Sender's Note - "... the Fabian Society is a cabal of world leaders intent on taking over the global economy." ------------------------------------ The Patriot Mel Gibson. by Neil Norman Perhaps it's because he's an honorary Australian. Or maybe it's just that he is a Hollywood film star, but the small but perfectly formed Mel Gibson seems to have it in for the English in a big way. In for another round: Mel Gibson comes back for a second crack at the English Not content with allying himself with the hairy-kneed porridge-munchers in a ludicrous travesty of British history with Braveheart, Mad Mel is now having another bash at the English with his historical epic, The Patriot, in which Gibson stars as Benjamin Martin, a colonial militiaman in the American War of Independence whose guerrilla exploits against the Redcoats in the swamps of the Carolinas earned him the sobriquet the Swamp Fox. Judging by the reaction so far to the film, which opens in the US on 28 June, the English are not only in for a thorough pasting from Mel and his band of motley guerrillas but also a comprehensive character assassination. To a man, the dastardly English are depicted as heartless toffs and machiavels, war criminals and child-killers. As Jason Isaacs, who plays the British baddie, Col William Tavington, remarked recently: "I'm Satan in this film. I'm a nasty, evil British officer and Mel comes after me like a warrior possessed." But possessed of what, exactly? Certainly not intelligent objectivity and partiality. What with traducing the historical facts (as far as we know them) into the colour of money and anti-English sentiment for Braveheart, Gibson's latest venture looks increasingly as if he has an agenda above and beyond the $25 million paycheck he allegedly received for The Patriot. It's a long way and a lot of dollars in the bank since Gallipoli, in which Gibson played an Australian athlete who joined the Anzacs in the First World War only to be sent to certain death by - you guessed it - incompetent English officers. It is entirely possible that Gibson, who was born in Peerskill, New York and did not arrive in Australia until the age of 12, has bought into the Australian legacy of English-hating - an atavistic resentment against the policy of transportation of convicts; then again, Gibson, who is a devout Catholic, possibly subscribes to a headily romantic view of Celtic republicanism that finds merit in the perennial resistance of the underdog nations (Scotland, Ireland, Cornwall) against their merciless oppressor, England. Or maybe he is just getting his own back against English critics who have failed to take him seriously enough. Then again, to pursue an anti-English agenda in Hollywood is a crowd-pleasing tactic and a cheap way of earning the plaudits (and bucks) of the home team. As every Hollywood casting agent knows, the devil speaks with an English accent. The fact that he didn't actually direct The Patriot (as he did Braveheart) matters not a jot; his involvement legitimizes the enterprise and indicates an endorsement of the film's warped sentiments. Once director Roland Emmerich got involved as director (formerly of Godzilla and all points SFX blockbuster) it was clear that historical accuracy was never going be high on the agenda. With Gibson on board the primary aim for the movie was big box-office success. Therefore, it was necessary to rewrite the "hero" - the real-life Francis Marion, a thoroughly unpleasant dude who was, basically, a terrorist - to a level of palatability that is more appropriate for the wholesome Mr Gibson. A devout traditional Catholic with seven children by his wife Robyn Moore to prove it, Gibson's inclination is towards the more reactionary political sentiment. To wit, he has pronounced against abortion, has said he would encourage his own children to take up weapons in self-defence and believes that the Fabian Society is a cabal of world leaders intent on taking over the global economy. The man appears confused. Now we find him whitewashing the character of Francis Marion who, according to a recent article in the Daily Express, had a reputation as a racist who hunted Indians for sport and regularly raped his female slaves. According to Christopher Hibbert, a British expert on the American Revolution, Marion "was a wily and elusive character, very active in the persecution of Cherokee Indians and not at all the sort of chap who should be celebrated as a hero. ... The truth is that people like Marion committed atrocities as bad if not worse than those perpetrated by the British." Given his penchant for conspiracy theories (he even appeared in a film of that title as a paranoid taxi driver), Gibson may not be the most reliable ambassador for the "special relationship" that purportedly exists between England and America. But as to why he seems to have such a chip on his shoulder about the English, I am at a loss. Perhaps when you've had as many demons of your own as Gibson - including a heavy alcohol habit - one feels the need to demonise some exterior source - to exorcise your demon into another vessel, so to speak. It seems as if the English just happened to be passing at the time. http://www.thisislondon.com/dynamic/hottx/film/bottom_film.html?in_review_id =291880&in_review_text_id=236861 My 'Sympathy' goes out to Mel. Bard TO KEEP THE PEACE, KEEP YOUR PIECE! <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. 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