart that were ACCURATE: From William Wallace's execution to Robert the Bruce becoming King of Scotland... after Brian Cox brands film 'b******s'
Ever since its release in 1995, Braveheart has been a whipping boy for scholars. All of its historical inaccuracies - ranging from Mel Gibson 's blue painted face to its garbled chronology - have been gleefully pointed out. And further fuel was poured on the fire this week by one of the film's stars, Brian Cox, who said the Oscar-winning production was 'b******s'. Speaking at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, Cox added that the film is a 'f***ing lie, the whole thing', and added he only agreed to portray Wallace's fictional uncle Argyle, after Gibson pleaded with him. But the tale of Scotland's push for 'freeeeeeedom!' against the tyrannical English did get a few things right. The Scots were defeated at the Battle of Falkirk One of the many fighting scenes in the film depicts 1298 Battle of Falkirk, which ended with Scottish defeat. Troops led by Wallace fought valiantly but ultimately succumbed to the strength of the English army headed by King Edward I. The version of the battle in Braveheart accurately depicts the desertion of the Scottish cavalry as defeat loomed. Around 2,000 men on each side were killed, though the English force triumphed in part because of its overwhelming numerical superiority. William Wallace was betrayed In Braveheart, Wallace is betrayed by noblemen Mornay and Lochlan in the lead-up to the Battle of Falkirk. Gibson's character goes on to kill the pair as revenge for their treachery. Although Mornay and Lochlan were Hollywood inventions, Wallace really was betrayed. The treachery of Scottish nobleman John Mnteith - who was not depicted in Braveheart - led to his capture near Glasgow in 1305. William Wallace was gruesomely executed One of the final scenes in Braveheart depicts Wallace's gruesome execution. The Scot was hanged, drawn and quartered at Smithfield in London. The killing method involved hanging someone until they were nearly dead and then cutting off their genitals and disembowelling them while they were still alive. Gibson opted not to depict Wallace's death scene in graphic detail, and instead focused on his face as he was tortured and then cried out his message of defiance. Sticklers will have pointed out that Wallace would have been in no fit state to shout out anything after being subjected to such horrendous disfigurement. The English were defeated at Bannockburn The final scenes of Gibson's film depict the Scottish victory at the Battle of Bannockburn. The clash, which took place in June 1314, saw Robert the Bruce's Scots defeat English troops led by Edward II. Robert's victory at Bannockburn put paid to Edward's plans to conquer Scotland. In Braveheart, the ramshackle Scots charge at their enemies as the film ends by showing Wallace's sword - having been thrown by Argyle - sticking out of the ground and wavering in the wind. Robert the Bruce did become King of Scotland Braveheart's depiction of Robert the Bruce leading his men into battle at Bannockburn comes after he has been crowned as Scotland's king. Robert became King of the Scots at Scone, near Perth, in 1306. After the formal inauguration, he agreed to be crowned for a second time by the Isabella MacDuff, the Countess of Buchan. That moment is immortalised in a tableau on display at Edinburgh Castle. Robert reigned until his death in 1329, when he was succeeded by his son, King David II.
The Independent
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Brian Cox labels Braveheart costumes a ‘lie'
Actor Brian Cox, who appeared in the film Braveheart, has labelled the Oscar-winning epic a 'lie' built on historical inaccuracies. Cox, a proud Scotsman, specifically criticised the film's inclusion of kilts, saying they were not worn in Scotland until the 16th century, despite the film being set in the late 13th century. He agreed with film critic Mark Kermode that the film is 'tosh-like' and 'a f***ing lie, the whole thing'. Despite his criticisms of the film's accuracy, Cox praised director and star Mel Gibson, calling him 'wonderful to work with' and 'a really good man'. In contrast, Gibson recently expressed joy about making Braveheart, becoming emotional while reflecting on the film's score at a musical performance in Ireland.
