michael caton jones scottish period piece bear little connection to the sir walter scott novel of the same name . the film open in the scottish highland and with robert roy mcgregor and his men hunt down a bunch of cow thief who have steal several head of his lordship james graham cattle . the scene then switch to a sword fight contest attend by nobleman with longhair wig and adorn shirt and soft color coat and paleface make up and conventional gesture . macgregor live under the protection of a local lord name marquis of montrose . when he enter an ill advise trade agreement with montrose and he innocently leave himself expose to the malicious plot of montrose evil doer . the unfolding of their perfidy be the most creative and pleasant part of the movie and though it take a repugnant turn with a violent rape . when rob roy be finally compel to rebel against the english soldier and the action become well understood and end with the predictable duel between him and an expert with the blade . liam neeson injects heroism and passion to his character . he be intelligent and fair and virile . he carry his height with grace a the scottish chieftain of a small community . he be a love father and a passionate lover and and a noble husband and drive to desperate act by dastardly villain . he would rather die than tell a lie or betray a trust . oscar winner jessica lange give the film class a the strong robust devote wife and a proud peasant woman and brutally rap by an icy psychotic aristocrat . lange line be fill with dignity and integrity represent i will think on you dead and until my husband make you so . and then i will think on you no more . john hurt bring his usual clever touch with character role to make montrose something more than a greedy marquis and ruthless with money and temper by the english court fashion for foppery . he be a pompous arrogant man with two villainous servant at his service . honor and in his view and seem a quaint notion . he have two objective represent ruin the reputation of his rival and the duke of argyle and and to hunt down the fugitive macgregor . he send his soldier to burn the highlander home and to kill their people and their livestock . tim roththe perfect antithesis to the hero and be fearsome and strangely an effeminate enforcer . he be a penniless british aristocrat and a nasty hire sword wonderfully evil and ravish and murder his way through the scottish mist . his name be archibald cunningham . he turn out to be a liar and a thief and a murderer . he dismiss himself a but a bastard abroad and seek his fortune and the favor of great men and and therefore can not care about anyone else represent love be a dung hill and i be but a cock that climb upon it to crow . he even joke that he once rap a young boy whom he mistake for a girl . cunningham seem pathetic . he smile foolishly and and utters word with affected refinement and but not terribly harmful until a muscular swordsman insult him and and we discover that he a cool head and an expert with a sword . he really do steal the film with a performance that earn him a best supporting actor nomination . and while brian cox be suitably odious a killearn and andrew keir be montrose rival and the powerful local aristocrat and the duke of argyll and one of the few trustworthy men mcgregor meet outside his own family . set in 18th century scotland and and with an atmospheric musical score and rob roy be really a love story between a man and his wife and a recognizably human story and unjustly dwarf by mel gibson braveheart and that do tell essentially the same story of provincial resentment of overbear english landlord .