Pell Mel

I guess it's a little late to get in on that Mel Gibson fuss of a month or two ago, but I have a word or two I'd like to say about the man's films. Since the blog was retired at the time, I think I'm entitled to a late comment or two.

I am no great fan of The Passion of the Christ. I didn't like it when friend made fun of it by referring to it as "the Jesus Chainsaw Massacre", but he did have a point: a lot of the more beautiful aspects to the film are marred by a bizarre fascination with violence. Nor am I a fan of Braveheart, nor of most anything that's come from Mr. Gibson's directing hand—with one exception: The Man Without a Face. It's one of those films that, when it's over, makes me ask, Why doesn't Hollywood make more films like that? It is, without a doubt, one of the best films I have ever seen. Apparently it's based on a book. It deals with loneliness, redemption, "enlightened" society's mistreatment of those it has judged wrongly, children's discomfort with repeated divorce and remarriage, and the desire to better oneself through hard work and dedication. There's a bit of Shakespeare, including a passage from The Merchant of Venice where Gibson acts the Jewish merchant's famous soliloquy quite sympathetically: If you cut a Jew, does he not bleed? There's not much that is glamorous, violent, or sexually titillating in this film. It's simply well-done and beautifully made.

I find it amazing that this film came from the same man who has directed so many hack-and-slash films. I suppose many people would likewise find it amazing that Gibson could portray with sympathy the role of a wronged Jew. After all, we denizens of enlightened society know from his drunken rant that he hates the Jews—don't we?