by Chris Marshall:
What is it about films directed by Mel Gibson? They always
seem to feature loving depictions of torture[1].
I’m not sure exactly what that says about Mr. Gibson, but it can’t be anything
good. Of course, maybe I only think that way in light of his behavior in recent
years. Still, it’s something that occurred to me while watching the closing
scenes of Braveheart.
It’s somewhat stunning to think about what has befallen
Gibson’s career. When this film was released in 1995, he was at his apex. At
that point he had made three Lethal
Weapon films, three Mad Max
films, Hamlet, Pocahontas, and a favorite of mine as a kid, Maverick. Then came Braveheart,
and he was no longer merely a popular star; he was a critical darling.
He never achieved that same level of success again, but over
the next few years, he still starred in a series of moderately popular films.
Then, after the 2004 release of The
Passion of the Christ, everything went off the rails, both for his career
and his public image. Although Apocalypto
was not a terrible film, it came out during a time when Gibson was facing considerable
scrutiny, and he did not direct or act in another film for four years.
