No point resisting.
You're outnumbered and trapped.
Now, where are the rest of you? Where's Wallace?
Father?
Oh, come in. Come in.
A rebellion has begun.
Under whom?
A commoner...
named William Wallace.
You will embrace this rebellion.
Suppon't it from our lands in the north.
I will gain English favor
by condemning it and ordering it opposed
from our lands in the south.
Sit down.
Stay awhile.
This Wallace...
he doesn't even have a knighthood,
but he fights with passion,
and he inspires.
And you wish to charge off and fight as he did, eh?
So would I.
Well, maybe it's time.
It is time...
to survive.
You're the 17th Roben't Bruce.
The 16 before you passed you land and title
because they didn't charge in.
Call a meeting of the nobles.
They do nothing but talk.
Rightly so.
They're as rich in English titles and lands
as they are in Scottish, just as we are.
You admire this man, this William Wallace.
Uncompromising men are easy to admire.
He has courage. So does a dog.
But it is exactly the ability to compromise
that makes a man noble.
And understand this...
Edward Longshanks is the most ruthless king
ever to sit on the throne of England,
and none of us and nothing of Scotland
will remain unless we are as ruthless.
Give ear to our nobles.
Knowing their minds
is the key to the throne.
Wait. Wait.
Look.
This is out, and this is left.
Carry on.
Carry on!
You know...
eventually, Longshanks will send
his whole northern army against us.
Heavy cavalry, armored horse...
shake the very ground.
They'll ride right over us.
Uncle Argyle used to talk about it,
how no army ever stood up to a charge of heavy horse.
So what do we do?
Hit, run, hide, the Highland way.
We'll make spears.
Hundreds of them.
Long spears... twice as long as a man.
That long?
Aye.
Some men are longer than others.
Your mother been telling you stories about me again.
Volunteers coming in!
William Wallace,
we've come to fight and to die for you.
Stand up, man. I'm not the pope.
My name is Faudron. My sword is yours.
I brought you this.
We checked them for arms.
I brought you this.
My wife made it for you.
Thank you.
Him? That cart be William Wallace.
I'm prettier than this man.
All right, Father. I'll ask him.
If I risk my neck for you,
will I get a chance to kill Englishmen?
Is your father a ghost,
or do you converse with the Almighty?
To find his equal, an Irishman talks to God.
The Almighty says don't change the subject.
Just answer the fucking question.
Mind your tongue.
Insane Irish.
Smart enough to get a dagger past your guards, old man.
That's my friend, Irishman,
and the answer to your question is yes.
You fight for me, you get to kill the English.
Excellent!
Stephen is my name.
I'm the most wanted man on my island,
except I'm not on my island, of course.
More's the pity.
Your island? You mean Ireland?
Yeah. It's mine.
You're a madman.
Ha ha ha!
I've come to the right place, then.
Aah!
Sure didn't the Almighty send me to watch your back?
I didn't like him anyway.
He wasn't right in the head.
It's several runners!
Hello.
The English are advancing an army toward Stirling.
Do the nobles rally?
Roben't the Bruce and most of the others
will not commit to battle,
but word has spread,
and the Highlanders are coming down on their own.
In droves of hundreds and thousands.
Are you ready for a war?
What news?
We're outnumbered, at least three to one.
How many horse?
300. Maybe more.
300 heavy horse?
We must negotiate.
Who's in command?
Did he have a scarlet chevron?
Aye, he did.
We can still negotiate.
What are they talking about?
I cart hear, but it does not look good.
The nobles will negotiate.
They'll do a deal,
then we go home.
If not, we charge.
We have no chance.
So many.
I didn't come here to fight
so they could own more lands.
Then I'll have to work for them.
Nor me.
All right, lads! I'm not dying for these bastards.
Let's go home!
Stop, men! Do not flee!
Wait until we've negotiated!
William Wallace.
Cart be. Not tall enough.
The Almighty says this must be a fashionable fight.
It's drawn the finest people.
Where is thy salute?
For presenting yourselves on this battlefield,
I give you thanks.
This is our army.
To join it, you give homage.
