10 Oscar Winning Films With Huge Historical Inaccuracies

3. Braveheart (1995): William Wallace In A Kilt... 300 Years Before Scots Wore Them

"FREEDOM!" Every Scot - and almost every other nationality - knows the famous words screamed by William Wallace (A.K.A. Mel Gibson) in Braveheart, a film which won five Academy Awards in 1996 - for Best Picture, Best Director (Mel Gibson), Best Cinematography, Best Sound Editing and Best Makeup.

Based on Blind Harry's epic poem The Actes And Deidis Of The Illustre And Vallyeant Campioun Schir William Wallace, the film depicts the First War of Scottish Independence against King Edward I of England in the 13th Century. Large parts of the poem are historically inaccurate, such as the hanging of Scottish nobles at the beginning of the film. Yet some of the other inaccuracies are not derived from the poem - for example the wearing of belted plaids and kilts by Wallace's men, as no Scot donned such attire in the 1200s, and did not actually do so for another 300 years!

Also, Wallace's supposed seduction of Isabella of France, King Edward II's wife, and the fathering of Edward III is anything but historical fact. First of all, Isabella of France was not at the Battle of Falkirk at which the supposed encounter took place - and she was also three years old at the time. Edward III was also not born until seven years later, so if Isabella was fertilised in Falkirk then it was the longest pregnancy in the history of mankind...