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After a 10-year hiatus from acting and directing, Mel Gibson bounced back in 2016 with his World War 2 drama,Hacksaw Ridgestarring Andrew Garfield. The film followed the true story of Pfc. Desmond T. Doss played by Garfield, who won the Congressional Medal of Honor despite refusing to use arms and weapons during the war on religious grounds. The film opened at the Venice Film Festival and was treated to a resounding 10-minute standing ovation.
In an interview after the release, director Mel Gibson spoke about his experiences making the film and analyzed the reasons for its success. The Oscar winner believed that the narrative touched a chord, especially with women across the world, mainly owing to his lead actor, Andrew Garfield’s persona.
Also Read:Despite Domestic Violence & Racism Accusations, Robert Downey Jr. Believed Mel Gibson Deserved Better From Hollywood: “He’s hugged the cactus long enough”
Mel Gibson Credited Andrew Garfield ForHacksaw Ridge’sSuccess
Mel Gibson’swar biopicHacksaw Ridgemet with positive responses and critical acclaim worldwide.Andrew Garfield, who played the controversial protagonist Desmond T. Doss, turned in a powerful performance that further elevated the narrative of the film. Gibson, who directed the project, believed that while audiences from all corners and genders connected with the story, the film made a deeper impact on women all over the world thanks to Andrew Garfield’s personality on screen. Elaborating onThe Amazing Spider-Manstar’s talent that touched a chord with women, Gibson said,
“I think there’s something endearing about Andrew. You see this guy who’s a nurturer. I think women naturally are, as human beings, more nurturers. So you see a guy doing that I think it just touches something in there at a core level of who they are.”
TheBraveheartstar also added that Garfield’s character had a selfless maternal quality that was very relatable to a lot of women who are also mothers at some point in their lives.
Also Read:“That’s a bald-faced lie”: Action Legend Sylvester Stallone Called Out Mel Gibson for Downplaying Their Brutal Fight Scene in ‘The Expendables’
Mel Gibson Was Initially Not Supposed To DirectBraveheart
In 1995, Mel Gibson won his first Oscar; not for his acting talent, but for his directorial skills inBraveheart, the story of Scottish rebel William Wallace who sets out to battle King Edward I of England to avenge the death of his wife. The film became a blockbuster hit while also earning high praise for Gibson as a filmmaker. Interestingly, theSignsstar was only confirmed as the lead actor in the film which he originally rejected at the time.
A few years later, as fate would have it, the script came to find him again, and this time, the celebrity was completely invested in it, not just from an actor’s point of view, but also as a filmmaker. Gibson went on to discuss his visions for the film with American producer Bill Mechanic.
“I described the whole story to him from memory but I told it to him in a shot list. I said then you’re in a low angle and he was listening to this story. He went and read the script and he said it’s a great script but what you were saying is kind of different. I really got to see it. So I read it again and I thought, I’ve got to do this. So I went and threw my hat in the ring to direct it.”
Looking back, Me Gibson’s passion for the project that sparked his decision to direct, turned out to be a winner, withBraveheartand the director winning Oscars for Best Film and Best Director respectively.
Also Read:Even Mel Gibson Hated his $59,989 Box Office Disaster, Labeled the Bizarre Movie “Boring as a Dog’s a-s”
Source:Deadline
Sharanya Sankar
Senior Writer
Articles Published :1230
Sharanya Sankar, Writer for FandomwireHaving completed her Masters degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, Sharanya has a solid foundation in writing which is also one of her passions. She has worked previously with Book My show for a couple of years where she gained experience reviewing films and writing feature articles. Sharanya’s articles on film and pop culture have also been published on Film Companion, a popular film-based website. Apart from movies and pop culture, her interests include music and sports. She has contributed over 650 articles to Fandomwire so far.
