Braveheart

Audio problem: When the Scots are applying a battering ram to the city gates, you can plainly hear someone shout "Stop, drop and roll", after the English set fire to the battering ram. (01:29:35)

Factual error: The title of the Duke of York did not yet exist in the 13th century - it was instituted only later and was normally used only by a younger son of the King.

Continuity mistake: When Philip is thrown out the window by King Edward we see him flipping over in the air so that he will hit the ground on his back. But when the camera changes to the window view we see that Philip is lying on his front.

Revealing mistake: Something very strange happens at the battle of Stirling. An arrow can be seen near William Wallace's right shoulder even before the English archers start shooting. Now where did that come from? It's there for about a second, so look closely. (01:20:45)

Factual error: In the movie the Scots sack the English city of York. Actually they sacked the city of Carlisle.

Continuity mistake: Watch the group of English soldiers that ride out to present the King's terms at Stirling. After Wallace insults them, they turn around and begin to leave. The sounds of their horses riding off are very audible. After Wallace's talk with the three nobles, their group breaks up and begins to ride back. A panoramic shot of the field is shown and the English representatives have just started to leave.

Continuity mistake: In the battle scene where they flanked their forces and and were going to use the long wooden spears on England's knights, they already had the spears out when it showed England's horses coming closer. Just look around them. It only shows for a second when it is zooming in pretty fast.

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Suggested correction: Of course they were out. It would have been pointless to still have them covered when the charge was under way and the cavalry were so close.

Continuity mistake: Near the end of the battle of Stirling (the first big one), an English officer on a horse comes at Wallace. Wallace swings his sword at the feet of the horse, knocking it and the officer down. As the officer falls his sword goes from one hand to the other several times.

Other mistake: At the end of the movie when Wallace is being executed and the crowd starts chanting "Mercy," one girl towards the front left looks directly at the camera with her eyes twice in two different shots.

Dreg

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Suggested correction: Yes, it was done on purpose. It is the same child he locked eyes with prior to being hanged and while he is being disembowelled.

Other mistake: After the fight at Falkirk where Robert The Bruce is walking through the field, there is a woman walking checking the bodies. All these people clearly are supposed to be dead. The woman lifts the head of a man and then puts it down. After she lets go of the head, the boy picks up his head and looks to his side.

Continuity mistake: In the scene where Wallace surrenders to the local magistrate, after Wallace has struck the English soldier that was holding the reigns of the horse, a second soldier attacks the horse with a spear. The spearhead is seen as the soldier starts the attack, after the cut the spearhead is gone, before it strikes the horse. The un-headed spear then hits the harness of the horse where it sticks as the horse rears, and the harness moves from the front of the horse's neck between the legs of the horse to the side, somehow passing through the raised legs of the horse. (00:49:20)

Revealing mistake: When his wife gets attacked, Wallace jumps over a roof and you can clearly see him wearing modern black briefs.

Continuity mistake: When Wallace is saved by Steven, right after he meets him, watch Steven as he is about to throw the small sword. When he comes out of the brush and starts running, he gets past the two trees in front of him, then it cuts to Wallace aiming his bow at him, then it cuts back to Steven and he is back behind the trees.

Continuity mistake: At the wedding scene near the beginning of the film, Wallace challenges Hamish to throw a large rock at him. He throws the rock, and in slow motion the rock is clearly on Wallace's left side; he even leans a little to his right as the rock starts to pass by on his left. But in the next angle the rock is very clearly on his right. (00:21:10)

Continuity mistake: At the end of the movie the executioner bends down to bind William's feet. The scene shows the rope starting around his feet and then a second later William is yanked into the air with a complicated noose-like knot holding his lower body to the ground. How did they make that knot so fast?

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Suggested correction: The scene was obviously clipped to save time. His lower body isn't held to the ground, it's pulled outwards by a couple of horses. The executioners hold ropes attached to his wrists.

Other mistake: Near the end of the battle of Sterling after Wallace nearly hits one of his allies on the horse, look on the right side of the shot. An English man wearing metal armor is fighting some Scots. He doesn't make much effort, barely swinging his sword. The Scots fighting him also don't put up much of a challenge either.

manthabeat

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Suggested correction: Because they're exhausted.

Continuity mistake: When Wallace pounds an English soldier with a large mallet, in the village where his wife was killed, watch the third hit. Wallace hits the soldier in the hip and then in the back. On the third hit, the mallet comes down at least an inch or two from the soldiers head, missing. The soldier jumps as if he was hit.

Continuity mistake: In the first battle where Wallace is attacking the palisades and he is riding slowly, pretending to be unarmed and later draws a morning star/flail from behind his hair, the morning star/flail obviously isn't there until he needs it.

Continuity mistake: At Stirling when the Scottish attack on horse, there is a scene where an Englishman is being sliced by a sword and is quite bloody. Then it cuts to him being run over by two horses and you can see that it is not the same man nor are there any traces of blood on him. Then it cuts to him falling to the ground and he is again quite bloody. (01:26:50)

Mortug

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Suggested correction: You answered your own correction, it isn't the same man.

Revealing mistake: In the scene where Princess Isabelle gives Wallace the remedy to dull his senses, she pours the liquid in his mouth and then kisses him. Then on her way out, you can see Wallace swallowing before he spits out what is supposed to be the poison.

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Suggested correction: Yes, you can swallow with a small amount of liquid in your mouth and not ingest the liquid. Not a mistake.

[At Sterling, when arrows rain down on the Scots.]
Stephen: The Lord tells me he can get me out of this mess, but he's pretty sure you're fucked.

More quotes from Braveheart

Trivia: The Irish Army personnel, who were used as extras in the battle scenes, had an unfortunate habit of wearing wristwatches and sunglasses, causing several scenes to be re-shot.

More trivia for Braveheart

Chosen answer: Just like he said, it would dull his wits and not leave him fully lucid the next day when he had to face the torture.

LorgSkyegon

He wanted his full awareness so he didn't accidentally yell for mercy.

Answer: Because it's a reference to what his Father's last words to him were at the beginning of the film before he was killed, 'I know you can fight but it's our wits that makes us men'. That's why Wallace says to the Princess, 'It will dull my wits and I must have them always'.

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