Mel Gibson.. the journey of steadfastness and defiance in the face of adults

Honoring international actor and director Mel Gibson at the Joy Awards ceremony, which was held in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on the evening of January 22, during the Riyadh season, came as a surprise from the Entertainment Authority to its fans.

The most surprising surprise was the continuation of Mel Gibson in the world of lights and his steadfastness in his profession as a brilliant star, which is a miracle for the man who was absent from the studios and from the screen for six years, and during which everyone thought that he had turned into a mere memory of a brilliant actor whose star quickly extinguished after he died. He was full of hearing and sight.

How was the religious star able to withstand attempts to eliminate him, motivate him, and lie in wait for him, and then recover his reputation and a large part of his status as an actor and director, despite the strength of his opponents and the standing of Hollywood with all its seniors against his existence?

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Mel Gibson was born in New York in 1956, the sixth among 11 siblings of a father and mother whose origins go back to Ireland. The family moved to Australia in the sixties when he was 12 years old, and he completed his secondary education there, and then studied at the University of New South Wales. South Wales) in Sydney, and in parallel with his studies, he began presenting some theatrical performances, and making films independently.

Gibson was chosen to star in the films "Mad Max" (1979) and "Tim" (1979), co-starring Piper Laurie.

The movie "Mad Max" was considered a turning point in the life of the young actor, as he became known all over the world, and through the movie "Tim" he won the Best Actor Award from the Australian Film Institute.

In 1980, Gibson married Robin Moore, with whom he had 7 children. He made his debut in American cinema in 1984 through the movie "The Bounty", which co-starred Anthony Hopkins.

In 1987, he presented the first parts of the "Lethal Weapon" series, in which he played the role of "Martin Riggs".

The nineties of the last century witnessed maturity and brilliance, as he presented Hamlet (1990), and won some praise for him, but his most famous and successful role came in 1995 through the movie “Brave Heart”, which gave him the role of “Sir William Wallace” two Oscars for Best Actor. Film and Best Director.

The Passion of Christ

A few Hollywood stars are known for their adherence to their religious beliefs and adherence to the teachings of their religion, and Mel Gibson is one of them, as he is a devout Catholic, and his presentation of the movie "Passion of the Christ" 2004 (Passion of The Christ) was only part of his vision of his religiosity and commitment to it, but the film achieved Profits exceeded 600 million dollars and were produced at a cost of no more than 30 million dollars, sparking controversy, turmoil and wars that have not ended to this day.

The film, produced and directed by Mel Gibson, deals with the last hours of Christ's life, and depicts the torture he was subjected to - according to Christian belief - while he was crucified, violently and brutally, and while some saw it as necessary to accurately portray the story, others saw it as exaggerated and unjustified violence.

The story begins in an olive grove, where Jesus went to pray after the Last Supper.

He is arrested after being betrayed by Judas Iscariot, and is sent back inside the city walls of Jerusalem.

There, the leaders of the Pharisees (a group of Jews who followed a strict religious doctrine in preserving the law of Moses) face accusations of blasphemy, and the story of his trial and torture begins.

Since the start of the film, voices have been raised confirming the inaccuracy of the historical narrative that did not adhere to the biblical account of the story of Christ, peace and blessings be upon him, and they considered it anti-Semitic, and leads to the continuation of the well-known stereotype about the Jews as the ones who caused the killing of Christ.

Despite the heavy criticism, critics made no secret of their admiration for the work's cinematography, music and strong visual language.

While the film achieved significant financial gains, it came to represent a sharp turn in Mel Gibson's career, as he was criticized beyond the work he presented and challenged personally, from accusations of anti-Semitism to accusations of manipulating the feelings of millions of Christians around the world and promoting violence.

Predictable drama

The image of the Australian-American actor seemed to be about to change completely, and it did happen that he was arrested in 2006 for drunk driving in Los Angeles.

During the arrest, the arresting officer alleged that Gibson made anti-Semitic remarks, which led to widespread controversy and condemnation, and that he entered an alcohol rehabilitation program.

Immediately after the incident, in July 2006, Ari Emanuel, president of WME Entertainment, wrote an op-ed in The Huffington Post urging Hollywood to turn its back on Gibson. “People in the entertainment community, whether they are Jewish or not, need to demonstrate that they understand the danger in this by ostracizing Mel Gibson and refusing to work with him, even if it means sacrificing their own profits,” he said.

And it seemed that the article was a clear signal to completely stop using or cooperating in any way with Gibson, which is what actually happened by Hollywood.

In 2010, recordings of Gibson speaking racistly during a phone call with his girlfriend were announced, and the recordings caused a media storm and led him to be ostracized by Hollywood and the public.

The crisis was that the girlfriend he associated with after his divorce from his wife in 2011 disputed him over custody of their little girl, and Gibson claimed that she threatened him with those recordings, and the case ended before the verdict was pronounced, and a solution was reached that satisfied both parties.

Mel Gibson took a few steps back to regroup, as if he were "William Wallace" in "Braveheart", and after he finished "Paparazzi" in 2004, and after he finished filming "Totally Wicked" episodes at the beginning of 2005, he disappeared from Hollywood studios.

Dazed and resilient

Actor and director Mel Gibson ended his crisis with his girlfriend, and set out like a wild horse since 2010 to present his works, which were not received with the enthusiasm that befits him or his history, but gradually over the past ten years he was able to regain his position.

In 2010, he presented the movie "Edge of Darkness", and continued to present one work annually.

In 2016, he directed and starred in the movie "Hacksaw Ridge", which won critical acclaim and several award nominations, which contributed to restoring part of Gibson's stature. Gradually, he presented two films in 2021, then set out to present 4 films in 2022, the last of which was " On the Line.

Many believe that Mel Gibson was deliberately brought down by lurking and luring him, but he decided to stand on his feet and stand firm in the face of the largest cinematic empire in history, to re-conquer it based on a unique talent, iron will and amazing ability to withstand.