When I came on this page and saw that parents rated this movies as "iffy ages 12+", I was very surprised. While not as bad as other R-rated films, this movie shouldn't be shown to anyone under the age of 14. That said, though it is violent, it is filled with positive messages of bravery, acceptance, and loyalty. This is a very violent film. Countless people are shot throughout the entire film, most with accompanying blood that sprays or spurts. One man has his leg taken off by a cannon ball (brief shot of the bloody knee), and another is decapitated by a cannon ball (it's in slow-mo; the cannon takes the head off, and you see the rest of the body for a brief moment before it cuts away). A man gets a tomahawk in the head, and another is bayoneted through the throat at close range. However, random soldiers being shot isn't the violence parents need to be most concerned with. Many major characters are killed, one of which is a child. Children are repeatedly threatened through the movie, with guns, torches, and the like. In one heartwrenching scene, a whole town is brought together in a church that is later burned. You see the screaming, crying people trying to break loose, and flames consuming the outside of the church. While no burning is actually seen, I think that it is this intense, emotional scene that given the movie its R-rating. No sex or language to speak of. Highly recommended.