Themes: Social Injustice, Underdogs, Innocence Lost
Main Cast: Mel Gibson, Nick Stahl, Margaret Whitton, Fay Masterson, Gaby Hoffmann
Release Year: 1993
Country: US
Run Time: 114 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG13
Plot
Mel Gibson made his feature film directing debut with this drama, loosely based on the book by Isabel Holland, which combines elements from The Elephant Man, Mask, Scent of a Woman, and The Karate Kid in a study of the capacity for human trust and compassion. Gibson plays Justin McLeod, a former teacher who, after having his face and his body terribly disfigured in an automobile accident, has taken to living alone in a big house in an island off the coast of Maine. McLeod works as a free-lance artist who undergoes the humiliation of being shunned by his neighbors and called "hamburger head" behind his back. McLeod keeps to himself and wants nothing to do with his neighbors. But one day an adolescent boy, Chuck Norstadt (Nick Stahl), comes knocking at his door desperate for a tutor. At first suspicious, McLeod gradually warms up to Chuck and they become pals. But their burgeoning friendship is frowned upon by Chuck's family and the local police chief, Stark (Geoffrey Lewis), apparently because of rumors circulating that McLeod had a record concerning child molestation. This piece of gossip threatens Chuck with the loss of his teacher and a new-found friend. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
Review
Mel Gibson's directorial debut is as routine as they come, packaging familiar elements from movies about mentors, disfigurement, and unjustified fears of the unknown, then sealing it all up with gorgeous cinematography of coastal Maine. In addition to his first directing project, the film seems to semi-intentionally double as Gibson's attempt to place his talents as an actor at the forefront, blurring his matinee-idol looks through burn scars that obscure half of his face. The Man Without a Face has the utterly conventional feel of a film given a director for his first effort, something with modest ambitions that can't be screwed up by a neophyte. On this level, it has the pleasures to keep the viewer interested, as long as expectations are kept low enough. Child actor Nick Stahl makes an impressive debut in the central role, appearing in almost every scene and proving himself always up to the task. And Gibson really doesn't need to don a bunch of makeup to prove he's more than just a pretty face, as prior works like Hamlet (1990) have demonstrated. The Man Without a Face may not stake a claim toward lingering importance, but viewed as the film that allowed Gibson to get his feet wet before directing Braveheart, it becomes a useful and necessary achievement. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide
Geoffrey Lewis - Chief Stark; Richard Masur - Carl; Michael DeLuise - Douglas Hall; Michael Currie - Mr.Cameron; Jean de Baer - Mrs.Lansing; Jack de Mave - Mr.Cooper; Zach Grenier - Dr.Talbot; Robert Hitt - Mr.McDowell; George Martin - Sam the Barber; William Meisle - Judge Sinclair; Ethan Phillips - Mr.Lansing; Viva - Mrs.Cooper; Marion Dougherty; Edmond Genest - 6th Husband; Stanja Lowe - Mrs. Cameron; Bobby Roger Poirier - Graduate
Credit
Marc Fisichella - Art Director, Donald Ginsberg - Associate Producer, Bob Schulz - Associate Producer, Shay Cunliffe - Costume Designer, Matt Earl Beesley - First Assistant Director, Mel Gibson - Director, Antony Gibbs - Editor, Stephen McEveety - Executive Producer, James Horner - Composer (Music Score), Greg Cannon - Makeup, Douglas Ryan - Camera Operator, Barbara Dunphy - Production Designer, Donald M. McAlpine - Cinematographer, Bruce Davey - Producer, Michael Evje - Sound/Sound Designer, Doanld Elmblad - Set Decorator, Isabelle Holland - Book Author
The Man Without a Face is a 1993 drama starring and directed by Mel Gibson. The movie is based on Isabelle Holland's 1972 novel of the same name. Gibson's directorial debut received respectful reviews from most critics.
The film takes place in the turbulent era of the late 1960s. For the past seven years, Justin McLeod (Gibson) has been living the life of a recluse painter. McLeod, a former teacher, has lived this way ever since a car accident left him disfigured and killed one of his students. However, a young boy named Chuck needs a tutor to help him pass a military academy's entrance exam. He eventually is able to persuade McLeod to become his teacher, and the two develop a friendship.
Chuck keeps his daily meetings with McLeod a secret to avoid the scorn of being associated with the disfigured man with a past shrouded in mystery. When his mother learns that Chuck has been visiting the man, she and the rest of the town are convinced that McLeod must have been molesting the child, despite Chuck's repeated denials. Chuck confronts McLeod, and learns the full story of his disfigurement: McLeod, a former teacher, was in a car accident with a student who was in love with him. He was branded a pedophile and exiled from his hometown. Once his relationship with Chuck is discovered, McLeod is once again railed out of town and ordered by the authorities not to have any sort of contact with Chuck.
On his way out of town, McLeod leaves Chuck a note wishing him the best of luck in his academic goals and a reminder to tolerate people who are different. In the film's finale, Chuck is shown graduating with honors from the military academy and sees a mysterious figure in the background, recognizing it as his tutor, the man without a face.
Production
The Man Without a Face was filmed in Maine and marked the film debut of Nick Stahl. Mel Gibson initially had planned only to direct the film, and he asked three other actors to play the role of Justin McLeod. However, due to difficulty securing funding, Gibson decided to star in the movie.
Treatment of Sexuality
The film’s treatment of sexuality between Justin McLeod and Chuck Norstadt differs from the book by Isabelle Holland. In the original novel, McLeod behaved in a way that could be interpreted as child grooming, taking Chuck swimming and being affectionate to him. Chuck seemed to be attracted to McLeod as more than just as a father figure. There is one scene where it is strongly implied that McLeod sexually abuses Chuck in his bedroom. In the film, McLeod demonstrates no sexual interest in the boy at all, even though Chuck appears downstairs in his underwear when the police officer calls. Critics have noted that the book's criticism of homophobia had been obscured in the film version.
Gibson has expressed dislike for the book because of its implied sexual contact between McLeod and Chuck: “I read the script first and that's what I liked. The book is just - I'm sorry, but the guy did it. And you know, like, why? I just wanted to say something a lot more positive.”[1]
