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When Robert the Bruce was in English captivity in the early 14th century, many people claim that in a cave, or some even say a cabin, he encountered a spider. This story regarding Bruce is only second to the story of Charlotte. With the help of England’s vast profits, they were sure that they would be able to conquer Scotland, but at that point in time, Robert was rather disheartened with both his situation and in general, so he decided to retreat. But then he saw the spider. The spider tried to attach the silk to the wall but failed and fell. She kept on trying, and after failing 6 times, she succeeded. Bruce then thought to himself how he had been defeated six times by the English and then envisioned trying one more time, but in his case, he was wishing to succeed and not giving up.
Angus Macfadyen probably connected with that spider too, which is why he did not want to let go of the idea of a film on Robert the Bruce, the character he played in the Oscar-winning “Braveheart.” He appears again in Robert the Bruce, which he helped produce and write while also playing the title role. A quarter-century onward, this film serves as a loose sequel to the first and an address to it. In Mel Gibson’s adaptation of the Scottish War, Bruce is the apologist, betraying Gibson’s William Wallace by fighting the English and later, after Wallace is tortured and killed in 1305, he attempts to rally the Scots to seek independence by using Wallace’s legacy. This version omits all those incidents but presents Robert the Bruce as an honorable man intent only on the freedom of the Scottish people.
Outlander fans will be pleased to see Angus Macfadyen as Robert the Bruce in his new film, as this version is more anti-hero and they believe this character will possess greater moral strength. John Garrett beautifully captures the Scottish landscape in Robert the Bruce.
This movie begins in the year 1306, just after the events of “Braveheart” have concluded. John Comyn (Jared Harris), an English actor who is playing a Scot, is meeting with Robert Bruce. He has been tasked with the role of co-Guardian. Robert is in the middle of a significant power shift when he meets with John. He is forced to take a back seat to John as he agrees to hand over his lands. However, in return, John is bound to serve Robert as the undisputed king of Scotland. Comyn says, ‘We must change the legacy left by William Wallace, Robert did not expect, however, that Comyn’s trust in him is scarce, at best. I must remind you of the circumstances. No Pretense,” he mocks, previously, Robert’s expectations have remained unmet. The one thing he actually wished for the most during his rule was undivided acceptance and support like Wallace received, sadly for him, that is not something he can attain.
Comyn accepts that he has also failed to keep his end of the bargain. ‘You set a trap for Edward, and he got out. I created a trap for you, and you got out. You are going to set a trap for me tomorrow, and I am going to get out of it. This goes on until we are both old, like our fathers.’ But Comyn will not be able to flee. He has concealed a sword in the church. Robert, who was unarmed as expected, retaliates by using the church’s enormous, heavy wooden crucifix.
Well, this is an alternate version of the tale. There are a number of ways to tell the story, as a mother of one of these children in a distant cottage tells us. After Robert has told his men to go home but claim that they fought for the English side, and after his promise is confirmed by him watching the spider, that woman mends his broken body while her family mends his broken spirit. In order to understand who he is and what he is trying to accomplish, Robert must disengage from battle and discover more about himself.
Macfadyen portrays Robert The Bruce as a man of great internal power but little speech.
In that opening scene, Robert only lets Comyn do the talking until it is time to act. He does not argue, expound or persuade, but manages to say what needs to be said when it is time to give instructions. There are fights in this film, although not quite what one would call large-scale fighting, and we do not get to see the last success of Scottish independence. Rather this is the story of the man who, at long last, fought not for pride or power, but for the people.
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