Mr. Gibson responded with a letter to Mr. Eszterhas. It addresses the 9-page memo that Eszterhas delivered to Gibson alleging that the filmmaker uttered outrageous "anti-Semitic" comments during their collaboration on a script about heroic Jewish warrior Judah Maccabee, which Eszterhas only aired after Warner Bros rejected the scribe’s script.
If Eszterhas really heard all the hateful things he says Gibson told him, then why didn’t the brash screenwriter quit the project instead of tolerating the alleged slurs? This is the project that shocked Hollywood because of Gibson’s past problems with the Zionist community. One question answered by Mel’s missive is that Gibson is clearly going forward with the movie — but without Eszterhas:
Gibson’s Letter to Eszterhas
Joe,I have your letter. I am not going to respond to it line by line, but I will say that the great majority of the facts as well as the statements and actions attributed to me in your letter are utter fabrications. I would have thought that a man of principle, as you purport to be, would have withdrawn from the project regardless of the money if you truly believed me to be the person you describe in your letter. I guess you only had a problem with me after Warner Brothers rejected your script.
I will acknowledge like most creative people I am passionate and intense. I was very frustrated that when you arrived at my home at the expense of both Warner Brothers and myself you hadn’t written a single word of a script or even an outline after 15 months of research, meetings, discussions and the outpouring of my heartfelt vision for this story. I did react more strongly than I should have. I promptly sent you a written apology, the colorful words of which you apparently now find offensive. Let me now clearly apologize to you and your family in the simplest of terms.
Contrary to your assertion that I was only developing Maccabees to burnish my tarnished reputation, I have been working on this project for over 10 years and it was publicly announced 8 years ago. I absolutely want to make this movie; it’s just that neither Warner Brothers nor I want to make this movie based on your script.
Honestly, Joe, not only was the script delivered later than you promised, both Warner Brothers and I were extraordinarily disappointed with the draft. In 25 years of script development I have never seen a more substandard first draft or a more significant waste of time. The decision not to proceed with you was based on the quality of your script, not on any other factor.
I think that we can agree that this should be our last communication.
Mel
Source: “Deadline" website - http://bit.ly/ITnj2n
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3 comments:
Obviously they will do anything to stop Mel from making this movie just like they did all they could to try to stop him from making the movie, The Passion of the Christ, but God's will be done and no one could stop that!
I actually think Eszterhas is likely to be closer to the truth. After all, there is no doubt in my mind that Mel Gibson *is* a classic anti-semite. However, if Jews were as high-minded as they tell us, they would tolerate Gibson's anti-semitism the same way that most whites tolerate black racism or, indeed, Jewish racism.
I am tired of anyone trying to defend Mel Gibson anymore. Really, it's great that he made "The Passion" but at this point there is no defending a man who is the worst possible example of a Catholic. You'd think that Mel would have learned his lesson after knocking up some trollop, having her tape his drunken rants, and would have started doing business during BUSINESS HOURS in his PRODUCTION OFFICE across a desk from Ezsterhaus. WHY was Ezsterhaus and son staying in his home, where Mel could go into yet more drunken rants to be recorded by Ezsterhaus, which TMZ will be only too happy to play for the public? Mel has only himself to blame for his troubles at this point. He needs to stop talking the talk, and start walking the walk of his faith.
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