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There's only one thing that comes to mind when anyone thinks about Lethal Weapon, and that's guns, ammunition, explosives, and Mel Gibson. Born in New York in 1956, Gibson shot to stardom with his breakout role in Mad Max in 1981 and went on to reprise his role in the subsequent Mad Max movie franchise. Following his seemingly immediate success in Hollywood, he solidified his acting lane as a mega action star with his role in the buddy cop film franchise, Lethal Weapon, in 1987 where he co-starred with acting legend, Danny Glover. Besides a thriving acting career, Gibson also found remarkable success as a director, producer, and screenwriter. Here are 9 of the highest-grossing films directed and written by Mel Gibson.
The Passion Of The Christ
Regarded as one of the most bloody, gory, and graphic depictions of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, Mel Gibson's directive genius caused The Passion of The Christ to be placed into Hollywood history as one of the greatest of all time. The film was such as success that it became the fourth-highest-earning movie released in 2004. The main character, Jesus, was portrayed by Jim Caviezel, who is accompanied by the twelve disciples including Peter (Francesco De Vito), John (Christo Jivkov), Mary Magdalene (Monica Bellucci), Mary his mother (Maia Morgenstern), and his traitor, Judas Iscariot (Luca Lionello). Satan, who tempted Jesus, was played by an Italian actress named Rosalinda Celentano. The film was received with criticism from some, calling it a very violent film, while others, like Roger Ebert, praised the film with four out of four stars. On a budget of $30 million, it was a remarkable success, grossing $622.31 million at the box office.
Braveheart
Another one of Gibson's most revered films which he both directed and starred in was Braveheart, released in 1995. Leading up to his prime, this film caused the multitalented actor to be launched into an even greater realm of stardom. The historical epic film even won Gibson a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award for Best Director as well as an Academy Award for Best Picture. The film follows a Scottish warrior named Sir William Wallace (Mel Gibson) in the late 13th century and leads a rebellion against the English after he witnessed King Edward Longshanks execute his father and brother, and later, when he is much older, his childhood friend and lover, Murron MacClannough (Catherine McCormack). The movie went on to gross $209.045 million globally.
Hackshaw Ridge
It would appear that Mel Gibson has a knack for making extremely graphic movies of a historical nature, as he has with The Passion of The Christ and Braveheart. His next film as a director, Hackshaw Ridge, depicts the experiences of Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield) during World War 2, a Seventh-Day Adventist who staunchly followed and believed in the commandment, Thou Shalt Not Kill, following the near-death of his brother during roughhousing. Some years later, he meets a nurse named Dorothy Schutte (Teresa Palmer) while taking an injured man to the hospital, who later becomes his wife. He expresses to her his interest in medical work and then enlists U.S. Army as a combat medic in World War 2, a role which he performed excellently despite wanting to fire a rifle during his combat training. He even saved the lives of Sergeant Howell (Vince Vaughn) and other comrades who previously doubted his convictions. The film was a huge success, grossing $169.023 million globally.
Apocalypto
If you have ever watched the historical drama movie, Amistad, you would have some idea of what the epic historical adventure film, Apocalypto, is all about. The movie tells the story of the brutal invasion of a peaceful tribe in the Mesoamerican rainforest by the Mayan civilization. The peaceful farming and hunting tribe includes the leader, Flint Sky (Morris Birdyellowhead), the father of Jaguar Paw (Rudy Youngblood), and other tribesmen. The day after they went out hunting, their village was raided by a Mayan chief named Zero Wolf (Raoul Trujillo) and his men who set fire to huts, killed many villagers, and captured the rest of be enslaved. In the process, Jaguar Paw saves his pregnant wife, Seven (Dalia Hernández), and his son Turtles Run by lowering them into a pit. After escaping the clutches of the Mayan chief and killing some in the process, Jaguar Paw heads back to save his pregnant wife and son before they drown in the torrential rainfall. Released in 2006, the film grossed $121.032 million worldwide.
