On Outlaw King

David MacKenzie has a long a varied career as writer/director. His last three films have seen him work in the prison drama (Starred Up, 2013), the bank robber/western genre (Hell of High Water, 2016) and now the historical epic with Outlaw King, an important story for his native Scotland.David MacKenzie has a long a varied career as writer/director. His last three films have seen him work in the prison drama (Starred Up, 2013), the bank robber/western genre (Hell of High Water, 2016) and now the historical epic with Outlaw King, an important story for his native Scotland.

Set in the 14^th Century, Outlaw King weaves a story of the personal and political together well, focusing on a specific time in Robert Bruce’s life, rather than trying to cover it all. It is a film that is all the more powerful for its thoughtfulness, both of characters and dialogue. There are the rousing speeches and the battle cries, but they come from quiet, introspective Scots, rather than the histrionic Braveheart (1995) like mould. There isn’t really a weak performance in the film. And, despite the success of Gibson’s film, Outlaw King feels its superior in every aspect.

Many of the expected genre tropes are present, and the period is recreated well, with some stunning scenery and ferocious battles, that do owe much to the model that Braveheart carved out. The environment is key here and MacKenzie is eager to show the beauty as well as the mud that almost comes off the screen. Yet, there are aesthetic flourishes that set this apart from being a by-the-numbers historical film. Some of MacKenzie’s shot choices really stand out (see Bruce at the head of a boat) and the restraint he shows in his narrative is equally impressive. This could easily have become a chest pounding, patriotic, sprawling epic. Instead, it is personal, never less than engrossing and finished on a moment of intimate happiness.