The Bottom Line: 'Apocalypto' an Uphill Battle for Mad Mel
By Robert Sims, Special to Hollywood.com
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Monday, December 04, 2006
Mel Gibson |
Apocalypto was always going to be a tough sell for Mel Gibson.
Any bloody historical epic that features a cast of amateur speaking in the Yucatec language is without doubt a labor of love, not an obvious attempt to manufacture the next Gladiator.
But Gibson certainly made his task harder by going off on his anti-Semitic rant during his July DUI arrest in Malibu, Calif. Now the director of The Passion of the Christ needs some divine intervention to earn back the $40 million he’s poured into his latest—and arguably his best—directorial effort.
Then there’s the small matter of how his self-described “stupid ramblings of a drunkard” will affect his status as one of Hollywood’s sure things. He's gone from one of Entertainment Weekly's 2005 Power Players—despite early accusations of anti-Semitism brought against him in the wake of The Passion of the Christ—to topping Film Threat's Frigid 50.
Whatever its fate, though, Apocalypto probably isn’t a true referendum on Gibson’s future.Director Mel Gibson at the Box Office
- The Passion of the Christ $370.7 million
- Braveheart $75.6 million
- The Man Without a Face $24.7 million
Unlike Braveheart, Apocalypto doesn’t star Gibson. Nor can Apocalypto count on a built-in audience, which The Passion of the Christ did with Christians.
Gibson is the face of Apocalypto, as proven by his appearance in the film’s TV ads. But he brings with him too much baggage to make Apocalypto the focus of attention. He’s spending more time discussing his Malibu meltdown than why he decided to go to Mexico to direct a subtitled action thriller set against the decline of the Mayan civilization.
If Apocalypto flops, even Gibson's sternest critics must attribute its failure to its lack of commercial viability rather than any fallout from his humiliating arrest and subsequent no-contest plea to a misdemeanor drunken-driving charge.
The sad thing is, Apocalypto deserves an audience. Gibson's made a brutal but mesmerizing revenge saga that’s as much about one warrior’s determination to save his family as it is about the collapse of a once-great empire. A stirring and surprisingly humorous political allegory, Apocalypto represents a welcome maturation in Gibson's growth as a director.
Gibson's popularity will only really be put to the test as and when he returns to acting. He was contemplating starring in the thriller Under and Alone, and reuniting with his Lethal Weapon director Richard Donnerfor Sam and George, but there's not been much chatter about either film since his July 28 arrest.
While it’s hard to imagine Gibson receiving too many new acting offers at the moment, it would be foolish and naïve to think no one will ever offer him another job. Especially if Apocalypto exceeds expectations. Who would say no to Gibson if he agreed to take on a role he once would have deemed unworthy of his time and talent? Or at a fraction of his $25 million Patriot paycheck?
And if Gibson scores a hit, demand will only increase for his services. In Hollywood, money heals all wounds.
Not that Gibson has to beg for work. His Passion profits reportedly amount to $400 million—it only cost $25 million—so he doesn’t have to act for food and shelter. And he could self-finance a film he believes would put him back on the map.
Regardless, any gambles involving Gibson would only pay off if audiences were in a forgiving mood. And they have not been too kind lately toward stars they feel have run off their mouths. Just ask Tom Cruise.
But welcoming back Gibson with open arms ultimately depends on how contrite he appears, both to his Hollywood peers and his fans. But even though he told Diane Sawyer that he’s “ashamed” of what he said and denied being anti-Semitic, his public apologies seem halfhearted. And to claim that it was the alcohol talking is really a copout. So you can’t blame anyone offended by him for boycotting Apocalypto or the next film he makes.
The Bottom Line
It’s still too soon to determine whether Gibson can successfully rehab his career and image. And, given its lack of mainstream appeal, Apocalypto's won’t be an accurate reflection of how the public really feels about Gibson. The true test will come when Gibson takes his next acting job, whenever that will happen.
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