- In 1280 A.D. King Edward "Longshanks" I has annexed Scotland as part of England. The nobles of Scotland resisted, but were too divided amongst themselves to overcome the English. Longshanks calls for talks of truce, but instead sets a trap for all the nobles in attendance. Malcolm Wallace, a farmer, and his two sons, John and William, arrive late and come upon the bodies of the nobles hung from the rafters. This event haunts William for the rest of his life. The next day, Malcolm and John leave William home so they can go fight the English. William waits for their return all night. The clan arrives the next morning with their dead bodies. At the funeral for his father and brother, William is given a thistle by young Murron. William is adopted by his Uncle Argyle, who promises that if William is diligent in first becoming educated, he will in return train him to fight.
Many years later, Longshanks's son, Prince Edward II, depicted as effetely ineffectual, is married off to Isabelle, daughter of the King of France, who is at war with England. Concerned that the French may ally themselves with the still rebellious Scots, Longshanks imposes increasingly harsh laws on the Scots. In Edinburgh, the remaining Scottish nobles discuss the situation, but don't seem to have the will or moral courage to band together to fight England. Among the nobles is Robert, the seventeenth Earl of Bruce (known as Robert the Bruce, or simply "the Bruce"), considered the rightful heir to the Scottish throne (though opposed by other nobles). The Bruce's father is thought to be in France, but in reality is in hiding and suffering from leprosy, and continues to counsel his son on the best way to one day rule Scotland. The Bruce is clearly popular with both noble and commoner, but does not have the courage to ignore the self-interested plotting of his father.
The Scots continue to live under the thumb of Longshanks, with English troops enforcing cruel laws throughout Scotland, including the reinstitution of prima nocta. Wallace, returns to Scotland with the intention of living on his father's lands and becoming a farmer. He secretly proposes to Murron after showing her the thistle she gave him many years earlier and voicing his long-standing love for her, He tells the other men that he means to refrain from joining the still-simmering Scottish rebellion against England, and raise a family.
After Wallace attacks some English troops intending to rape Murron, she is executed by the local Sheriff. Wallace returns, presumably to surrender. Instead, he brazenly attacks the soldiers. Inspired by the sight, the other Scots join William and easily overrun the garrison. William executes the English Lord in the same manner as Murron, and notices Murron's small needlepoint of a thistle on the ground and carries it with him. As the fighting ends, the Scots turn to Wallace to lead them.
News of the rebellion spreads quickly, and hundreds of Scots from the surrounding regions volunteer to join Wallace's militia. They launch attacks all over the Highland regions, slaughtering the outnumbered English soldiers and drawing new recruits with each victory. Amongst these is Stephen of Ireland (David O'Hara), who thwarts an assassination attempt on Wallace. In England, Longshanks departs to attend to the war in France, and instructs Prince Edward to deal with the rebellion. Meanwhile, the rebellion grows. The Bruce is advised by his father to to privately support the rebellion in the Highlands, but to officially oppose it in order to gain English favor. The Bruce is inspired by Wallace's patriotism but is swayed by his father's advice.
Though they win further skirmishes, Wallace and his lieutenants realize it is only a matter of time before the English send a fully-equipped army to confront them. Knowing that they will be outnumbered, Wallace makes plans to address the overwhelming strength of the English cavalry. As expected, an English army masses near the village of Stirling. News of an impending full-scale war spreads and Scots from the Highlands come to join Wallace by the thousands.
Before the battle, Scottish Lords Lochlan, Moray, and Craig insist that Wallace accept their command over the ragtag Scottish army; he ignores them and instead takes command of the entire army. In a meeting of parlance between the English and Scots, Wallace ignores the promise of lands and title and deliberately provokes the English envoy who abruptly leave. The Scottish army is frightened by the English forces that seemingly outmatch them, but Wallace summons their courage and devotion before the battle by challenging them to take this opportunity to fight for freedom. Roused, the Scottish soldiers moon and jeer at the English army
Insulted by Wallace's behavior, the English commander sends his cavalry in attack, but Wallace's chiltrons utterly decimates them. The English commander sends his full army in after them, and is likewise decimated in brutal combat. Following the battle, Wallace is knighted by the nobles, but still refuses to take orders from them since he believes that they are more concerned with their own self-serving interests and wealth. Wallace privately tells Robert the Bruce that he knows that only the Bruce has the strength and authority to truly unite Scotland against the English, and that he would follow him. The Bruce is deeply moved, but conflicted between his desire to join Wallace and his loyalty to his still-scheming father.
