History YMMV / BraveHeart

* UnintentionallySympathetic: You really can't help but feel sorry for Edward II after his father throws his (possible) lover out a window to his death.

** Wallace's speech before the Battle of Stirling, specially the "they may take our lives but they will never take our freedom!" part.

--> '''Stephen''': In order to find his equal an Irishman is ''forced'' to talk to God. ''*to the sky*'' Yes, Father! ''*back to Hamish*'' The Almighty says, "Don't change the subject; just answer the fookin' question."

--> '''Stephen''': In order to find his equal an Irishman is ''forced'' to talk to God.

* CrazyAwesome: Stephen, the Irishman. His crazy remarks about what the Lord "tells him" are quite hilarious and even badass in its own way.

** "FREEEDOM!!" gets a lot of mileage too, especially for folks having to endure some lengthy torture (bonus points if said torture is something [[MundaneMadeAwesome entirely mundane]]).

* AudienceAlienatingPremise: HistoricalFiction films are known for playing loosely with history, but Braveheart is infamous for taking it to an especially ludicrous level; from completely changing the personalities of several real people to a tremendous number of anachronisms to outright ''making up'' events for the film. This has resulted in a lot of people who have even a basic understanding of the events the film is based off of just skipping the movie.

* MemeticMutation: The "HOLD!" bit became a meme on YTMND in the mid 2000's.

* HilariousInHindsight: William Wallace's execution is funnier given how much of an asshole Creator/MelGibson is in real life.

** Wallace's execution is pretty scary. Being hanged, drawn and quartered was ''not'' a pretty way to go. Although [[GoreDiscretionShot nothing excessive is shown on-screen]], Wallace's horrid expressions don't help much and the fact alone that the damage he endures is irreversible.

* NightmareFuel: Wallace's execution is pretty scary. Being hanged, drawn and quartered was ''not'' a pretty way to go.

* CriticalResearchFailure: The opening says that Wallace's father was a commoner who owned his own land. Not only was such a thing rare (but not unheard of) back then, Wallace's family were petty nobility and he was a knight as were many of his male relatives.

* HarsherInHindsight: The film strongly emphasizes Scotland's fight for independence against the English. While it did gain independence under Robert the Bruce, hostilities eventually resumed, and after several major (and minor) wars, Scotland was fully and ''brutally'' conquered by English dictator Oliver Cromwell. A century later, English dominion was unquestionably cemented by their victory at Culloden.

* JerkassWoobie: Prince Edward is by no means a likeable guy (cowardly, clueless, treats his wife poorly) but his [[{{Jerkass}} jerkassery]] could be explained by the [[SarcasmMode great relationship]] he has with his [[AbusiveParents good old dad]]. He's also probably struggling with his homosexuality in a very unfriendly environment to gay people, stuck in a marriage he didn't want and his lover eventually killed by his father. When his wife gives him and his father TheReasonYouSuckSpeech saying they don't even know what mercy is as well as love, for a moment he seems distraught (he has lost his companion and lover) supporting this AlternativeCharacterInterpretation.

* {{Squick}}: An English soldier tells Murron how she reminds him of his own daughter back in England before ''he tries to molest her''.

* MagnificentBastard: King Edward. Sorry, but Patrick [=McGoohan=] is awesome.

* HarsherInHindsight: The film strongly emphasizes Scotland's fight for independence against the English. While it did gain independence under Robert the Bruce, this status wouldn't last very long, and after several major (and minor) wars, Scotland was fully and ''brutally'' conquered by English dictator Oliver Cromwell. A century later, English dominion was unquestionably cemented by their victory at Culloden.
** It's worth noting that Scotland's "not very long" period of independence was longer than the USA has existed to date.

* LoveItOrHateIt: In Scotland. [[MexicansLoveSpeedyGonzales Many posters for this movie can still be found all over Scotland]]. Ironically there are plenty of Scottish people who hate this film for its inaccuracies. A statue of Creator/MelGibson as Wallace was subject to vandalism for years before finally being removed.

* BloodlessCarnage: In the case of Murron's death. The magistrate clearly slit her throat, yet her wound is obscured from view and there is no blood on the knife. But this may be a [[SpecialEffectsFailure goof]].

* HilariousInHindsight: William Wallace's execution is funnier given how much of an asshole Mel Gibson is in real life.
* IAmNotShazam: Whenever Mel Gibson's portrayal of William Wallace is spoofed/referenced, people will call his character "Braveheart" instead of Wallace. In actuality, it refers to Robert the Bruce.

* CompleteMonster: King Edward I "Longshanks" is portrayed as [[HistoricalVillainUpgrade far more evil than his real life counterpart ever was]]. Introduced as a "cruel pagan" who has annexed Scotland into England and just returned from a war with France, he authorizes mass rape in Scotland by restoring the ancient law of ''[[DroitDuSeigneur Ius Primae Noctis]]'', giving English lords in Scotland the right to claim "first night" of any peasant girl in their domain upon their marriage. He's doing this to win support from the English lords necessary to solidify his rule in Scotland and to gradually end the Scottish as a nation by outbreeding them. He sees his effeminate son Edward II simply as the continuation of his legacy, throws his son's homosexual lover out of a window for daring to speak to him as an advisor and beats his son's face in afterwards. After William Wallace stages a Scottish rebellion against him, Longshanks announces his intent to reduce the country to ashes just out of petty spite at Wallace. During an engagement with the Scots he orders his archers to [[UnfriendlyFire fire on his own troops]] while they're busy fighting the Scots, justifying it by stating that [[WeHaveReserves his men are expendable]]. After Wallace is captured by the English due to a conspiracy among the Scottish lords, Longshanks has him slowly and painfully tortured to death in a public execution while listening on from his own death bed.

* CrazyAwesome: Stephen.

%%* EnsembleDarkhorse: Stephen the Irishman.

* JerkassWoobie: Prince Edward is by no means a likeable guy (cowardly, clueless, treats his wife poorly) but his [[{{Jerkass}} jerkassery]] could be explained by the [[SarcasmeMode great relationship]] he has with his [[AbusiveParents good old dad]]. He's also probably struggling with his homosexuality in a very unfriendly environment to gay people, stuck in a marriage he didn't want and his lover eventually killed by his father. When his wife gives him and his father TheReasonYouSuckSpeech saying they don't even know what mercy is as well as love, for a moment he seems distraught (he has lost his companion and lover) supporting this AlternativeCharacterInterpretation.

* CrowningMusicOfAwesome: Music/JamesHorner [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUNSZEDfwu0 delivers]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWQhezXbi7A an]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tS7V5XoYCaQ absolutely]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXzGZ6GXnTw amazing]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNLfNezFqNk score]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxRik0jw5L8 for]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcxfrL4UjQ4 this]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkLrnI7SsVY film]].
** Bonus points for the main theme song, which was later remixed and became a respectable chart hit.