By Arthur Flynn

For the blockbuster film Braveheart Mel Gibson had the multiple roles of director, co-producer and starring as the 13 century Scottish rebel, William Wallace.

The film for Paramount Films with a budget of $72 million, had a strong production team headed by producers Bruce Davey, Mel Gibson and Alan Ladd Jr, with an original screenplay by Randall Wallace. A more detailed screenplay was written by William C. De Mille and Mary O’Hara. Director of photography was John Toll and musical director James Horner.

Originally Gibson did not want the starring role himself but to only act as the producer and director. He wanted Jason Patric to play Wallace, but Alan Ladd convinced Gibson that he was the ideal person to play William Wallace. Gibson agreed. Despite his excellent acting his attempt at a Scottish accent was widely criticised.

Gibson was inspired by the great movie epics most notably Stanley Kubrick’s Spartacus (1960), Chimes at Midnight (1965), A Man for all Seasons (1966) and The Lion in Winter (1968). – Gibson threw himself into the project.

In 1994 Mel Gibson switched the entire production of Braveheart from Scotland to Ireland. One of the attraction for Gibson was that 1,500 members of the defence forces would be made available to him for the large-scale battle scenes. He also received grants from the Film Board.
Gibson did all the casting but never asked anyone to read the script.

The other leading roles were played by Patrick McGoohan as King Edward I. Sean Connery was originally offered this role but turned it down. James Cosmo played Campbell, Angus MacFadyen as Robert The Bruce and Ian Bannen the Leper. The leading ladies were Sophie Marceau as Princess Isabelle and Catherine McCormick as Murron.

Continue reading in this week’s Ireland’s Own