Mel Gibson, long-time heartthrob of the silver screen, proves his mettle as director with Braveheart, a thrilling 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 (held secretly so as to prevent the local English lord from exercising the repulsive right of prima noctae, the privilege of sleeping with the bride on the first night of the 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. The love story with the Princess seems somewhat contrived, but that is the film's only flaw; the real story is the warfare. The battle scenes are unsurpassed in the history of film (in scope as well as gore -- the graphic violence may have some viewers running for the exits). For his efforts, Gibson won the honor of "Best Director" from the Academy. In all, Braveheart is a spectacle that has appeal for nearly every audience, particularly those of Scottish or Irish descent; some may even be inspired to buy kilts.