Mel Gibson as Movie Director

Mel’s first appearance as a director happened when he filmed “Braveheart” - a movie based on the Scottish history. Frankly speaking, I can’t tell that his first film is the most artistically held or that it’s the most emotionally connecting film ever. Nevertheless, there’s something that has captured my heart,  that makes me want to watch this storyover and over again. That’s why I still present my solute to Mel Gibson for his project.
 	I am deeply convinced that every movie which Gibson decides to direct is chosen because of a true passionate attude towards the subject dominated. This is right in the case of “Braveheart” and this is even more perceived in his last work,” The Passion of The Christ” (read further on this issue).
 	As to the first, I am strongly impressed by the seriousity of the attitude, in which the preparement for the filmmaking was treated. Gibson carried out a grand historical research, zooming into the very detail and fact concerning the Scotland’s greatest hero, Sir William Wallace. Previously there was a very little amount of material published about this character, so the movie gave more information about Wallace than any study held out by scholars have done in decades. 
  	Now, to the process of filming. There is a high presence of realism seen and felt in the  battle scenes. As I will explain more detailed on the example of his last movie, I want to point out that Mel Gibson is very concerned with the reality of the matter depicted. I believe that it is his main goal in the hierarchy of objectives needed to be solved during the movie directing. In the ”Braveheart” Mel uses military men in addition to the crew of actors  in order to achieve the sense of chaos. Moreover, the archive studied  even gives explanations on how the illusion of spearing the horses during the Stirling battle scene was created with the help of three artificially made horses merged with the real ones.
 	By processing  a study of the background information given about Gibson as an actor, I became more fascinated by enthusiasm that he showed for the matter and for learning more about direction as a proffession. Having reached the archives of his commentaries while the filming process, I found out that he constantly discusses the possibility of camera to turn to defferent speeds at which he made shootings of particular scenes. It can be perceived that Mel was pleasantly surprosed by the impact that camera effects on audience, especially the option of making more frames per second.
 	There’s a scene when Murron and he have been secretly wed and then stand  looking at each other being in a distance.  At first I thought that his extra self-indulgence is taking a place, but then it came apparent that this scene that last mere 2 seconds in real time, takes whole 2 minutes on the screen. This slow-motion technique becomes one of his favorites since then. The repetition of it is mostly seen in the scene when Wallace comes to surrender to the Magistrate (“Braveheart”) or presenting Jewish Hih Priest’s soldiers in the beginning of the movie (“The Passion”).
 Of course, one may admit that there’s a little overuse of this method, but personally I think that every time Gibson uses it for a particular purpose. It is either to allot a moment with weight or sting or to convey a sense of power. Moreover, the uninterrupted usage of slow-motion technique together with the marvelous in scenic backdrops and invigorating strange music performance fo folk melodies, the origin of  which is almost impossible to determine  - all this inspire and infuses a feeling that this is some kind of commercial promoting tourism in Scottland (though big part of the movie was made in Ireland). Gibson provided a strong conviction that his friend and he has a good time there. 
Skipping “The Man Without Face” as an intermediate Mel’s product I would like to proceed with “The Passion of The Christ” – a far more executively and ideologically sophisticated work.  The SPFX team of makeup experts and technicians were given an objective to create and use on practice a class of new methods of presenting crucifixion and flagellation scenes in the most realistic and at the same time not overweighed by effects way. The significant mean of picturing the nails being driven into Christ's hands can be claimed to be a know-how in the field of special effects, for this technique has never been used before. It’s Mel’s one of the major goals as ones of a director – to be sure that every little detail looks real.  
For this purpose he invited Keith Vanderlaan, the SPFX makeup producer, to join him in the creativity process. Thus, a great  research on the subject of real crucifixions was carried out. After having studied each and every physical transformation and visuals occuring during the penalty, he began to improvise with the techniques he already obtained. Gibson was informed that such details which are neccessary in depicting material mentioned in the Bible as graphic wounds on human’s body, scars, ribs penetrating flesh, ripped chest and  the nails being hammered into hands have never been defined that sharply before. But despite a risk of creating a shock by showing these shots, he demanded them all to be envoved in order to give a film a look and feel. This is what the director in Gibson wants, for he understands perfectly the affect these details will have on audience. 
 	Despite the dominating theme of the movie being the last twelve hours which Jesus spent on this earth, Mel Gibson has decided to add other scenes to inform or remind the audience with some other pictures from life and ministry of Christ. He explained this move by the harshness of scenes. The director realized that the story as a whole consists much cruelty and that it’s not adequate to go through and torture the main hero for 90 minutes. As a solution to this issue, he uses other scenes, though also very significant in understanding the whole movie. For example, Mary’s flash back of Jesus’s falling down as a boy – that is when he’s falling on the cross. Mel’s also adding partual representation of the Last Supper, a scene when Jesus washes the apostles' feet and the like ones. He claimes that the emotionally colored bind really connects flashbacks with the main occurrences. 
 	Of course, one can perceive the presence of some narrative gaps which can even be called obstacles in being engaged with Jesus’ misery and sufferings. Nonetheless, Mel Gibson can be stated as an accomplished filmmaker, for his expereinces is seen by exploring the evolution of his movies – from “The Man Without Face” to “The Passion”. One of the techniques he uses in the latter speaks for itself.  
