Braveheart (1995) 1080p BluRay x265 HEVC EAC3-SARTRE

Mel Gibson, long-time heartthrob of the silver screen, came into his own as a director with Braveheart, an account of the life and times of medieval Scottish patriot William Wallace and, to a lesser degree, Robert the Bruce's struggle to unify his nation against its English oppressors. The story begins with young Wallace, whose father and brother have been killed fighting the English, being taken into the custody of his uncle, a nationalist and pre-Renaissance renaissance man. He returns twenty years later, a man educated both in the classics and in the art of war. There he finds his childhood sweetheart Murron (Catherine McCormack), and the two quickly fall in love. There are murmurs of revolt against the English throughout the village, but Wallace remains aloof, wishing simply to tend to his crops and live in peace. However, when his love is killed by English soldiers the day after their secret marriage, he springs into action and single-handedly slays an entire platoon of foot soldiers. The other villagers join him in destroying the English garrison, and thus begins the revolt against the English in what will eventually become full-fledged war. Wallace eventually leads his fellow Scots in a series of bloody battles that prove a serious threat to English domination and, along the way, has a hushed affair with the Princess of Wales (the breathtaking Sophie Marceau) before his imminent demise. For his efforts, Gibson won the honor of Best Director from the Academy; the movie also took home statuettes for Best Picture, Cinematography, Makeup, and Sound Effects.

Extras

• Battlefields of the Scottish Rebellion - An interactive map that allows viewers to learn more about four major developments during the career of William Wallace: the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297, the Battle of Falkirk in 1298, William Wallace's capture in 1305, and the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. Viewers may learn more about the battles of Falkirk and Bannockburn via a computer-generated recreation that shows an animated progression of the battles, accompanied by descriptive narration. (720p, 23:30)

• Braveheart: A Look Back - A three-part retrospective that aims to capture what it is that made Braveheart a success. Part one, A Company of Equals, features behind-the-scenes stills and clips from the film, all intertwined with interview pieces with cast and crew that recount the construction of the story, the purpose behind telling it, the scope of the production, the challenge of putting it all together, the difficulties of the shoot, and much more. Part two, The Sound of Laughter, focuses primarily on Mel Gibson's prowess as a director but also recounts some lighthearted moments from the set, looks at Mel Gibson's makeup, and more. The third part, The Measure of a Film, examines the process of editing the film together, shooting the battle scenes, the film's emotional core, its staying power, and more. (720p, 1:00:23)

• Smithfield: Medieval Killing Fields - Recounts the history of the then-infamous bloody town on the outskirts of London and takes a glimpse at what's there today. (720p, 25:19)

• Tales of William Wallace - A piece presented in a History Channel style that takes audiences behind the legend of the man and aims to sort out fact from fiction. (480p, 29:59)

• A Writer's Journey - A piece featuring writer Randall Wallace recounting his introduction to the story of William Wallace, his writing style and the process of penning the script, his collaboration with Mel Gibson, the film's themes, and more. (480p, 21:30)

• Braveheart Timelines - A collection of three independent items that chronicle the factual history of William Wallace, the fictionalized account of his actions as seen in the film, and the Braveheart production timeline that examines the process of bringing the film to the big screen.

• Theatrical trailers (720p, 1:41 & 2:54)