I was one of those troubled souls who loved Braveheart so much that I actually memorized the famous battle speech and recited it, in full character, wherever I could. Needless to say, I was kicked out of my fair share of establishments. The thing is, I saw Braveheart before I got into this whole screenwriting thing, and I’ve always wanted to go back and break it down with all the newfound knowledge I’ve accumulated. I must admit I’m bit intimidated by the “epic” screenplay though, because you can’t structure 180 page scripts the same way you do 110 page scripts. To me, getting someone to WANT to read a full 180 pages is the biggest feat you can achieve as a screenwriter. 95% of the scripts I read can’t keep me interested past page 5. So I’m always fascinated by the writers who pull this off. Speaking of, Randall Wallace, who got an Oscar nomination for this screenplay (the movie itself won the Oscar for best picture) has been M.I.A. for the last dozen years. The last thing he wrote was We Are Soldiers. I’m fascinated and a bit terrified by this. How do screenwriters go from the top of the heap to the bottom of the barrel so quickly??? I mean, this is a great script!
1) Let us see what shaped your character’s life in an epic – I realized with Braveheart how effective it was to actually SEE what shaped our character. We watch as William Wallace loses his father to the English, then later as his wife is murdered by the English. Because we were there when it happened, we root for Wallace more than had those experiences been mere backstory. In a typical 2 hour film, you don’t always have time to show these memories. But in an epic, the option is there.
2) Epics and Sequences – I realized the key to structuring epics is they need sequences. That means constructing a series of 15 page “mini-stories,” each with a specific purpose, that span the entire script. So in the first sequence of Braveheart, it’s about a young child’s dad dying. In the second, it’s about William Wallace courting a girl. The third is Wallace getting revenge for his wife’s murder. The fourth is Wallace’s rise. As long as each sequence is focused on a specific thing, your script should never wander, no matter how long it gets.
3) Think of “sequences” as a to-do list – When you think about your huge day and all the things you need to accomplish, it feels impossible. But when you break it down into specific tasks and focus on one at a time, it’s all of a sudden manageable. Approach your epic (or any script) the same way. As an entire story, it’s big and intimidating. But once you break it down into smaller chunks (sequences), it all of a sudden feels doable.
4) Make each battle unique – What really separates Braveheart from a lot of epics is how original and well thought-out each battle was. The first battle is an impromptu attack on the men who killed Wallace’s wife. The next, the Scottish sneak into a castle pretending to be English soldiers. The next is the big battle, where they use a surprise anti-horse stake attack as well as flanking the enemy with their own horses. The next, they storm York with brute force. The next, the Irish surprisingly switch sides mid-battle and join the Scottish. When I read boring period pieces, they tend to involve boring, unimaginative battles that all feel similar. Try to put just as much thought into each battle as you would your story. Be different, take chances, find a cool angle.
5) Know when to take your time and when to speed up – Part of screenwriting is knowing when to take things slow and when to move it along. Mel Gibson and writer Randall Wallace had a disagreement about the revenge scene (the one that takes place after Wallace’s wife is killed). In Randall’s version, Wallace storms into the town like a bat on fire. Gibson’s version, which made the film, took it way slower, with Wallace coming in quietly. Without question, Gibson’s version was the better choice. And the reason slow worked was because the revenge we wanted was so potent. We were willing to wait for it. Had Wallace been avenging something less personal, such as the slaughter of a bunch of nameless characters, going in faster may have been the better choice.
6) Use a personal relationship to villain-ize your villain – Most villains are general and boring. They scream out cliché “villain-y” things like, “Take them down!” and “We must crush them!” Since these phrases are so general, they don’t individualize the villain. Instead, look for a personal relationship to place your villain in so you can explore his evilness on an up-close level. In Braveheart, we get this with King Longshanks and his homosexual son, with whom he spends the entire story berating and abusing. Because we’re exposed to the villainy on an up-close and personal level (at one point Longshanks even kills his son’s boyfriend), it’s specific, and therefore makes the villain feel REAL.
7) The power of reversals – Braveheart is built on reversals, using them wonderfully. There are so many times in this movie where we expect one thing, but get another. We think Wallace will save his wife when her throat is about to be slit. Instead, she’s killed. He comes in afterwards, looking like he’s surrendering. He attacks instead. Two men join his party later, one crazy and unpredictable, the other straightforward and dependable. When the three go hunting, it is the “good” one who tries to kill Wallace and the “bad” one who saves his life. In the second big battle, the Irish are on the English’s side. As they attack, they stop and join the Scottish instead. Later in the battle, Wallace calls in the cavalry, as is part of the plan. They walk away instead, double-crossing him. Braveheart is so fun because it’s always reversing something.
8) Epics need epic motivation – Remember, you’re asking your reader to stick around for 60 more minutes than normal. That’s only going to work if you have a main character who’s so compelling that we’re willing to follow him forever. You do this by giving him an EPIC motivation. We watch Wallace lose his father and then later the love of his life. That right there is epic motivation. Of course we want to stick around until he defeats the English.
9) If possible, give your hero a big picture AND little picture goal – Characters work best when they have two reasons for going after their goal, one overarching, the other more personal. So here, Wallace is fighting for the freedom of his country (overarching). But he’s also fighting for revenge (personal).
10) How do you write a great speech!? – I came into this script wanting to know why the Braveheart speech was so amazing, while almost every other movie speech I’ve seen since has paled in comparison. Here’s what I learned. First, there’s humor! Wallace starts out by making some jokes to his soldiers. It lightens the mood and is a little unexpected (which is always good). Second, there’s interaction! The soldiers challenge him, breaking up his speech so it’s not so scripted. Third, there’s a point! He’s not just trying to rile people up. He needs to CONVINCE this army to fight for him. In fact, you can break this entire speech down into GSU. Goal – get them to fight for him. Stakes – England will take over Scotland if he doesn’t succeed. Urgency – He needs to do it RIGHT NOW. The battle is about to begin!