 Mel carries out an appropriate decision to speak more in mimical expressions and wordless eye-game than to present the tragedy in vulgar melodramatic conversation. It can perceived that the director doesn’t have an aiming to obtain an Oscar or other sort of a nominee price, but purely to tell a story which empragnates him, which he’s so passionate about that want to share with others. 
As a particular example we can see the scene of where Pontius disagrees with the populous on the matter of  Jesus deserving the crucifixion punishment, where all the case is being carried out without at least one extra word. To review most of the other films dealing with religious questions, we may sum up that they usually contain long pedantic monologues and vague pronouncements aimed to overwhelm or shame the audience. Thus, the shortness and the pitch and tone of the dialogues presented in the “Passions” are worth respect.
 	The camera is managed on the proffessional level, uniting fascinating cinematography, hypnotic slow motion and really surprising in the unique concept of driving for unusual and maybe strange angles and provocative framing. The crimson of the blood coming out of wounds, despite being particularly not attractive to look at, merges with the skin by the means of a powerfully lit desert, which splendidly drives our attention from that zone where the special make-up work takes place and where it ends.
 	Though one scene depicting mortal tortures is being followed by another, the picture is constantly changing between the sufferings of the main character and the emotional expressions of observers who are in a row excited, stunned,  awed and depressed by the perceprion adn recognition of how much this man can take.
The director’s work is showing us that he is extremely devoted to this filmed story. We can feel that his objective is stated in creation of a movie film being an instance of religious art having one and only purpose  - that is, an artistic expression of spiritual ideology and outlook and, what’s more significant, the outstanding case of Christ bearing away of all the humans’ sins occured in the world. 
Through watching Mel Gibson’s movies we can see his major strategy. During the last directed film ,“The Passion of The Christ”, he shared it with the painter named Caravaggio, enlisted in the cooperation in filmmaking. He’s constantly visually cited in this movie, representing idea stated next : show the invisible by showing the visible. It is with Caravaggio that Mel also shares his idea of an approach best suitable in the movie. Gibson wanted to throw light on the Deity incarnated in Jesus and the mystical nature of his character and individuality in the mean of drawing a careful picture of the human side. 
The director even surprises by showing deep knowledge of religious art. He uses a technique noticed in the Eastern Church iconography, which is define as an exaggeration and transfiguration of normal proportions time at a time. This method provides a reality depiction in cases where other way is unfeasible or unattainable. Moreover, this perspective and proportion usage creates an atmosphere which makes the audience feel themself as a part of the depicted reality.
 Gibson constantly attempts to tell us something about the connection between Christ and his church by linking to the human relationship of Jesus and his mother Mary. Mel’s venture is to show to the viewer his own perception of some issue of invisible and supernatural explanation of the Passion and Crucifixion in a way of lingering on a description of the story based on the detailed physical aspects. I believe that show is not the appropriate word. Mel’s direction of the film as a whole and every shot in paarticular in such a mean, that we are pulled into the center of the realities, with the included spiritual realities being defined. 
 	Gibson is always extremely serious and focused about his every movie. Nevertheless, he still remains in an easy-going mood and strikes his crew with a great sense of humor. This is an important part of the general filming process, giving bright results during the shooting. Mel’s a superstar without even a drop of vanity, being really generous, tolerant and respectful with the cast and crew. Thus Gibson's known for his neverending  jokes and he purposefully makes a laid-back atmosphere, where
his actors and crew have all the conditions to thrive. 
People working with him adore their director for compassionately talking with the crew, doning a red clown nose, creating time at a time funny burping sounds through his bullhorn and, what’s the main factor, for obtaining more vigor than some teenager can have. If not to zoom closer, one can carry out a false conclusion that he abundance is hyperactivity, but people who know him better understand that Mel just loves what he's doing. 
Mel’s mission is for sure a passionate one, he has always been an extremely dedicated director. This is deeply felt, so I just can’t understand the one question cinstantly being repeated by the public: why did he use Aramaic in “The Passion”. The significance of the use of Aramaic as the one and only language spoken in "The Passion" is that it refresh and remind us the cross and Jesus' sacrifice for our sake, executed  in Christ's own language. In addition, it’s very important to addhere that instead of the world being faced with one more Hollywood-made production of the so-called Americanized Christianity, Gibson's film gives a provision of the most ingenuine perception of the message sent by Christ, without any hint on propaganda.  Containing strong and maybe hard images and language, it will be a common and related by the mean of emotional engagement story that will obtain meaning to many people.
	 
Gibson as a director imparted “Braveheart” with a new, full of strenght, and authenticity style containing frequent method of depicting the sense and overall atmosphere of drama and power. That is with the alliance of colorful and emotionally filled imagery. Thus not long ago, when his overwhelming movie “The Passion of The Christ” came out, Mel Gibson proved this style to be his own.
 
Reference list:
1. Michael Medved. Crucifying Mel Gibson. The American Enterprise.
http://www.leaderu.com/popculture/crucifyingmelgibson.html
2. Holly McClure(2003).First Person: Mel Gibson's 'Passion' for Jesus.
 http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=15304
3. Braveheart - Special Two Disc Edition (1995).
 Mel Gibsons Braveheart A Filmmakers Passion Documentary.
Audio Commentary By Mel Gibson.
4. Jorge J. E. Gracia (2004)Mel Gibson's Passion and Philosophy: The Cross, the Questions, the Controversy. 
5. John Nesbit. What's That Under Mel's Kilt?  
http://www.culturedose.net/review.php?rid=10001900
6. Steve Beard. Brutal Passion:Jesus on the big screen. 
http://www.thunderstruck.org
7.Fan Website for Mel Gibson's Icon Production Film: "The Passion Of the Christ”
http://www.passion-movie.com/