Braveheart Page #21

lifts his sword.

WALLACE:

For Scotland!

He charges down the hill...

THE FIGHT AT STIRLING BRIDGE - VARIOUS SHOTS

The Scots follow Wallace on foot, charging into the English.

The English leaders are stunned by the ferocious attack.

TALMADGE:

Press reinforcements across!

The English leaders try to herd more of their footsoldiers

onto the bridge, which only hams them up. Meanwhile, on the

other side of the bridge, Wallace and his charging men slam

into the English infantry with wild fury. The English fall

back on each other, further blocking the bridge.

UP ON THE HILLTOP

The nobles look back with grudging admiration.

MORNAY:

He's taking the bloody bridge! The

English can't get across! He's evened

the odds at one stroke!

With rising desire to join the bandwagon, the nobles spur...

DOWN ON THE PLAIN, Wallace and the attacking men drive the

English back, killing as they go. The Scots reach the bridge

itself. The waters below it run red with blood.

Talmadge has begun to panic.

TALMADGE:

Use the archers!

GENERAL:

They're too close, we'll shoot out

own men!

ON THE BRIDGE:

the Scots are carving their way through the English soldiers;

nothing can stop them. Wallace is relentless; each time he

swings, a head flies, or an arm. Hamish and Stephen fight

beside him, swinging the broadsword with both hands. Old

Campbell loses his shield in the grappling; an English

swordsman whacks at him and takes off his left hand, but

Campbell batters him to the ground with his right, and stabs

him. Reaching the English side of the bridge, the Scots begin

to build a barrier with the dead bodies.

The English are not without courage. Cheltham leads a

desperate counterattack. The Scots make an impenetrable

barrier of slashing blades. Still Cheltham keeps coming;

Wallace hits him with a vertical slash that parts his helmet,

his hair, and his brain.

TALMADGE has seen enough; he gallops away. The remaining

English General tries to save the army.

GENERAL:

We are still five thousand! Rally!

The English try to form up; but the Scottish horsemen, fording

the river high upstream, come crashing into the English flank

and ride over the surprised English infantry.

AT THE BRIDGE, WALLACE

sees the Scottish nobles attacking. The English soldiers are

in utter panic, running and being cut down on all sides.

And the Scottish soldiers taste something Scots have not

tasted for a hundred years: victory. Even while finishing

off the last of the English soldiers, they begin their highlow

chant... Even the noblemen take up the chant!

Wallace looks around at the aftermath of the battle: bodies

on the field; soldiers lying impaled; stacks of bodies on

the bridge; the bridge slick with blood.

Before it can all sink in, William is lifted on the shoulders

of his men.

SCOTTISH SOLDIERS

Wal-lace! Wal-lace! Wal-lace!

INT. CASTLE - GREAT HALL - DAY

William kneels before one of Scotland's ancient elders, who

lifts a silver sword and dubs William's shoulders.

ELDER:

I knight thee Sir William Wallace.

William rises and faces the Great Hall, crowded with hundreds

of new admirers, as well as his old friends in their new

clothes and armor. The crowd chants --

CROWD:

Wal-lace, Wal-lace!!

Wallace lifts his eyes, taking it all in. At the rear of the

hall is a balcony, backed by a magnificent sunlit stained

glass window, and in the center of its rainbow corona he

sees a familiar form: Marion, so real to him in this moment

of triumph that he can see her, glowing like an angel, in a

gown worthy of the occasion. But the illusion won't last; in

the blink of an eye she is gone, and Wallace hears the chant,

and fingers the cloth she gave him.

INT. SCOTTISH COUNCIL - DAY

The nobles of Scotland are gathered in the huge chamber; a

massive table runs across the far end of the room, and aligned

on either side are the two rival factions of nobles, glaring

at each other. Old Craig is in the center, with young Robert

the Bruce on his right. There is a general MURMUR along the

nobles, and Robert whispers to Craig...

ROBERT:

Does anyone know his politics?

CRAIG:

No. But his weight with the commoners

could unbalance everything. The

Balliols will kiss his ass, so we

must.

A court STEWARDS steps in and formally announces...

STEWARD:

Lords of Scotland: Sir William

Wallace!

The nobles on each side of the table try to outdo each other

in their acclamation as Wallace strides in, flanked by Hamish,

Campbell, and Stephen, splendid in their tartans.

Old Craig rises.

CRAIG:

Sir William. In the name of God, we

declare and appoint thee High

Protector of Scotland! And thy

captains as aides decamp!

The nobles rise; court attendants hurry to Wallace and drape

a golden chain of office around his neck. Wallace takes the

three smaller chains they bring and drapes them around the

necks of his friends, as once again the nobles applaud.

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