Mel Essay, Research Paper

Dear Mel

Having read the avalanche of indignant articles in the UK imperativeness that preceded the UK launch of & # 8220 ; The Patriot & # 8221 ; , I readily admit that I was anticipating to see a clearly anti-British Movie. One such headline complains for illustration about a & # 8220 ; blood libel on the British People & # 8221 ; .

Some considerable manner into the movie ( which, seting the contention to one side, was otherwise gratifying ) , I found myself oppugning whether such unfavorable judgment was justified. Fictional characters on both sides, including the character you were playing, Benjamin Martin, were portrayed as being responsible for some black actions. I truly was get downing to oppugn what the dither was all about.

I so watched the scene where Redcoats are depicted as sadists hanging old people. Subsequently came the chilling episode in the Church, when Redcoat soldiers on the orders of the movies chief scoundrel, Colonel William Tavington ( partially modelled on the real-life Redcoat, Colonel Tarleton ) , intentionally locked a big figure of the Colonials, including adult females and kids, indoors, before the Church was set ablaze. It was clear from the following scenes that all of the incarcerated victims were burned to decease in the most hideous fortunes. To state the least, this episode was unfortunate, as in world, no such incident of all time occurred.

Are there non adequate evidences for doing bad feeling without contriving atrociousnesss strictly for amusement value? And holding said that, I personally, wear & # 8217 ; t even happen the aforesaid scenes entertaining. The Britishs are necessarily the first and sometimes the lone State to back up America, whatever the fortunes or hardship. It is hence even more distressing that the close friendly relationship between two peoples should be potentially damaged strictly for commercial intents.

You ever seem to be a nice adult male whenever I have seen you being interviewed. It may hopefully be the instance that if so you have received the mega 1000000s quoted for playing the lead function, you were possibly incognizant of the fact that history was being fabricated at the disbursal of the truth. Harmonizing to what I have read about the history of that unfortunate period, there was certainly adequate error on both sides, without holding to contrive such hideous events with the British being portrayed as straight-out sadists.

I have read a remark attributed to you in a UK movie magazine called & # 8220 ; Total Film & # 8221 ; in which you seemingly made the undermentioned remark about your character & # 8230 ; & # 8220 ; it & # 8217 ; s based on historical fact but it & # 8217 ; s got some stretches in it. You & # 8217 ; ve got Tas do that for film & # 8221 ; .

Given the latest intelligence it seems that it was non so much a stretch as a entire fiction. Harmonizing to Professor James Taylor, an influential faculty member in South Carolina, where the movie was set, the existent soldier on which your Benjamin Martin character was based & # 8220 ; was a ruthless and barbarous individual. He took athletics in runing down Indians and killing them. He had slaves and was known to hold raped them & # 8221 ; . It seems Mel that the Britishs are non wholly on their ain in being tarnished by a barbarous neglect for historical fact.

Similarly, that grand organic structure, the Smithsonian Institute, may repent their association with & # 8220 ; The Patriot & # 8221 ; as & # 8220 ; proficient advisor & # 8221 ; . The repute of the Smithsonian is besides likely to be damaged by the inexcusable deformations of history even if, as seems certain, it is wholly guiltless of supplying wrong information or negligent advice. It may believe twice earlier leting its name to be associated with another Hollywood undertaking, where unity, truth, and historical truth will be necessarily sacrificed for box office considerations i.e. greed, greed, and frequently, more greed.

Even the US Ambassador to London, Philip Lader, has late described & # 8220 ; The Patriot & # 8221 ; as a farcical myth. He says that The Patriot may non hold furthered Washington & # 8217 ; s relationship with Britain and that Hollywood & # 8220 ; seldom allow the facts get in the manner of narratives that the manufacturers think will sell at the box office & # 8221 ; . He went on to depict the movie as a great trade of mythology and hyperbole.

On BBC Radio, Spike Lee, the American manager, said & # 8220 ; You guys should be upset, because the British are portrayed like SS storm-troopers & # 8221 ; . He went on to state & # 8220 ; I despise the movie. It is what Hollywood does best: it rewrites history & # 8221 ; . He concluded by stating & # 8220 ; We & # 8217 ; rhenium at the clemency of the Hollywood machine. They could hold told the truth and the movie would hold been merely as successful & # 8221 ; .

Spike Lee may besides hold had in head the recent U-571 escapade & # 8211 ; an enthralling movie based on the fake premiss that the Americans captured the mystery codification machine from the Germans, when in fact it was the Brits.

In America you now enjoy a repute for being politically correct & # 8230 ; Minorities are afforded proper regard and consideration. Is it excessively much to inquire that the same consideration be given to the Country that is so closely aligned with the USA.

Although merely 20 old ages old, I have been lucky plenty to see America several times and love the Country and the People. I am besides one of your 1000000s of fans. I mention this so that you know that I harbour no ailment will towards you, or the USA.

I know that you are cognizant that & # 8220 ; Braveheart & # 8221 ; besides attracted a batch of inauspicious promotion on the same evidences of blazing anti-Brit prejudice.

