10 Best Medieval War Movies

Winner of five Academy Awards and ranked in IMDb’s top 100 films, Mel Gibson’s Braveheart is the quintessential medieval war movie. Romanticizing the legend of Scottish historical figure William Wallace (Gibson) in his fight against the English during the first Scottish War of Independence, Braveheart is a true underdog story.

Praised for its central performances, epically violent battles, and James Horner’s sweeping score, it’s easy to see why Braveheart is still held as a cinematic spectacle.

Historically speaking, little is known about the real-life Wallace. In fact, most of what we do know about him comes from a poem titled The Wallace by Blind Harry, which was written over a century after Wallace’s death.

But even with this lack of concrete knowledge, Braveheart is notorious for playing fast and loose with history. To name just a handful of errors: it gets the initial date wrong at the start of the film, there’s no bridge in The Battle of Stirling Bridge, the Scots wouldn’t have worn kilts or blue face paint, and Wallace’s romantic subplot simply didn’t happen.

Despite these glaring inaccuracies, though, Braveheart’s spirit still manages to capture the hearts of audiences everywhere.