Five of Mel Gibson's best films as a director

In 1979, a young actor named Mel Gibson landed the role of Max Rockatansky, a man whose mission was to clean up a dangerous, post-apocalyptic wasteland in Australia, and also in revenge for a murdered family. The project helped him gain critical acclaim and promote him to stardom. He starred in two sequels to the Mad Max franchise, and then made another big-screen breakthrough as the high-spirited cop Martin Riggs. And he did it perfectly, showing a crazy cop walking on a knife edge with nothing to lose. Dissatisfied with his A-list status and the 1985 Sexiest Man title, he opened a production company and turned to directing.

Whether it's his personal life, working in front of or behind the camera, everything Mel Gibson does is a talking point. His films have been described as "gross" and "voyeuristic" and even somewhat "tasteless". But this does not bother the author at all, he stubbornly adheres to the style of modern realism, delighting fans and ridiculing critics. Loved or hated, one thing is clear - his directing efforts are impressive. In this review, five of the best films directed by Mel Gibson.

*****
"The Man Without a Face" (1993)

Gibson staged this drama and played the lead role in it. Partially devoid of recognizable, attractive appearance, he portrayed on the screen the artist Justin Macleod, whom the world learned about thanks to his friendship with a little boy. Faced with prejudice due to a massive burn to his face and body, MacLeod becomes the boy's teacher and then accused of child molestation when their friendship is discovered in town. And this leads to his many years in prison. Mel changed a few things in the film adaptation of the novel by the Swiss Isabelle Holland so that the relationship of the main characters was less open to interpretation. In his favorite way, he simply changed what he did not like. For the role of Macleod, Gibson first tried to find an actor, but then decided that no one could do it better than himself. He also worked on a small budget and played the part to uncover an emotionally complex situation, reflecting relationships in a small New England town in the 60s of the last century.

"Apocalypse" (2006)

What could have been staged as a Mayan-style "Escape from New York" was instead shown respectfully and artistically through live action that illustrated, rather than narrated, the struggle of man against nature and man against man at the end of the Mesoamerican tribal era. . Using Yucatán Maya interspersed with English subtitles, Gibson explores the menace of the undergrowth and the exquisitely epic yet horrifying scenes of human sacrifice. And all this in order to convey the difficulties that a young man faces as he tries to escape what seems like certain death in order to return home to his family.

"For Conscience" (2016)

One of the most discussed films of 2016. The story of a doctor who, in the 1940s, tries to avoid being sent to the front and witnessed violence, but ends up in the trenches and without a weapon. Gibson gave the lead role to Andrew Garfield, breathing life into the screenplay by Robert Shankkan and Andrew Knight. It is based on real events that took place in the life of Desmond T. Doss. Whether in the heat of battle or in conflict between the hero and co-workers over his conscientious objector beliefs, Mel Gibson knew how to get the right reaction from the actors. "Hacksaw Ridge" depicts the horrors of combat without resorting to the excessive theatrics that characterize some films in this genre.

"Passion of the Christ" (2004)

By 2004, audiences had grown weary of films depicting a serene, blond, English-speaking Jesus. But when Gibson's picture came out, which he considered a personal achievement, moviegoers stocked up on motion sickness and nausea packages to "live through" the incredibly realistic scenes of violence. Brad Pitt spoke openly against the film, saying that The Passion of the Christ reminds him of the propaganda of L. Ron Hubbard (the founder of Scientology). However, later this did not prevent the actor from fully enjoying the viewing of "Apocalypse". For 126 minutes, The Passion of the Christ tells the brutal story of the last 12 hours of the Savior's life on earth. Mel used great detail to capture the atmosphere and even had the actors speak in Aramaic to add authenticity to this costume drama. For the devout Catholic Gibson, it was important to tell the frank truth about the death of Jesus and end the accusations of his anti-Semitism.

"Braveheart" (1995)

The biographical drama, which received five Oscars, rightfully occupies the first place in Gibson's filmography as a director. Moreover, he played the main role in it and acted as a producer. The plot is built around the Scots who rebelled in the XIV century. against King James I. Mel appeared on the screen as the freedom fighter William Wallace. By doing what he does best, the actor/director has captured the spirit of a man who has nothing to lose because he has already lost everything and all he has to do is fight. From epic battle scenes with braids and painted faces to a background love story, the film grossed $213 million on a $72 million budget. Many spectators especially remember the barbaric execution of poor old English-style Wallis by hanging, beheading and quartering.