Braveheart: The Role of Films in Historical Storytelling

Movies have become a quick, easy source of information but often fail to accurately represent history. This project examines the historical accuracy of the 1995 film Braveheart in its depictions of 13th-century Scotland and the Scottish War for Independence. This has been done through comparison of multiple historians’ analyses of the film. Upon comparing the body of work, it becomes clear that Braveheart was full of inaccuracies that render the film almost useless as a historical source. Through showing that Braveheart contains many false representations, this research highlights the importance for the need of research outside of Hollywood films