Santa Cruz Sentinel from Santa Cruz, California • Page 42

Gharge! Mel Gibson roars through the epic 'Braveheart' By WALLACE BAINE Sentinel staff writer if If. r'i -Z I A friends get ready to rumble 1 1 WILLIAM WALLACE, as portrayed in Mel Gibson's epic new film "Braveheart," is fearless, obsessed and ready to die if necessary fighting the good fight. He is at the head of his army and is always the first one to charge the enemy line. As actor, director and producer, Gibson has the same uncompromising, warrior spirit. With "Braveheart," he refuses to reign in his passions.

He fashions a no-apologies romantic bleeding-heart myth, full of unfashionable virtues like valor and moral certitude. If he's not exactly risking his life like Wallace, he is risking his standing among the Hollywood elite. "Braveheart" is Gibson's "Dances With Wolves," a two-fisted grab at the mantle of the Joseph Campbell-style hero, the kind who survives history. The film suffers from a sort of relentless vision. At close to three hours it's too long and has at least three separate climaxes.

But, the bottom line is that "Braveheart" is an astonishing spectacle of blood and heart, a virile and punishing epic, less interested in historical relevance than in grandiose myth-making. Gibson's greatest triumph is not in his portrayal of Wallace the 13th century Scottish patriot who led a proletariat uprising against the British crown but in his performance behind the camera. Gibson is remarkably well-versed in the vocabulary of the heroic epic. The battle scenes alone are masterfully shot, capturing both the brutality and majesty of war in the era before gunpowder. Gibson also knows a thing or two about pleasing his audience, divided neatly between "Forever Young" romance buffs (mostly women) and "Lethal Weapon" action fans (mostly men).

"Braveheart" opens as a lush romance. Gibson's Wallace returns to his homeland after travels abroad with his uncle to find a wife and settle down as a farmer. Scotland, however, is ruled by the tyrannical King Edward I (Patrick McGoohan), derisively known as "Longshanks," who imposes a rule of sexual terrorism on his Scottish subjects. All Scot brides must bed with an English noble on their wedding night. Wallace meets the lithe beauty Murron (Cather- Huge 3-Ring Circus! Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds WATSONVILLE FRIDAY SATURDAY, May 26th 27th 4:30 8pm 2:00 7pm Sat.

Tickets at the door Over 1 00 performers Sponsored by Watsonville Police Officer's Assocation MONDAY MATINEES PULP FICTION TUE-fRI4 30-8 00 SAT-MON 1 00-4 30-8 00 "LEGENDS OF THE FALL" LLl UXJLBY r.lUAol TU6FRI6 45 SAT-MON 1 56-6 45 CO-HIT "OUTBREAK" LTJ IHOLBYMLULul DAILY 4 20-9 15 PLAYING ON 2 SCREENS DREW BARRYMORE CHRIS O'DONNEL IN "MAD LOVE JJ Ilw jihv TUE FRI 2 10-2 40-4 20-4 50-6 30 7 00-8 40-9 10 SAT-MON 12 05 WALT DISNEY'S "THE GOOFY MOVIE tU Lx MY TUE-FRI 2 00-4 00-6 00-8 00 SAT-MON 12 00 2 00-4 00-6 00 8 00 SANDRA BULLOCK IN "WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING" LLl lUOLHYMLULO iPGi TUF-FRI 2 45-5 00-' 15-9 3U SAT-MON 12 30-2 45-5 00-? 15-9 30 in SCREEN I -At Casper -At Major Payne (PGI3I SCREEN II -At Die Hard -At Kiss of Death (Rl Pi LIMITED ENGAGEMENT BULLETPROOF HEART I 00 3 15 5 JO i 45 9 50 NO VIPS UNTIL ill GENE HACK MAN DENZEL WASHINGTON THE CRIMSON TIDE iRi 12 00IUP) 1 30IUP) POO 2 40IUPI4 I51UPJ4 45 5 20IUPI7 00IUPI7 30 8 OOIUP) 9 401 UP) tu 10 tUWAKL) OLMOS MY FAMILY 00 9 45 TALES FROM THE HOOD r. 6 40 9 10 NO VIPS UNTIL 67 JOHNNY MNEMONIC ri 00 9 Mi DOLBY NO VIPS UNTIL 69 UAM NfctSON JESSICA LANCE ROB ROY IR) DTS STEREO 12 50 4 OU on 9 50 ROCKERS MEG RYAN KEVIN KLINE FRENCH KISS ipgisi 12 40 JOU5 I SO 10 10 FULL SIZE ROCKERS DOLBY STEREO FRIDAY iRi OOLBV STEREO 1 45 4 10 1 1ft CORDY g. CIRCLE OF FRIENDS PG 3 9.5 DON JUAN DE MARCO IPG13 7jo -WITH-MURIEL'S WEDDING iri 9 10 I mm, Mel Gibson and Review WHAT: 'Braveheart' RATING: WHO: Mel Gibson, Patrick McGoohan, Catherine McCor-mack WHERE: Cinema 9, 1405 Pacific Santa Cruz INFORMATION: 457-3500 HOW A- ine McCormack) and weds her in secret in defiance of the king's law. At this point, the film is all moonlight, confessions of love and Mel's baby blues peering into the soul of his beautiful bride. But, fertilizer happens.

