In 14th century Scotland, the English nobles are staking their claim for lands and the Scottish throne. When William Wallace is left an orphan by the brutality of the English, he vows to make Scotland strong again. Wallace grows up into a paradox of a man - on the one hand very well educated, on the other a ruthless killer and barbarian. As an adult he succeeds in uniting the Scottish clans to fight the English oppressors, and is only undone by betrayal and greed. Mel Gibson directs this multi-Oscar winning epic, and also stars as folk hero Wallace.