Braveheart

[CelticWarrior]

I was just thinking about this movie the other day - 'Braveheart' is apart of my cultural background and being of Scottish/Irish descent I felt compelled to discuss some things about this film today.

Here is a man, William Wallace, who has taken it upon himself to stand against all odds and unite the rebelling clans against the English army. I first watched this story back in 1995 when I was 10yrs old. However, since then I've noticed some fascinating things when it comes to what people are capable of doing when in the face of certain defeat or at least the perception of it.

The way in which people will choose to fight against overwhelming adversity can astonish anyone. For example, when one of the clans' members comes to Wallace and offers his help while saying "We've come to fight and to die for you." Then, after the seemingly great gesture of help and sacrifice he decides to betray that pledge and instead wants to kill him. Mostly likely he was not ready to accept that resistance was the best course of action against Longshanks hoards of soldiers so as a result he fought to protect the old system.

This kinda reminds me of 'The Matrix' where Morpheus gives the speech to Neo about people's minds either unwilling or not ready to accept the truth. The system of whatever is in place to control society is our enemy and those who aren't ready to oppose it will fight to protect it. Feelings of fear, ignorance, mistrust and hopelessness are usually what take over at the time of being introduced to the shock of what's actually happening around the world. But surprising things can come up...

With a little faith, a lot of luck, and equipped with proper knowledge and great will power anything is possible. Whether it's fighting to restore freedom to a people, or the need to awaken the world of it's rose-coloured-glasses state of living we need to stay vigilant and never ever give up. When push comes to shove it's usually the ones who fight for justice that will prevail.

Och aye!

 

[Mrs.Tigersoap]

When push comes to shove it's usually the ones who fight for justice that will prevail.

But unfortunately, too often the ones fighting for justice do not prevail and they get killed: I'm thinking about JFK, Luther King, etc.
Even William Wallace, as depicted in Braveheart: wasn't he hanged and quartered?
Or perhaps you meant that their legacy lives on?

 

[Carl]

When push comes to shove it's usually the ones who fight for justice that will prevail.

But unfortunately, too often the ones fighting for justice do not prevail and they get killed: I'm thinking about JFK, Luther King, etc.
Even William Wallace, as depicted in Braveheart: wasn't he hanged and quartered?
Or perhaps you meant that their legacy lives on?

Yeah, nothing ever really changes in this world and the bad guys always seem to win eventually. Still, legacies do live on, and struggling for justice sounds like a worthy and fulfilling life. It's the effort applied and the lessons learned that are the goal in and of themselves, IMO.


I agree that the movie is a very good depiction of struggle, adversity, and living for higher goals, it really made me feel 'pumped' while watching it!

 

[lilyalic]

The system of whatever is in place to control society is our enemy and those who aren't ready to oppose it will fight to protect it.

I actually had a "Media Psychology" lecture today that examined the effects of the 'enemies' in the media and what they portray.

If you study and examine the enemies in films and programmes throughout the years, the enemy or opposed team at the time in the film etc, reflect societies' enemies at the time given.

 

[CelticWarrior]

Actually, Wallace was beheaded and his arms and legs sent to the four corners of England. The legacy is in fact what I'd say would be the key to promoting these lessons and just the sheer will of not giving in to such tyrannical conflicts by fighting with honour.

Fortunately for us people like JFK and Martin Luther King were able to cast their waves of justice to a point where their lives became a friction. The causes were worthwhile and so must be listened to by all. If we were all to create a kind of friction, the 99% would likey have an advantage thereby leading to a possible victory.

Hmm... Lilyalic that's very intriguing what exactly would you say was the enemy of society at the time in the mid 90's that reflected Wallace's adversary?

 

[gdpetti]

Would that be a 'legacy' or an idea that lives on?... isn't it an archetype in expression and once begun, can only be contained and controlled, not stopped as any fractal design illustrates. Life will find any crevice to crawl out of and when that idea is added to the genetic mix, it takes on a life of its own, for better or for worse, as two are always at play in that ground, the one always trying to suppress the other.

