Our campus and our country face some of the greatest political divides they have seen in many years. We stand at each other’s throats on every issue. Conservatives think liberals are too soft, liberals think conservatives are insensitive, and those down the middle are seen as belittlers of the issues at hand. Every article, every story, and every social media post stands to inspire controversy and to push the other side’s buttons.
This newspaper in particular, as of late, has been riddled with political articles, and, frankly, I feel that it is time to fill our pages with something a little more light-hearted so that we forget the division we face—at least for awhile, anyway. There is one thing we can all agree on: Braveheart is the greatest movie ever made.
Mel Gibson’s portrayal of the Scottish hero William Wallace is a truly powerful performance. For those of you who have not seen this glorious 1995 film, it is the story of the 14th century Scottish Revolution where Wallace and the Scots fought against the tyranny of the English, who were led by King Edward I Longshanks. Wallace was driven to rebellion after the murder of his family by English hands. He and the members of his village overthrew the stationed English garrison. Moving from town to town, Wallace and his rebels amassed an army, leading to some of the greatest battle sequences in the history of film.
This movie was filmed during what I believe to be the golden age of special effects. There is no CGI nonsense that makes movies look like they were made in a high school film class. All of the effects are practical, giving the movie a much more realistic feel. Not only are the battle sequences something to behold: The character development is unmatched. I have never felt so connected to characters in a movie during their plight and quest for freedom.
All in all, I would highly recommend this movie, especially in this age of Hollywood where most movies are reboots, remakes, sequels, or comic book adaptations.
This may seem like a piece of satire, and that was its intention. We are all classmates, Foresters, and most of us are Americans. There is no reason we cannot be united despite whatever political differences we may share. At the end of the day, we will all both prosper together and suffer together, and, one day, we can all discuss the glory of Braveheart together. Damn good movie. DAMN good movie.
