Power, Progress & The American Present
The 1995 movie Braveheart opens not with a bloody battle, but with a stern warning to posterity.
The film features panoramic views of the Scottish Highlands, a vast, rugged land shrouded in mist and bathed in the natural glow of the sun. The formidable landscape is made up of rolling hills, deep valleys and distant mountains painted in muted earth tones—pale grays, dark greens and weathered browns blended to capture the beauty and harshness of the terrain.
As the camera glides over the Highlands, the film’s score unleashes a slow, haunting melody that immediately draws the viewer into the emotional tenor of the story to come. Traditional Celtic instruments, such as the low whistles and the uilleann pipes, carry the tune with a mournful grace. The music captures the sorrow of Scotland’s long history of struggles, while also echoing the strength, courage and resilience of its spirit. A subtle string section gradually weaves in, adding emotional depth with soft, swelling tones that seem to rise and fall with the contours of the hills.
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Cindy Santos 