Come on Mel, ain up, was it all a promotion stunt? Were the fancied atrociousnesss intentionally included in & # 8220 ; The Patriot & # 8221 ; to stir up contention an

vitamin D generate tonss of free promotion?

I freely admit that it was unjust to obtain the & # 8220 ; melgibson & # 8211 ; sucks.com & # 8221 ; sphere name based entirely on the inundation of UK imperativeness unfavorable judgment, before I had even seen the film. I would nevertheless like to give you the chance to react to my remarks. I will print, unedited, any attested response from you and, after reflecting on your reaction, will make up one’s mind whether to discontinue this web site or alter the sphere name to something more positive. Harmonizing to one article you are non taking earnestly the turning rumors that you are anti-British. Given the go oning tumult, you may desire to set your place on the record, in your ain words?

I guess that the difference between any unjust remarks in my unfastened missive is that they can be quickly removed, whereas in comparing, the false history peddled in the & # 8220 ; The Patriot & # 8221 ; and & # 8220 ; Braveheart & # 8221 ; will be shown repeatedly for decennaries to come, likely with the invented atrociousnesss finally going perceived as fact, instead than fiction. Hollywood will hold successfully rewritten history to accommodate its commercial terminals. That in my position is morally untenable.

I await your response with involvement and hope that you take the chance to set your side of the contention. My electronic mail reference is nick @ melgibson-sucks.com

Quite frankly Mel, you must be swamped with film thoughts and books from every way. Surely there are plenty for you to take 1s that would avoid any possibility of adding to your likely undeserved repute of being anti-British.

I do apologise for being over-familiar by utilizing your first name, but the missive would hold been tiring and boring if I had repeatedly addressed you as Mr. Gibson.

With kindest respects

Nick Gill

( 30th July 2000 )

P.S. Mel, I have listed some of the relevant headlines plus some infusions from the most recent article in instance you missed them: –

THE FILM THAT SAYS WE & # 8217 ; RE NAZIS ( The Daily Telegraph )

MEL GIBSON & # 8217 ; S THE PATRIOT IS A BLOOD LIBEL ON THE BRITISH PEOPLE ( The Daily Telegraph )

MAD MEL & # 8217 ; S VULGAR BLOODLUST ( The Mail on Sunday )

BRAVEHEART MEL & # 8217 ; S BACK BRIT-BASHING ( Sunday Mirror )

PATRIOT GAMES TAKE LIBERTIES WITH HISTORY ( Sunday Express )

MEL TAKES A LIBERTY & # 8211 ; TRUTH & # 8217 ; S CASUALTY OF FREEDOM-FIGHT EPIC ( News of The World )

THE Truth ABOUT THE PATRIOT BUTCHER ( Daily Mail, Saturday 29th July )

Some infusions from the Daily Mail article: –

& # 8220 ; The portraiture of a British Army officer as a mass liquidator in Mel Gibson & # 8217 ; s new movie The Patriot has enraged Mail readers. Here we examine what truly happened & # 8230 ;

The movie is based on historical events and it features many existent characters who fought in the 1770 & # 8217 ; s war, including the British commanding officer, General Cornwallis. So when Colonel Tavington orders the full population of a small town & # 8211 ; adult females, kids and old people & # 8211 ; into a church, padlocks the doors, shutters the Windowss and Burnss them all to decease, it goes without stating that most audiences who know nil about the American Revolution save what they learn from this movie, will believe this atrociousness to be based on fact.

It ne’er happened. Scriptwriter, Robert Rodat based the scene upon a horrid atrociousness in World War II when in 1944, the Nazis, in requital for the violent death of an SS officer, herded all the adult female and kids of the Gallic small town of Oradour-sur-Glane into the church and burned it & # 8211 ; and the remainder of the small town & # 8211 ; to the land.

It is true Tarleton was barbarous, chesty and ruthless but, unlike Colonel Tavington in The Patriot, he was neither a coward nor a monster. He did non shoot people in the dorsum as Jason Isaacs & # 8217 ; s character does ; nor did he fire people alive.

Does any of this affair? To anticipate reliable history from any Hollywood movie is like anticipating a barrel-organ to bring forth Mozart.

But psychologically, excessively, demonizing the British makes sense, because it gives Americans the soothing feeling that all the bad things that happened in the past & # 8211 ; sweeping bondage and the race murder of native Americans & # 8211 ; were done by the British in America before their State came of age & # 8221 ; .

If any visitants to the site would wish me to print the full text of the assorted articles, or if you have anything you wish to notice on, delight experience free to direct me an electronic mail at nick @ melgibson-sucks.com. If I receive sufficient demand, I will merrily add the full articles to the site and any farther studies that may be published.

Here is some correspondence with assorted persons who have taken the problem to notice on my Open Letter To Mel. As a simple courtesy I have non published their electronic mail references. The correspondence file will be enlarged at my discretion as and when farther remarks are received. I evidently reserve the right non to print any remarks or information that I deem inappropriate.

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