Of these two movies, Braveheart and Ivanhoe, the former was by far the better, and more historically accurate, if only for the fact that Ivanhoe was based on a fictional work in the first place. Both films, however, are riddled with historical inaccuracies.
    Braveheart would have us believe that Edward I's death coincided with that of William Wallace, when in fact the English king died in 1307, two years after Wallace had been executed! There's also the whole bit about Wallace fighting to avenge his wife, and subsequently knocking up the Princess of Wales!
    While not masquerading as a "historical" flick, Ivanhoe's historical inaccuracies are more general. The primitive lighting techniques of 1950s film make the whole movie look like it took place on a stage (which I'm sure it did anyway), and the costumes look like they were picked up at your local costume shop.
    Braveheart had a more realistic "feel," whereas Ivanhoe seemed to romanticize the Middle Ages. Ivanhoe seemed "bright and cheery," while Braveheart was "grim and gritty." Hardly anyone seemed to sweat or get very bloody in the older film, and the good guys win in the end (they also win in Braveheart, but only after great loss).
    This sense of realism is also seen in the way in which women are treated in the two films. Ivanhoe depicts women as unsullied, docile, and virginal, while the women in Braveheart are more independent, and unafraid (at least among themselves) to express their sensuality.
    In my opinion, however, the biggest difference between these films is in the combat scenes. The fight scenes in Ivanhoe are laughable. The actors seem like they've been trained to do little more that hit each others' swords, only the tiniest bit of blood gets spilled, the defense of the castle looked as if it was masterminded by the Teletubbies, and as for the big duel at the end-I've seen better fight choreography in the WWF. In contrast, the fight scenes in Braveheart were so good, I wanted to go out and kill some limey bastards after class! Not only was the choreography better, but the chaos and unpredictability of mass combat were captured well. Combat is not romantic or sporting in Braveheart. People die gruesome deaths and loved ones are left to mourn.
    In my opinion, the only thing Braveheart failed to do better than Ivanhoe was to cast someone as hot as Elizabeth Taylor.