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The contents of this webpage are from an article by John Dingwall which appeared in the Daily Record newspaper of Scotland on 16th May, 2000. Thanks to Mollie O'Dell of the CrowePeople mailing list.

Fight Club: The clansmen who co-ordinated some of the most gruesome scenes ever seen on the big screen

Bravehearts' battlecry rings out in Hollywood as tartan army turn stunt men for Ł61m movie Gladiator

RIDLEY SCOTT's latest big-screen offering is on course to become Hollywood's biggest blockbuster since Titanic. But the massive impact already made by the epic film Gladiator would not have been so hard-hitting had it not been for a dedicated band of Scots. The "tartan army" of experts in combat ensured that the movie's battle scenes were chillingly authentic. And director Scott admits that it was a stroke of genius to call on the Clan Wallace Trust to achieve the most credible battle scenes ever to hit the big screen.

Since the Trust began, members have spent their spare time travelling from all over Scotland to meet up and re-enact the famous clan battles. Although they see themselves as key figures in preserving our Scots heritage, their weekend pursuits stopped being a hobby when Hollywood movie-makers latched on to their incredible potential. Today, they are an integral part of the movie industry, respected by Tinseltown's major players. Their past ventures have included re-enacting clan battle scenes for Highlander, The Bruce, and, most famously, Braveheart.

In Gladiator, their co-ordinated fight scenes are even more barbaric. Impressed by their unique fighting spirit in Braveheart, Gladiator director Scott was amazed at how efficiently the clan executed the dangerous stunts. His Ł61million film only took on epic proportions as Seoras Wallace and his army joined stars Russell Crowe and Joaquin Pheonix on set in England during filming. But Seoras admits he almost paid with his life as he was put through his paces with the others. On one occasion, as fireballs rained overhead, he collapsed from heat exhaustion. And a napalm-like explosion left Seoras and fellow Clan Wallace member Tubar Wilson singed and bleeding.

Seoras explained: "We were supposed to be Caledonian mercenaries fighting against the Romans. During one of the battle scenes, I was wearing a wetsuit underneath the furs because I was to be thrown into a river. "But Ridley changed his mind at the last minute and decided to go ahead with a battle complete with fireballs." As a result, Seoras collapsed in the woods with heat exhaustion.

He added: "I passed out while the battle raged on. I survived thanks to a quick thinking crew member who spotted me among the carnage." Unconscious, Seoras was dragged to safety as fireballs rained down on him. Between another set of takes, an explosive canister blew up just a few feet from Seoras and Tubar Wilson, another key member of the Wallace Clan, throwing both men to the ground and singeing their eyebrows and clothes. If they had been just inches closer to the explosion, they could have been killed, but Tubar can now look back on the incident and laugh about it. He said: "They wanted an explosive start to a film and they got it." On another occasion, Seoras and his team were told to run through a carefully co-ordinated series of explosions. Seoras said; "If we varied our route, we could have been blown to bits. When I ran, the wrong sequence of explosions went off and I kept running like mad. The crew were behind me with explosions going off and trees falling. I asked the other why they had run behind me when it was obvious the detonators were in the wrong sequence.

"My guys said, 'Where you go, we go. We'd follow you through hell'. It was an awesome thing for them to say to me. "Ridley Scott asked me why I made that move. I told him I had used my professional judgment and felt it was safe to complete the scene. "He was pleased because I had saved a couple of hours of daylight. It's a terrific scene."

New Zealand-born Russell Crowe plays fallen Roman general Maximus out to avenge the death of his family at the hands of the evil emperor, Commodus, played by Joaquin Phoenix. Caesar's evil son Commodus murders his own father, played by Richard Harris, and steals the throne. Scott went Ł13million over budget and spent Ł65million on the production of the film, the first Roman Empire movie made by Hollywood in 40 years. The performances are impressive - including an outstanding turn from the late Oliver Reed, who plays gladiator-trainer Proximo. Ollie died near the end of filming but, contrary to rumours, Scott didn't use special effects to digitally "place" the actor in scenes after his death. A body double was used instead.

Crowe, who starred in The Insider earlier this year, is convincing in the lead role - but he only landed the part after Mel Gibson turned it down. Honing his physique for the part involved a gruelling training schedule with twice-daily gym sessions. But it didn't stop the 36-year-old star enjoying a drink with the Scots lads in the evening. Tubar said: "After the shoots, we would talk about our families and how much we missed them. Russell told us about his bike collection and then invited us to a hotel for a bevvy. "He was able to have a few drinks - he is a great character. He did all his own stunts and loved it. "It was immense whenever I fought Russell on screen. He would say to us: 'That's you Scots guys again. You just won't lie down'." The battle scenes came to a conclusion with Seoras trapped in the mud beneath Crowe, as Maximus, and a horse. When he recovered, he realised he had Crowe's Roman tunic and decided it was the perfect keepsake - so he made a sack for his bagpipes from the garment. Seoras said; "The battle scenes in this film are even better than those in Braveheart because we have learned from that film. "The horsemen, cameramen, crew, wardrobe and stunt-men were all involved in Braveheart with Mel. "Throughout filming, guys were knocked out and some of us were asphyxiated- including me. "If I hadn't been picked up and pulled out by the director's dad, I would have died. Because of what I was wearing among the fires I couldn't have survived." Within days of filming, Steven Spielberg, whose production company Dreamworks was involved in the film admitted the opening fight sequence was even more realistic and bloody than his war film Saving Private Ryan. The Clan Wallace were initially enlisted to play Scots mercenaries paid by the Germanian hordes to help them overcome the Roman Empire's approaching legions. But Seoras revealed they re-wrote the history books when they came up against the regimented Romans.

His Caledonian men were supposed to lose their battle, but they ended up beating their Roman enemies, played by British army servicemen. Seoras laughed: "The Clan Wallace are all ex-Forces. Perhaps they were getting their own back on their old NCOs." Scott was forced to carefully edit his footage so that the scenes of defeated Romans were left bleeding on the cutting room floor. On seeing the realistic fight scenes in the finished film, Seoras and his clan members feel they have done their job well. And they're not the only ones. Before production began, director Scott told the clan he wouldn't have been content until he had enlisted them for his film. Seoras explained: "Ridley said that our reputation in Hollywood was second to none because they couldn't buy our experience. "We had a strong input because of the peculiarity of the way we fight. The film folk believe we have taken fight scenes in Gladiator to a new level. "When people go to see the film, l think they'll agree."

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