Equally thick are the Scottish burr accents that make some of the dialogue near-unintelligible to the untrained ear. Like NC Wyeth's classic Scottish Chiefs illustrations of Robert the Bruce, there is an almost tactile weight and thickness in every frame, the deep, deep snow, the huge swaths of fur covering the broad shoulders of the men who ride their horses with grandeur of purpose, the heavy cruciform-hilted swords swung by heavy arms. 'Robert the Bruce' is gorgeously filmed by cinematographer John Garrett, making the most of every exquisitely lit crag of the Scottish countryside. This version does not cover any of those incidents, but presents Robert the Bruce as an honorable, heroic man, acting solely on behalf of the independence of the people of Scotland. In Mel Gibson's version of the fight for Scottish independence, Robert the Bruce is an appeaser, betraying Gibson's William Wallace by fighting alongside the English, but then, after Wallace is tortured and killed in 1305, calling on his memory to inspire the Scots to join him in fighting for independence.

A quarter-century later, (and nearly that much older than the historical figure he plays), this movie is partly a sequel to 'Braveheart' and partly an answer to it. Angus Macfadyen may have identified with that spider, too, as he refused to give up on the idea of a movie about Robert the Bruce, the character he played in the Oscar-winning ' Braveheart.' He returns again in 'Robert the Bruce,' which he co-produced and co-wrote, as well as playing the title role.

Wallace the brave bagpipe