After a 10-year hiatus from acting and directing, Mel Gibson bounced back in 2016 with his World War 2 drama, Hacksaw Ridge starring 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.
Mel Gibson Credited Andrew Garfield For Hacksaw Ridge’s Success
Mel Gibson’s war biopic Hacksaw Ridge met 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 on The Amazing Spider-Man star’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.”
The Braveheart star 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.
Mel Gibson Was Initially Not Supposed To Direct Braveheart
In 1995, Mel Gibson won his first Oscar; not for his acting talent, but for his directorial skills in Braveheart, 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, the Signs star 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, with Braveheart and the director winning Oscars for Best Film and Best Director respectively.
Source: Deadline