Telegraph
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Brian Cox: Braveheart is a lie
Braveheart is 'a lie', Brian Cox has said. The Scottish actor, who starred in Succession, said the Mel Gibson film about William Wallace had a 'crap' script and was historically inaccurate. Speaking at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, he said: 'The film is just bollocks. It doesn't make any sense.' Cox, 79, appeared in the 1995 historical epic despite initially turning the role down to appear in a film about Rob Roy, the 17th century outlaw. He said Gibson pleaded with him to take a role in Braveheart. 'I said, 'Well, there is a very good part at the beginning, a guy called Argyle but I'm wrong for him because he should be cadaverous and thin',' Cox said. 'And he said: 'No, you can play it'.' Cox played Argyle Wallace, the uncle of the main character, in the film about the Scottish wars of independence in the 13th and 14th centuries. He added: 'I just didn't want to be in a kilt. Of course they didn't have kilts in those days but they had to have kilts [in the film] because that is what it is about.' Braveheart, which won five Academy Awards, has been criticised for not strictly following historical fact. It contained an invented romance between Wallace and Isabella of France, depicted Scots wearing tartan before it was invented and showed them using tactics in the set piece battle against the English army that they did not use. The script was based on a 15th century poem called The Wallace, written by a minstrel called Blind Harry. 'Mel is wonderful to work with,' Cox said. 'He gets a bad rap but actually he is a really good man. I saw him deal with some lads [on the film] who were alcoholically inclined and he used to deal with them absolutely beautifully.' Sharon L. Krossa, a medieval historian and Braveheart detractor, has previously said: 'The events aren't accurate, the dates aren't accurate, the characters aren't accurate, the names aren't accurate, the clothes aren't accurate – in short, just about nothing is accurate.' The film was blamed in the run up to the 2014 Scottish independence referendum for a rise in anti-British sentiment. Stanley Baxter, the comedian, said it was 'to do with these dreadful films they've made, anti-English films and that wretched Australian [Mel Gibson] – Braveheart – it's not even correct historically'.
Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Times
Braveheart is a load of bollocks, says Brian Cox
Scotland's greatest living male actor has finally admitted what the rest of the world suspected — Braveheart is 'bollocks'. Brian Cox, who agreed to star in the 1995 Oscar-winning film after repeated entreaties from its director and star Mel Gibson, said the script was 'crap' and that liberties were taken with historical accuracy. 'The film is just bollocks. It doesn't make any sense,' the 79-year-old actor told the Edinburgh International Book Festival. Cox revealed that he had initially turned down Braveheart, instead opting to perform in Rob Roy — another Scottish historical epic that was due to be shot at the same time. He said Gibson then pleaded with him to take a part in the film and Cox finally relented. 'I said, well, there is a very good part at the beginning, a guy called Argyle but I'm wrong for him because he should be cadaverous and thin. And he [Gibson] said: 'No, you can play it.' Cox added: 'I just didn't want to be in a kilt. Of course they didn't have kilts in those days but they had to have kilts [in the film] because that is what it is about.' In response to questioning from film critic Mark Kermode, Cox agreed the film was 'tosh-like', adding: 'It is a f***ing lie, the whole thing.' Braveheart, which won the best picture Oscar, has been lauded by generations of Scottish nationalist politicians, with the late Alex Salmond's Alba Party even channelling the film in a 2021 campaign advert. At its premiere in 1995, Salmond — in reference to the film's central character William Wallace being hung, drawn and quartered in London — said he would 'decapitate' his then political opponent, Michael Forsyth. He later ended a party conference speech echoing Wallace's battle cry from the film: 'Freedom, freedom, freedom'. It is generally accepted that the film, which charts Scotland's 14th-century fight for independence from England, was a boon for the Scottish nationalist cause. The SNP recorded its highest poll ratings in seven years immediately after its release. From its release, however, there were huge question marks over its historical accuracy, with the central romance between Wallace, played by Gibson, and Isabella of France, played by Sophie Marceau, entirely fabricated. One historian reportedly found 18 inaccuracies in the first two and a half minutes of the film, which still received ten Academy Award nominations. It won five, including best director for Gibson. Cox said that he had been drawn to the film because of Gibson, adding: 'He is great. Mel is wonderful to work with. He gets a bad rap but actually he is a really good man. I saw him deal with some lads [on the film] who were alcoholically inclined and he used to deal with them absolutely beautifully.' The script by Randall Wallace, which was based on the 15th-century poem The Wallace, by Blind Harry, earned the writer an Oscar nomination. The actor has been in Edinburgh playing the economist Adam Smith in James Graham's latest play, Make it Happen, the big hit of the Edinburgh Festival. Cox, who has become known to new generations through his role as Logan Roy in the drama series Succession, has also been working on his directorial debut, Glenrothan, which he stars in with Alan Cumming. It is due to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival next month. He also told the book festival he had postponed a planned solo talking tour after listening to his family, who had pleaded with him to reduce his workload. 'My family have been urging me to do it [have a break],' he said. 'Both my sons were worried about me. I'm fine but they do worry about me. And yeah maybe I have gone a wee bit too far. Maybe I have just got to stop.' Which means, one assumes, a Braveheart sequel is definitely not on the cards.