I give homage to Scotland,
and if this is your army...
why does it go?
We didn't come here to fight for them!
Home! The English are too many.
Sons of Scotland...
I am William Wallace.
William Wallace is 7 feet tall.
Yes. I've heard.
He kills men by the hundreds,
and if he were here, he'd consume the English
with fireballs from his eyes
and bolts of lightning from his arse.
I am William Wallace...
and I see a whole army of my countrymen
here in defiance of tyranny.
You've come to fight as free men.
And free men you are.
What will you do with that freedom?
Will you fight?
- No! - No!
- No.
Against that? No!
We will run, and we will live.
Aye.
Fight, and you may die.
Run, and you'll live...
at least awhile.
And dying in your beds many years from now,
would you be willing to trade
all the days from this day to that
for one chance... just one chance...
to come back here and tell our enemies
that they may take our lives,
but they'll never take our freedom?
Albagu bra!
They seem quite optimistic to me.
Maybe they do want to fight.
Confrontation might be a foregone conclusion, milord,
but, nonetheless,
I think we should deliver the king's terms.
The king's terms? He'll never live up to them.
Milord, I think...
All right. Offer them the terms.
Shall we go and meet them?
Let me do the talking.
Agreed.
Fine speech.
Now what do we do?
Just be yourselves.
Where are you going?
I'm going to pick a fi ght.
Hyah!
Well, we didn't get dressed up for nothing.
Mornay, Lochlan, Craig.
Here are the king's terms...
Lead this army off the field...
and he will give you each estates in Yorkshire,
including hereditary title,
from which you will pay...
from which you will pay him an annual duty...
I have an offer foryou.
Cheltham, this is William Wallace.
From which you will pay the king an annual duty...
I said I have an offer foryou.
You disrespect a banner oftruce?
From his king? Absolutely.
Here are Scotland's terms...
Loweryour flags and march
straight back to England,
stopping at every home you pass by
to beg forgiveness
for 100 years oftheft, rape, and murder.
Do that, and your men shall live.
Do it not, and every one of you will die today.
Ha ha ha ha!
You are outmatched.
You have no heavy cavalry.
In two centuries, no army has won...
I'm not finished!
Before we let you leave,
your commander must cross that field,
present himself before this army,
put his head between his legs,
and kiss his own arse.
I'd say that was rather less cordial than he's used to.
Be ready and do exactly as I say.
On my signal,
ride round behind our position and flank them.
We must not divide our forces.
Do it, and let the English see you do it.
They'll think we run away.
Take out their archers. I'll meet you in the middle.
Right.
Come on.
Hyah!
Insolent bastard.
I want this Wallace's heart on a plate.
Archers.
Archers! Archers!
Archers!
Archers, forward!
Aah!
You bastards!
Loose!
The Lord tells me he can get me out of this mess,
but He's pretty sure you're fucked.
Ha ha ha!
Aah!
Ready!
Loose!
Ride!
See. Every Scot with a horse is fleeing.
Our cavalry will ride them down like grass.
Send the horse.
Full attack.
Steady!
Hold!
Now!
Send the infantry.
You lead them!
Aah!
Retreat!
Aah!
Bastard!
All right.
Aah!
Wallace! Wallace!
I knight thee Sire William Wallace.
Sire William, in the name of God,
we declare and appoint thee
guardian and high protector of Scotland
and thy captains as aides-de-camp.
Stand and be recognized.
Does anyone know his politics?
No, but his weight with the commoners
could unbalance everything.
The Balliols will kiss his arse,
and so we must.
Sire William.
Sire William...
inasmuch as you and your captains
hail from a region
long known to support the Balliol clan,
may we invite you to continue your support
and uphold our rightful claim.
Damn the Balliol clan!
They're all Longshanks' men!
Gentlemen.
Now is the time to declare a king.
You're prepared to recognize our legitimate succession?
You're the ones who won't suppon't the rightful...
Those were lies...
Oh, no. That's the truth.
I demand recognition of these documents!
These documents were lies when you wrote them!
Gentlemen, please! Gentlemen!
Please, gentlemen!
Wait! Sire William, where are you going?
