Rating: 4
William Wallace is a great example of what one needs to do to stand up against evil. Through his character we learn that we can never afford to compromise with evil. If Wallace were to have permitted the Scottish leaders to negotiate with England, the Scots would have still been subject to England and all the wrongs England had imposed on them would have no doubt continued. This situation is very similar to Gandhi's, in the movie of the same name, where he too knew that by giving in you give up. If we don't stand up for what is right, we will always fall short of understanding what true freedom is. Even when it seemed that the Scots' plight was futile, they were more free on the battle field than they would have been sitting at home, enduring their enemies.
An excellent illustration of how subtly evil can work is shown in the conflict between the Bruce and his son. The father's evil influence clouded the son's desire and ability to do what was right. The son was naïve too long before he realized the damage he caused by maintaining his allegiance to his father. This poses a complicated moral dilemma, to what extent should one honor their father? What if the father is abusive, or constantly drunk, or leaves the family?
[Spoiler alert] Some of the more questionable elements of the film are the intense and graphic violence (somewhat filtered in the TV version) and that, though resolute in avenging his murdered love, Wallace's character weakens in his committing adultery with the princess. I do understand that this was based on a true story and certain aspects of the story couldn't be changed. This being the case, the story is inevitably not entirely moral, but there are still many great moral truths displayed.
It was inspiring to see how much Wallace loved his wife (not just before their marriage, but even after her death). He showed his love to her with the desire to start their relationship off right by getting married (though this could be seen as careless or selfish by putting their lives in more danger).
[Spoiler alert] Some of the more questionable elements of the film are the intense and graphic violence (somewhat filtered in the TV version) and that, though resolute in avenging his murdered love, Wallace's character weakens in his committing adultery with the princess. I do understand that this was based on a true story and certain aspects of the story couldn't be changed. This being the case, the story is inevitably not entirely moral, but there are still many great moral truths displayed.
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