Seems the death of these leaders indicate that a critical point has been reached or even breached and if the suppressing empire seeks to live, then it needs to squash that light before it becomes a torch. Usually, the empire goes overboard and instead of stamping it out of all memory, does the opposite and stamps it into mass consciousness instead, for any and all to retrieve upon request. Sort of like a hidden power cell awaiting someone to flip it back on... and then it seems as if the storm that arrives with it has come out of nowhere, when all that has happened, is someone has taken hold of the sword by the hilt once more, the blade(idea) still sharp, for the blade(idea) never gets dull, only the warrior holding it does, which is why the empires have to keep force applied at all times least this hidden power of the 'beast' within the masses awakens, as all it takes is someone with the proper key to unlock that switch and flip it on.

The sleeper must awaken, as the sword is waiting. They call to each other yearning to be free like a flood held back by a dam of time, the cracks increase with each civilization like the same fractal of nature's design. Close your eyes and you can feel it in the pulse of your blood.... waiting....

 

[lilyalic]

Wallace was portrayed as a poor man who secretly married right before he got in trouble with the English. When infact he was a landed commoner with an acceptable, good education. All men were required to sign the Ragman Roll, which bound signatories in loyalty to England's King Edward I. Those who refused, like Wallace, were outlawed.

 

[CelticWarrior]

After thinking about what kind of attitude someone would want to have when deciding to make an idea live on I'm reminded of a quote by Tim Robbins:

“If you believe in peace, act peacefully; if you believe in love, acting lovingly; if you believe every which way, then act every which way, that's perfectly valid - but don't go out trying to sell your beliefs to the system. You end up contradicting what you profess to believe in, and you set a bum example. If you want to change the world, change yourself.”

And the idea goes on because the man or woman lives on in people's memories... planting the seeds of awareness, compassion, and courageousness.

 

[Deleted member 8431]

When push comes to shove it's usually the ones who fight for justice that will prevail.

But unfortunately, too often the ones fighting for justice do not prevail and they get killed [...]

Indeed. Another great example lies in the story Germinal by Émile Zola (book and movie). [SPOILER ALERT] It happens during the end on the 19th century somewhere in France and portrays the terrible life conditions of coal miners. The conditions are totally execrable and eventually, when being forced to accept even worst conditions, they plan and organize a massive revolution which lasts for a while bringing fire, destruction, suffering and death. In the end though, it was all in vain so to speak because they were inevitably forced to go back down, still living in the same miserable conditions as before, just hoping to be able to live through at least another day.

 

[Paragon]

Being Scottish myself, I was raised with this film being an important part of my upbringing. That and a general anti-british sentiment among my family. I remember my Grandpa (grandfather) refusing to stand for the British anthem at weddings and the like. So I guess I was programmed to always distrust and dislike Britain and to long for an independent country. I've never forgotten how our likely psychopathic leaders sold us to the English in the 17th century for money and as usual, with lies. And generally being invaded all the time before that.

Scotland has finally managed to get into the position of being able to vote for independence in September 2014.

From what I've learned over the years from this forum and SOTT etc, I will be voting for yes, bearing in mind that psychopaths rule our world and that perhaps already the Scottish national party has been corrupted already, I.e ponerized.

There is currently a large propaganda and misinformation campaign against independence from the psychopaths in the media and in the British government who obviously don't want Scotland to be free to make its own future.

My thoughts on this are that the UK would not be as strong and it would affect the elites rule over the world basically so that they wouldn't be able to play their sick games as effectively (IMO). I know how evil the British empire has been to the world and I don't want my country to be a part of that any longer.

Of course with Scots being part of that evil empire too, we still have blood on our hands. But maybe at least we wouldn't be part of any more illegal wars and to have no nuclear weapons on our soil. To me, the benefits outweigh any perceived gain from staying in the union.

FWIW

 

[Tomiro]

I see it as a quite inspiring movie too. Although it kind of bothers me that Hollywood almost always deem it necessary to "enhance" historical stories by changing, distorting or making up facts (like Wallace's origins, the romance with Princess Isabella, the portrayals of the battles and so on), since a more true story would surely be interesting enough IMO.