Editing Braveheart (section)

=== Filming ===
[[File:Scott Neeson on the set of Braveheart, 1995.jpg|thumb|Gibson (right) on set with 20th Century Fox executive [[Scott Neeson]]]]
Filming was initially due to take place fully in the United Kingdom, but most of the shoot was moved to [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]] at late notice after lobbying from the Irish government and their offer to supply 1,600 members of the [[Reserve Defence Forces|Irish Army Reserve]] as extras. Shooting was planned to take 12 weeks on location in Ireland and at [[Ardmore Studios]] plus five weeks on location in Scotland.<ref name=SI>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Screen International]]|page=1|title=Gibson drops UK for Ireland|last=Barrett|first=Paddy|date=May 13, 1994}}</ref> Principal photography on the film began on June 6, 1994.<ref name="NotesTCM">{{Cite web|url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/69593/braveheart#notes|title=Braveheart (1995) – Misc Notes|website=Turner Classic Movies|access-date=2019-05-11|archive-date=May 11, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190511203232/http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/69593/Braveheart/misc-notes.html|url-status=live}}</ref> To lower costs, Gibson had the same extras portray both armies. The reservists had been given permission to grow beards and swapped their military uniforms for medieval garb.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.unison.ie/meath_chronicle/stories.php3?ca=41&si=1031035&issue_id=9666|title= ''Braveheart'' 10th Chance To Boost Tourism in Trim|work= Meath Chronicle|date= August 28, 2003|access-date= April 30, 2007|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150903212040/http://www.unison.ie/meath_chronicle/stories.php3?ca=41&si=1031035&issue_id=9666|archive-date= September 3, 2015|url-status= dead}}</ref> Principal photography ended on October 28, 1994.<ref name="NotesTCM" /> The film was shot in the [[anamorphic format]] with [[Panavision]] C- and E-Series lenses.<ref>{{cite journal | author=Chris Probst | title=Cinematic Transcendence| journal=[[American Cinematographer]] | publisher=[[American Society of Cinematographers]] | volume=77 | issue=6 | page=76 | location=[[Los Angeles, California]], United States | date=June 1, 1996 | issn=0002-7928 }}</ref> Gibson also later said that while filming a battle scene a horse nearly "killed him" but his stunt double was able to save him as the horse fell.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/movies/movie-news/i-almost-got-killed-filming-braveheart-says-gibson/30354934.html | title=I almost got killed filming 'Braveheart', says Gibson | date=June 15, 2014 }}</ref>

Gibson had to tone down the film's battle scenes to avoid an [[NC-17]] rating from the [[MPAA]]; the final version was rated R for "brutal [[medieval warfare]]".<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.filmratings.com/ | title = Reasons for Movie Ratings (CARA) | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101211104428/http://www.filmratings.com/| archive-date = December 11, 2010| author1 = Classification and Rating Administration | author2 = Motion Picture Association of America}}</ref> Gibson and editor [[Steven Rosenblum]] initially had a film at 195 minutes, but [[Sherry Lansing]], who was the head of Paramount at the time, requested Gibson and Rosenblum to cut the film down to 177 minutes.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/movies/mel-gibson-reveals-secrets-from-behind-the-scenes-of-braveheart/news-story/cb19dbd81d2373b506884b3bc4099ecb|title=Mel Gibson reveals secrets from behind the scenes of Braveheart|website=www.news.com.au|access-date=January 1, 2019|archive-date=January 2, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190102002309/https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/movies/mel-gibson-reveals-secrets-from-behind-the-scenes-of-braveheart/news-story/cb19dbd81d2373b506884b3bc4099ecb|url-status=live}}</ref> According to Gibson in a 2016 interview with [[Collider (website)|''Collider'']], there is a four-hour version of the film, and he expressed interest in reassembling it if both Paramount and Fox were interested.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/film/1780785-1780785|title=Mel Gibson has a whole hour of unseen 'Braveheart' footage for an extended cut|last=Levine|first=Nick|date=October 26, 2016|website=NME|access-date=January 1, 2019|archive-date=January 2, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190102002405/https://www.nme.com/news/film/1780785-1780785|url-status=live}}</ref>