Gibson wanted for St Francis film

The Age ^ | 4/25/04 | Barney Zwartz

[wagglebee]

Franciscan friars have asked Mel Gibson to make his next film about their founder, St Francis of Assisi.

Impressed by Gibson's film on the last 12 hours of Jesus, The Passion of the Christ, the American friars and sisters have published an open letter and petition on their website.

Calling the controversial film "an extraordinary work of sacred art", they ask the actor/director to "produce a sequel which would show the world what happens when a person totally and unequivocally responds to the Passion of the Christ".

St Francis (1182-1226) is the patron saint of animals and the environment.

However, Gibson has suggested that his next project may be a Middle East version of the Western, a film about the rebellion of the Jewish Maccabees against their Greek overlord in 165BC.

He told a chat show in the United States that the Maccabees - celebrated in the Jewish festival of Hanukkah - "stood up and made war".

"They stuck by their guns and came out winning," Gibson said.

"It's like a Western."

Abraham Foxman, chairman of the Anti-Defamation League, a US Jewish lobby group, said: "The last thing we need is Jewish history turned into a Western. In his hands we would probably lose."

The Passion of the Christ, which has been strongly admired and attacked, has taken more than $US300 million ($A410 million) in the US.

One critic said Gibson had invented a new genre, the religious splatter movie, while last week Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat called the film "moving and historical".

The petition (at www.franciscanfriars.com/petitionform.cfm) has more than 10,000 signatures.

[wagglebee]

Yasser Arafat called the film "moving and historical".

Actually, being rid of Arafat would be "moving and historical". Otherwise, St. Francis' life would be an incredible film to see.

[RobbyS]

Abraham Foxman, chairman of the Anti-Defamation League, a US Jewish lobby group, said: "The last thing we need is Jewish history turned into a Western. In his hands we would probably lose."

Again Foxman shows he knows nothing about movies. He should shut up and sit down.

[RobbyS]

Gibson will make the movies that he wants to make. The story of the Maccabees is a great story and he would do justice to it. It is not unlike the story behind "Braveheart."

[DameAutour]

Except the Maccabees win don't they? A movie where Braveheart wins! Speaking from a purely financial viewpoint, that's Hollywood gold.

[Unam Sanctam]

He should make both the Maccabees and St. Francis. I'll promise to see each twice and buy the DVDs, and I'm sure there are others like me out there.

[ChicagoHebrew]

Yeah, but in the real history the Maccabees were thugs (then again, so was William Wallace). There's a reason why, although Jews celebrate Hanukah, we don't honor Judah Maccabee as we do David, Ezra, or Rabbi Akiva.

Remember how the Maccabeen revolt starts? Mattathias kills a man for worshipping an idol. How would we react today if some Hassid killed a dude in Tel-Aviv for going dancing on Friday night?

Actually, the first generation of Maccabees (which presumably the movie would be about) wasn't THAT bad-- although they did persecute Hellenizing Jews and wrongly claim David's throne for themselves. For the time that wasn't too bad... but they got worse.

[RobbyS]

Sort of. I think of the many brothers one survives to be the ruler of the independent kingdom. In any case, Foxman will object that he has put a Christian spin on the story. Once a liberal Jew has decided that you are anti-Jewish, nothing will persuade him otherwise. Look at the way they treat George Bush.

[AAABEST]

I movie about St. Francis would be interesting, but petitioning Gibson to do a film on a certain subject matter is ridiculous and poorly thought out.

Do these people think movie producers take "requests"?

[Desdemona]

Do these people think movie producers take "requests"?

Well, since producers pick and choose scripts they produce, they, by definition, take requests. I'm sure all producers read quite a number more of scripts than they ever could produce.

They're asking. There's no harm in asking.

[no more apples]

I signed their petition and you might want to visit their site and read the petition - it's very well written. I, for one, hope he DOES take request! We could keep him busy 'til he's ready to meet Jesus face to face!

[Mark in the Old South]

When I read the Maccabees I was struck by the references to the Spartans. In it the Jews and the Spartans acknowledged a kinship to one another. Does anyone know more than what it says in Maccabees?

[RobbyS]

Hellenizing Jews?

Man, that was the point of the revolt, that the "fundamentalists" were being persecuted by the Hellenists. As for that dancer in Tel Aviv, would he be dancing naked?

[Bellarmine]

I would be surprised to see a traditionalist like Gibson make a movie with this charismatic group of Franciscans.