Open AccessOUTLAW KING: SACRIFICING HISTORICAL ACCURACY FOR GREATER DRAMA
Author(s) -
Cal McClelland
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
the general brock university undergraduate journal of history
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2371-8048
DOI - 10.26522/tg.v6i1.2634
Subject(s) - depiction , drama , compromise , independence (probability theory) , narrative , history , period (music) , dominance (genetics) , art , literature , art history , law , aesthetics , political science , biochemistry , statistics , chemistry , mathematics , gene
Outlaw King directed by David Mackenzie, follows the story of Robert Bruce as he defies Edward I’s dominance over Scotland. Bruce with the help of a group of allies amasses a small army to fight back and assert Scotland’s independence. The history of Scottish independence in the fourteenth century is one that is defined by a constant push and pull between English forces and the forces of Robert Bruce. Its history is complicated with many conflicts, alliances, and interwoven narratives that make this story one that is incredibly complicated. For the purposes of this paper, I examine Mackenzie’s cinematic depiction of the key historical figures of the time and argue that Mackenzie’s cinematic depiction of this period of history falls short of the mark when it comes to an accurate depiction of Robert Bruce's life as an outlaw king. What one will come to realize is that the filmmakers make a number of decisions which compromise historical accuracy for the sake of creating better drama.