Wallace orders his army to invade England to destroy the English threat once and for all. The nobles, including the Bruce, refuse to support him, but the Scottish army is loyal to Wallace. They attack and destroy the northern English city of York, killing the Duke of York, Longshanks' nephew.
Returning from France, Longshanks confronts his son over the annihilation of the English northern army and the sacking of York. In a rage, he also kills his son's gay lover, throwing him from a high window. Fearful of a Scottish attack on lower England, Longshanks decides to stall for time by pressing for a truce. As emissary, he sends Princess Isabelle to a peace conference near York. Wallace surprises the English, and the princess in particular, by presenting himself as reasonable, educated, and moral. The Princess reveals that she knows that Wallace fights in part out of revenge for the killing of Murron, and secures a pledge from Wallace that he will not attack English cities if Longshanks agrees to meet him for a final battle. The Princess, being married to the disinterested Prince Edward, is also clearly moved by the passion Wallace has for his deceased wife.
Returning to court, the princess notifies Longshanks of Wallace's pledge, but is horrified when she learns that the peace conference was just a ruse; Longshanks has been setting a trap for Wallace and his army all along. Betraying her king, the princess secretly alerts Wallace. Wallace mobilizes his army near Falkirk, with only Lochlan and Moray providing support. The Bruce, still being counseled by his dying father, pledges support but fails to appear for the battle. As the battle ensues, Wallace's clever tactics again neutralize the English numerical advantage; however, at a critical moment both Lochlan and Moray abandon Wallace and his men, and it is revealed that they have been bribed by the English to betray him. Wallace's army is almost wiped out, and Wallace himself is seriously injured. Despite being wounded he continues to fight on, pursuing and attacking an English knight protecting Longshanks. Removing the knight's helmet to cut his throat, Wallace discovers the knight is the Bruce himself. Shattered by the betrayal of his own countrymen, Wallace lays down to die or be captured. The Bruce is overcome by the reality of what he has done to his country, and helps to rescue Wallace before English troops can capture him. He later confronts his father and tells him that he will never betray Wallace again.
Wallace goes into hiding, fighting a guerilla war against England. He executes Moray and Lochlan for their betrayals. Craig and the remaining nobles, whose only true concern is to preserve stability so that they can prosper (with the exception of the Bruce), now consider Wallace to be a greater threat to them than England. However, Wallace has become the most revered man in Scotland and is untouchable. After an assassination attempt set up by Longshanks, again under the premise of a peace conference with the Princess, Wallace meets with the princess alone and they spend a passionate night together.
To break the stalemate, the nobles offer Wallace a chance for them to all unite to fight the English. Wallace and his men suspect it's a trap, but Wallace agrees when the Bruce pledges support. Wallace rides out to Edinburgh alone, but, as feared, Craig and the others have once again betrayed Wallace and he is arrested by English soldiers. The Bruce, clearly was not involved in the betrayal, realizes that his father has gone over his head and arranged the trap.
In London, Wallace is tried before the English magistrates and found guilty of treason. He is given the choice of admitting his guilt and being executed quickly or facing horrific torture. Wallace refuses, and is led away. Princess Isabelle, meanwhile, appeals to Longshanks, who is now dying of what appears to be tuberculosis, to show mercy, but he refuses. Realizing that the disease now prevents Longshanks from communicating, she whispers to him that she is pregnant with a baby whose father is not Prince Edward. She also swears that she will kill the prince at the first chance she gets, and Longshanks dies knowing that his line of succession will not continue.
Wallace is brutally tortured to death in a London square, being eviscerated alive. Despite the agony, he refuses to declare his guilt, cry for mercy, or even cry out in pain. The ordeal is sufficiently brutal for the crowd to call out for mercy. Wallace uses every last ounce of strength in his ravaged body to shout the word "freedom."
Some time after Wallace's beheading, Robert the Bruce is standing before the remaining Scottish army, facing a line of English troops near Bannockburn. He has arrived to pay tribute to the English, as it becomes clear that he has submitted to their rule and that he will be a puppet ruler. As he and Craig prepare to meet the English commander, Robert rallies his countrymen to once again fight for the freedom of their country. Cheering Wallace's name, and being led by Robert the Bruce in the forefront. The Scots charge the English lines. The movie end with Mel Gibson narrating that the outnumbered Scots defeated the English that day and won their freedom.
braveheart