Wednesday, November 6, 1996
After dealing with physically demanding scenes, failing body
parts and generally bad karma, Gibson is ready to sit back and reap
the benefits for his amazing
performance in the upcoming "Ransom."Touchstone Pictures
Mel Gibson stars as business tycoon Tom Mullen, who masterminds
a way to get his son Sean (Brawley Nolte, background) back from
kidnappers in "Ransom."By Emily Forster
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
Being a director isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. In the midst
of the actor-turned-director trend few are willing to bash the
popular craft of directing, but Hollywood megastar and Oscar
winning director Mel Gibson has never been one to follow the
crowd.
"It’s slavery," says Gibson. "It’s like you’re there, and you
get to make all the decisions and stuff, but it’s like being in a
hurricane. You’re will is not your own. To a degree, you’re at the
mercy of the elements."
His hurricane metaphor is particularly appropriate considering
that a heavy storm plays on New York City’s rain-slicked streets as
the actor ponders the difficulty of directing. Appearing warm and
cozy in a fuzzy gray sweater with a steaming cappuccino in his
hand, he seems untouched by the brutal weather as he discusses his
latest role in the upcoming Ron Howard thriller "Ransom." Playing a
distraught millionaire whose son is kidnapped, Gibson admits that
while he intends to direct several more projects, he was only too
happy to let someone else take the reigns of this film.
"(Directing) is a tremendous workload, so it’s a tremendous
relief to be able to sit back and let some other guy take the
shots," says Gibson. "Ron (Howard) takes the shots well. He’s
meticulous in his preparation and in the execution. Ron hammers the
lid shut. He’s Mike Tyson with a camera."
Howard is more like Mike Tyson than his fans might think. The
director of clean-cut films like "Splash" and "Apollo 13" had a
brutal way of getting Gibson’s co-star, Rene Russo, poised for
violence. When a scene called for Russo’s enraged character
repeatedly hitting Gibson, she was at first uncomfortable lashing
out at her co-star. But with Howard’s coaxing, Russo’s reservations
did not last long.
"She didn’t want to hurt me so Ron says ‘It doesn’t hurt,’ and
he got me up against a wall and ‘BANG!’" exclaims Gibson as he acts
out the slap Howard gave him. "He aptly decked me. So then she got
into the spirit of it. Oh, boy. We went through about 8 takes."
In spite of the pain inflicted upon him, this scene is one of
Gibson’s favorites in the film. He enjoyed the conflicting actions
of his character and Russo’s.
"The whole thing was interesting because they were playing
cross-purposes," Gibson says. "They were both in different places.
She’s slugging the daylights out of him, and he’s trying to hug
her. So I just liked that."
That was not the only point in filming where Gibson had to
endure physical pain. In fact, Gibson had to disrupt the shooting
schedule a couple times for a variety of physical ailments.
"I had problems with my knees, my appendix, my neck," says
Gibson. "It was just a weird shoot. I had a karmic getting even,
maybe for the hamburger I stole when I was 12 or something."
If Gibson’s problem is bad karma, he must have done something
particularly awful for the appendicitis ordeal. This rough and
tough action star recalls the drawn-out struggle to get to a
hospital once the illness struck.
"I was doing a really heavy work load, and I was travelling back
and forth across the country," says Gibson. "I had the appendicitis
attack on an air plane over Chicago. I had to wait to get to New
York, then to get to a car, and it took an hour (to get to a
hospital) because the traffic was bad. I was in the back going ‘Ow,
ow,’ and I wanted to call the driver names, but it wouldn’t have
been fair. The guy was just in traffic."
More disruptions were brought to the set in the form of the
Academy Awards. With Howard’s "Apollo 13" and Gibson’s "Braveheart"
sweeping up nominations, it is difficult to believe that there was
no rivalry on set. But both Gibson and Howard swear there was
none.
Gibson, who came back to the "Ransom" set with two Oscars, beat
Howard, who returned with none, in the cut-throat awards race. But
both were good sports about the whole thing.
"It’s nice and it’s gratifying, but the Oscars mean nothing,"
says Gibson. "I think I did a good job. But it’s from working with
guys like Ron. Those guys are great directors that I’ve learned
from."
Howard appreciated the nonchalance with which Gibson received
the Academy’s honors.
"I joked around with him, and I said ‘Are you still gonna let me
tell you where to stand?’" recalls Howard. "But he is so gracious.
Under the circumstances, it was about as painless as it could
possibly be."
And Gibson was perfectly willing to rely on Howard’s expertise.
There were many aspects of the film that Gibson needed to seek
Howard’s advice on, like the development of his character.
"It’s easy to be angst-ridden and grief-stricken," says Gibson.
"The hard part is how to keep that moving so that it doesn’t just
become generalized and the same. It is like trying to find how to
be in hell differently, and how to keep it moving and escalating,
which is kind of tricky."
The biggest help in keeping Gibson’s character intriguing was
the "Ransom" script. As the first actor to sign onto the project,
Gibson had a large hand in shaping the film’s plot and
characters.
"We went and had script meetings and it was great," recalls
Gibson. "We sat in with (the producers, director and screenwriter)
and we just talked about it. You know  analyzed it, and
turned it upside-down and pulled it apart like an engine. We were a
bunch of script mechanics. I’ve never done so much intense script
work before."
The collaboration among the producers, director, actor and
screenwriter probably appealed to Gibson because of his
appreciation for a peaceful experience on a film project. This is
no more obvious than when he directs. When Gibson calls the shots,
the goal is to attain a calm, content set.
"I try to emulate the harmony I’ve seen on some sets," says
Gibson. "I just want everyone to work together and be their best,
and they’re not going to do that unless they are relaxed and happy
about their situation. They’ve got a lot to offer and I want it
all. If you’re a bastard, they’re going to hold back on you. But
apart from everything else, it’s just not fun to be a bastard. I’d
rather enjoy myself."
"Ransom" opens nationwide this Friday, Nov. 8.
Touchstone Pictures
After a FBI rescue operation fails to retrieve his son, Tom
Mullen (Mel Gibson) takes matters into his own hands.