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PELL-MEL(L) - by our friend in Utah, Looserobes
Okay, I don’t care if Mel Gibson is a bigoted, profane jerk who mistreats women and drinks to excess. He still makes great films and that’s all I care about. Just as with every other high profile Hollywood type, I couldn’t care less about his personal life and personality faults. Moreover, to his credit, he takes creative and financial risks in his directorial pursuits, and he’s willing to back his work with his own money when the more formulaic film backers haven’t the guts to get involved.
Case in point: “Apocalypto,†the audacious, ultra-violent depiction of ancient Mayan culture. Gibson was director, producer, and co-screenwriter. To heighten the realism, the dialogue was spoken in Yucatec Maya with English sub-titles.
Next case in point: “The Passion of the Christ,†the controversial story of the last hours of Christ. The dialogue was spoken in Aramaic, Latin, and Hebrew, with English sub-titles. Once again, Gibson risks losing the more traditional moviegoers in an attempt to portray his subject realistically. He directed, produced, and co-wrote this one too.
Both these films were snubbed by Hollywood insiders but no one can deny they were exciting, ground-breaking, and thought-provoking films.
Then, of course, there is “Braveheart,†nominated for ten Oscars, winner of five, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Makeup, and Best Sound Effects.
You won’t like Gibson’s films if you can’t handle violent themes. For you, there’s always the Cary Grant filmography. But if you don’t like violence in films, you’ll also have to stay away from a lot of other award-winning directors, including Spielberg, Scorsese, Eastwood, and others.
Refusing to see Mel Gibson’s movies because he’s an anti-Semitic, misogynist jerk would be like cutting yourself off from the pleasure of Picasso’s art because he was a womanizing, adulterous… well, jerk.
You don’t have to like an artist to appreciate his artistry. I think I would have heartily disliked Oscar Wilde, yet he is responsible for some of the greatest quotes you’ll find anywhere. I enjoy Wagner’s music, notwithstanding that he had a pugnacious personality and was anti-Semitic, not unlike Gibson. The voice of Maria Callas can send me into rapture, yet I could not have handled her selfish, impatient diva personality for a moment.
Great art, whether it is cinema, music, painting, or whatever, must be appreciated upon artistic grounds, irrespective of the obnoxiousness of the artist. So, even though Mel Gibson may have a little Mad Max in him, I will still look forward to his films.
