Between Heaven and Mel

Beloved actor and award-winning director turned pariah: Mel Gibson’s career has lurched from one extreme to the other across the years. Now, however, it appears the star has found form once again at the helm of Hacksaw Ridge – but he’s keen to make sure the furore surrounding his triumphant return does not overshadow the incredible story of Hacksaw’s selfless hero…
The history of Hollywood is littered with larger-than-life personalities who have, for one reason or another, found a home in the public eye. On-screen, these individuals can hide their private life behind the veneer of inhabiting a character; off-screen, living one’s life in the constant glare of the limelight can be both a blessing and a curse.

So it was for Mel Gibson – perhaps the most talented and troubled Hollywood heavyweight since the days of Marlon Brando. Rarely is such a complete slide seen from Academy Award-winning acclaim to the filmic wasteland, and with the allegations of alcoholism, bigotry and spousal a...