We have beaten the English,
but they'll come back
because you won't stand together.
What will you do?
I will invade England
and defeat the English on their own ground.
Ha ha ha! Invade? That's impossible.
Why?
Why is that impossible?
You're so concerned with squabbling
for the scraps from Longshanks' table
that you've missed your God-given right
to something better.
There's a difference between us.
You think the people of this country exist
to provide you with position.
I think your position exists
to provide those people with freedom,
and I go to make sure that they have it.
Wait!
I respect what you said,
but remember that these men
have lands and castles.
It's much to risk.
The common man that bleeds on the battlefield...
does he risk less?
No...
but from top to bottom,
this country has got no sense of itself.
Its nobles share allegiance with England.
Its clans war with each other.
Aye.
If you make enemies on both sides of the border,
you'll end up dead.
We all end up dead.
It's just a question of how and why.
I want what you want,
but we need the nobles.
We need them?
Aye.
Nobles.
Tell me, what does that mean... to be noble?
Your title gives you claim
to the throne of our country,
but men don't follow titles,
they follow courage.
Now, our people know you.
Noble and common... they respect you,
and if you would just lead them to freedom...
they'd follow you.
And so would I.
Damn it!
My sodomite cousin the prince tells me
he has no troops to lend,
and every town in Northern England is begging for help.
He advances!
To which town?
To here, milord.
Bring the provisions inside!
Double the wall guards! Seal the gate! Now!
Hyah!
Bring in the provisions!
Sire, we can get you out if you leave now.
I'm not about to tell my uncle
I've lost him the greatest city in Northern England.
Come on!
Make way for the king!
It's not your fault.
Stand up to him!
I will stand up to him and more.
What news of the north?
Nothing new, Your Majesty.
We've sent riders to speed any word.
I heard the word in France,
where I was fighting to expand your future kingdom.
The word, my son,
is that our entire northern army is annihilated...
and you have done nothing.
L- I have ordered conscriptions.
They're assembled and ready to depart.
Excuse me, sire, but there's a very urgent message from York.
Come.
Leave us.
Thank you, sire.
Uh, W-Wallace has sacked York.
What?
Wallace has sacked York.
Uh!
Oh.
Sire...
thy own nephew.
What beast could do such a thing?
If he can sack York...
he can invade Lower England.
We would stop him!
Who is this person who speaks to me
as though I needed his advice?
I have declared Phillip my high counselor.
Is he qualified?
I am skilled in the arts of war
and military tactics, sire.
Are you?
Then tell me... what advice would you offer
on the, uh, present, uh,
situation?
Aah!
I shall offer a truce...
and buy him off.
But who will go to him?
Not I.
If I fell under the sword of that murderer,
it might be my head in a basket.
And not my gentle son.
The mere sight of him
would only encourage an enemy to take over the whole country.
So whom do I send?
Whom do I send?
I'm dreaming.
Yes, you are.
And you must wake.
Uh...
I don't want to wake.
I want to stay here with you.
And I with you...
but you must wake now.
Wake up, William.
Wake up.
William, wake up, wake up.
William!
A royal entourage comes!
Flying banners of truce!
And the standards of Longshanks himself!
I am the princess of Wales.
I come as the king's servant
and with his authority.
To do what?
To discuss the king's proposals.
Will you speak with a woman?
I understand you have recently been given the rank of knight.
I have been given nothing.
God makes men what they are.
Did God make you the sacker of peaceful cities?
The executioner of the king's nephew,
my husband's own cousin?
York was the staging point
for every invasion of my country,
and that royal cousin hanged innocent Scots,
even women and children from the city walls.
Well, Longshanks did far worse
the last time he took a Scottish city.
You ask your king to his face.
Ask him.
You see if his eyes can convince you of the truth.
Hamilton, leave us.
Milady...
Leave us. Now.
Let us talk plainly.
You invade England,
but you cannot complete the conquest
so far from your shelter and supply.
The king desires peace.
Longshanks desires peace?
He declares it to me. I swear it.
He proposes that you withdraw your attack.
In return, he grants you title, estates,
and this chest of gold,
which I am to pay to you personally.
