ON THIS day (May 18) in 1995, the motion picture "Braveheart", starring and directed by Mel Gibson, premiered at the Seattle Film Festival.

Australian actor Gibson, who starred in the Lethal Weapon and Mad Max film franchises, also co-produced the motion picture, the second feature he directed.

In the movie, he portrayed Sir William Wallace, the late-13th century Scottish warrior. The film depicts the life of Wallace leading the Scots in the First War of Scottish Independence against King Edward I of England.

Along with Andrew Moray, Wallace defeated an English army at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in September 1297. He was appointed Guardian of Scotland and served until his defeat at the Battle of Falkirk in July 1298.

In August 1305, Wallace was captured in Robroyston, near Glasgow, and handed over to King Edward I of England, who had him hanged, drawn and quartered for high treason and crimes against English civilians.

Other well-known actors who featured in the adaptation included James Cosmo who played Campbell, Brian Cox as Argyle Wallace and Brendan Gleeson as Hamish.

The movie wasn’t released in the United Kingdom until September, with American audiences getting the chance to watch the production a full four months before those on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.

At the 1996 Academy Awards, the movie was nominated for 10 Oscars, ranging from Best Cinematography to Best Sound Effects Editing.

The movie picked up five awards that evening, including Best Picture and Mel Gibson winning Best Director. The two Oscars are still the only ones picked up by the actor in a career spanning six decades.

Angus Macfadyen, who portrayed Robert the Bruce in the film, reprised his role in 2019 sequel focusing on the renowned king.

The film made national headlines last year when Scottish football side Brechin City installed a William Wallace sculpture, created by local man Tom Church, outside their stadium. The artwork, which previously stood at the entrance of the Wallace Monument in Stirling, beared a striking resemblance to Mel Gibson in his Braveheart costume.

In today’s nostalgia section, we have selected some Scottish-themed images from our archives.