The Man Without A Face
Based on Isabelle Holland's 1972 novel of the same name, The Man Without a Face was released in 1993 as Mel Gibson's directorial debut, receiving positive reviews from most critics. You can place Gibson in the same bracket as actors/directors like Danny DeVito and Ben Stiller, who are also multifunctional in their craft. The Man Without a Face follows Justin McLeod (Mel Gibson), a critical car accident survivor who has remained a reclusive painter for seven years, carrying the scars and burns on his face and body from the crash. A young man named Chuck Nordstadt (Nick Stahl) is forced to endure a dysfunctional relationship with his siblings, Megan Norstadt (Gaby Hoffman) and Gloria Norstadt (Fay Masterson) which causes him to act out at times. After learning that McLeod is a teacher, Chuck persuades him to tutor him in order to pass a military academy's entrance exam he failed one year prior, which he reluctantly agrees to. However, once Chuck's mother (Margaret Whitton) learns of their tutoring sessions, she and many other townsfolk accuse McLeod of molestation. McLeod leaves the town and Chuck graduates from the academy school. The film grossed $36.6 million internationally.
Stonehearst Asylum
Directed by Brad Anderson and co-produced by Gibson is the 2014 Gothic film, Stonehurst Asylum, starring Kate Beckinsale. The film begins with an Oxford University Professor giving an exhibition of Lady Eliza Graves (Kate Beckinsale) who is classified as a case of female hysteria, although she protests the opposite. Following this, a young man named Dr. Edward Newgate (Jim Sturgess) arrives at Stonehearst Asylum for mental health patients, who has arrived from Oxford to examine the methods of Dr. Silas Lamd (Ben Kingsley). Second in command to Lamb is Mickey Finn (David Thewlis), who doesn't see eye-to-eye with Newgate. The young Dr. Newgate quickly becomes infatuated with Graves, who warns him to flee the asylum. Newgate soon learns that Lamb and Finn are dangerous murderers who drugged the actual asylum staff, inclusive of Dr. Salt (Michael Caine) and Mrs. Pike (Sinéad Cusack), and locked them in a boiler room. Newgate and Graves lead a revolt against Finn and Lamb, freeing the other patients before running off to Italy together. The real Dr. Edward Newgate arrives, later on, to release Graves from the asylum, only to find that she has already been released by an imposter. The film grossed $3.2 million at the box office.
Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man
Taking a step back from the intense action and historical war-type movies, Gibson again co-produced another film with Brice Davey and Lian Lunson, this time covering the life and career of the singer and songwriter, Leonard Cohen. The film features performances from a myriad of musicians, such as Nick Cave, Jarvis Cocker, Beth Orton, Martha Wainwright, Teddy Thompson, Julie Christensen, and Bono to name a few. Entertainment Weekly gave the tribute concert a B+ while the Rolling Stones gave it 3/4 stars, inclusion additionally favorable views from other critics. The film was distributed by Lions Gate Entertainment in 2006 and grossed a total of $1.3294 million at the global box office.
The Singing Detective
The 2003 musical crime comedy directed by Keith Gordon and co-produced by Mel Gibson and Bruce Davey was considered an "interesting failure" by some critics, due largely in part to the fact that it was a major flop at the box office. It follows a detective novelist named Dan Dark (Robert Downey Jr.) who is diagnosed with a skin disease called psoriasis and a similar disease called psoriatic arthritis. Anyone who tries to help Dan is dismissed by his bitter and angry countenance until a psychiatrist named Dr. Gibbon is sent to find the root cause of Dan's mental problems. Dr. Gibbon connects Dan's dark thoughts to his novel, The Secret Detective, and realizes that many of the characters in his book represent people from his childhood and life in general, such as his mother and wife, Nicola (Robin Wright Penn). Dan is eventually cured of his mental fantasies through his discussions with Dr. Gibbon (Mel Gibson) and leaves the hospital with his wife. On an $8 million budget, the film only grossed $524,747 at the box office.
Get The Gringo
There's no denying the depth of thought, character development, and plot building that goes into Gibson's writing. In 2012, the legendary actor starred in Get The Gringo, an action film that Gibson again co-wrote and co-produced. The film begins with a getaway driver and his fatally wounded accomplice, both disguised in clown suits, getting arrested by crooked Mexican police officers, Vazquez and Romero. The police officers burn the body of the now-dead accomplice, arrest Richard 'The Gringo' Johnson on false charges, and seize the $2 million from their car trunk. While in the El Pueblito jail, he realizes that it runs more like a garrison than a jail, and quickly gets acquainted with the hierarchical structure. However, thugs working for the man who The Gringo stole the money, Frank Fowler (Peter Stormare), are searching for the additional $2 million that was stolen. Fowler sends assassins to take out The Gringo and the leader of a crime family in El Pueblito, Javi. While it's unclear what the budget was to make the movie, it grossed $5.793 million at the box office.