A lordship and titles...
gold...
that I should become Judas?
Peace is made in such ways.
Slaves are made in such ways!
The last time Longshanks spoke of peace,
I was a boy,
and many Scottish nobles,
who would not be slaves,
were lured by him, under a flag of truce,
to a barn... where he had them hanged.
I was very young,
but I remember Longshanks' notion of peace.
I understand you have suffered.
I know... about your woman.
She was my wife.
We married in secret
because I would not share her with an English lord.
They killed her... to get to me.
I have never spoken of it.
I don't know why I tell you now,
except...
I see her strength in you.
One day, you'll be a queen...
And you must open your eyes.
You tell your king that William Wallace
will not be ruled...
and nor will any Scot while I live.
Ah, my son's loyal wife returns
unkilled by the heathen.
So he accepted our bribe?
No, he did not.
Then why does he stay?
My scouts tell me that he has not advanced.
He waits for you at York.
He says he will attack no more towns or cities
if you are man enough to come and face him.
Did he?
The Welsh bowmen will not be detected
arriving so far around his flank.
The main force of our armies from France
will land here
to the north of Edinburgh.
Conscripts from Ireland will approach from the southwest...
to here.
Welsh bowmen? Troops from France? Irish conscripts?
Even if you dispatch them today,
they'd take weeks to assemble.
I dispatched them before I sent your wife.
So our little ruse succeeded.
Thank you.
And while this upstart
awaits my arrival in York,
my forces will have arrived in Edinburgh behind him.
You spoke with this, uh, Wallace in private.
Tell me...
what kind of man is he?
A mindless barbarian.
Not a king like you, milord.
You may return to your embroidery.
Humbly, milord.
You brought back the money, of course.
No. I gave it to ease the suffering
of the children of this war.
That's what happens when you send a woman.
Forgive me, sire.
I thought that generosity
might demonstrate your greatness
to those you mean to rule.
Ahem.
My greatness will be better demonstrated
when Wallace returns to Scotland
and finds his country in ashes.
William!
There's riders approaching!
Personal escort of the princess.
Aye.
Must have made an impression.
Aye.
I didn't think you were in the tent that long.
Mademoiselle.
Un message de ma maitresse.
Merci.
It's true! English ships are moving up from the south!
I don't know about the Welsh yet,
but the Irish have landed!
I had to see it before I could believe it.
Why are the Irish fighting with the English?
I wouldn't worry about them.
Didn't I tell you before? It's my island.
Hamish, ride ahead to Edinburgh
and assemble the council.
Order it.
Aye.
Hup!
Hyah!
Your island?
My island! Yup!
You want to negotiate?
No, please, gentlemen!
Lords, Craig is right!
This time our only option
is to negotiate.
Unless you want to see Edinburgh razed to the ground...
My army has marched for more days
than I can remember,
and we still have preparations to make,
so I'll make this plain.
We require every soldier you can summon...
your personal escorts, even yourselves...
and we need them now.
With such a force arrayed against us,
it's time to discuss other options.
Other options?
Don't you wish at least to lead your men
onto the field
and barter a better deal with Longshanks
before you tuck tail and run?
Sire William...
We cart defeat this army!
We can!
And we will!
We won at Stirling... and still you quibble!
We won at York, and you would not support us.
If you'll not stand up with us now,
then I say you're cowards.
And if you're Scotsmen,
I'm ashamed to call myself one.
Please, Sire William, speak with me alone.
I beg you.
Now, you've achieved more than anyone ever dreamed,
but fighting these odds,
it looks like rage, not courage.
It's well beyond rage.
Help me.
In the name of Christ, help yourselves!
Now is our chance. Now.
If we join, we can win.
If we win, we'll have what none of us ever had before...
a country of our own.
You're the rightful leader.
And there is strength in you, I see it.
Unite us.
Unite us!
Unite the clans.
All right.
Right.
This cannot be the way.
You said yourself...
the nobles will not support Wallace.
So how did it help us
to join the side that is slaughtered?
I gave him my word.
I know it is hard.
Being a leader is.
But, son... son...