A lecherous soldier attempts to rape Murron and when she resists, the local magistrate kills her on the spot. From that point on, "Braveheart" becomes a different movie. Wallace becomes the possessed warrior whose taste for revenge is alchemized into a political passion. He wants to free Scotland from England's iron grip. The testosterone level rises dramatically with brutally violent insurrections and battles.

Swords slice off limbs, spears impale torsos, the earth is soaked in blood. It is Gibson's special talent to make "Two Thumbs Up!" Steskel Ebert "A Ten Plus!" -kcoptv Plus- Fool 7:00 only Legends 8:50 only On Fri. Sal. there will be an additional showing ol Nobody's Fool at 11:00 this graphic and unflinching portrayal of violence into something honorable. The violence is not flip and impersonal like it is in so many gun-heavy Hollywood movies.

It comes here with a bloodlust for freedom back when people felt like political ideals were worth dying for. Wallace's pedal-to-the-metal courage, his true-believer faith, his ecstasy in the face of battle are all exhilarating to watch. But Gibson lards his film down with peripheral characters that don't engage the kind of audience empathy that his high-wattage character does. The Scottish nobles, bought off by the British crowns, come off as especially corrupted here. However, that's as far as you're going to get trying to find some sort of historical insight.

With his proud bearing, his face bearing shocking blue war paint, Gibson's Wallace is a man who won't let reality cut through his moral high. As a director, Gibson is equally fearless. Audiences may take their shots; critics may fling their arrows. Mel charges on anyway. 1405 Pacific Ave.

457-3500 Casper (PG) Daily: (11:30, 12:00, 2:00,2:30) 4:30, 5:00, 7.00. 7:20, 9:15, 9:45 Braveheart Daily: (11:15, 10:30 Die Hard With A Vengeance Daily: (11:15.1:00, 2:00, 4:15) 4:45, 7:15, 7:40, 10:00, Forget Paris (PG13) Daily: (12:30, 3:00, 5:15) 7:20, 7:45, 9:40, 10:10 Little Princess FSAM-Th: (12:15, 2:45, 5:00) 7:10, 9:30 Sun: (12:15, 2:45, 5:00) Bairns times tor 526 o1 I Bruce Willis Die Hard with a Vengeance Daily 4 '10-7 00 9 .10 S.il Su'i ft Mini 15 4 30-7 00-1 30 II Deuzel Washington Gene Hackmaii Crimson Tide Daily 4 4b-' UO-'l 15 S.il Sin It Mun I J5 4 45 7 00 9 15 III Keitnu Reeves Johnny Mnemonic Udily 5 JO-7 30-- JO S.I Sum Mini I lfi-3 15-5 30-7 30-9 30 SPQtligrlt FnaaVyMaOo 1 995.