The Man Without a Face | | Cast : | Mel Gibson | | Director : | Mel Gibson | | Studio : | Warner Home Video | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen | | Released Date : | August 25, 1993 | | DVD Released Date : | September 14, 2004 | | Language : | English (Dubbed), French (Subtitled), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), English (Original Language), French (Original Language) | | Audience Rating : | PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | May 03, 2005 | | Summary | Mel Gibson's most powerful performance | Content
 | I've loved this film for ages, and although it's not as good as Braveheart, or some other of Mel Gibson's movies (where he's not shown constantly chain smoking), it's still worth having. I have to complain about my shoddy DVD, as I'm sure it's a pan & scan one, as I could move the screen about, and lose/gain some parts of the scene. Either that or I'm just discovering new buttons to press on my DVD remote.
I also love Nick Stahl in this movie, he's not the greatest looking kid to watch (although he's grown up to be quite nice looking), but he draws you into the character, and it's really good to watch.
I've always wanted to read the book, but have never found it here in the UK. It sounds very interesting, as Justin McLeod was homosexual in the book, and there is a much bigger relationship than shown in the film - but obviously Mel Gibson didn't want to include this, maybe fearing it would be too much? There are still some undertones of the Chuck's sexuality in the film, but you have to look hard to see them, and maybe read between the lines a bit.
I love the whole family around Chuck too, his mum (Margaret Whitton), older sister (Fay Masterson), and younger sister. Gaby Hoffman was brilliant as his young bra-burning, feminist sister, whatever happened to her? She's been in Now & Then, Sleepless in Seattle, this, and then she's disappeared off the face of the earth. She's changed a lot however.
There's some shocking scenes in this, including Mel Gibson's topless scene where he shows off his character's burns to their full extent, and the way Justin is treated when the story begins to pick up speed.
I never got the start of the movie, which basically opens into a dream, but connects to the scene at the end of the movie. And it was stupid having a completely different looking actor take over Nick Stahl's part at the end of the movie.
This is a truly heart wrenching movie, an ending which will have you in tears, and will make you want to read the book, if you can get your hands on it. Just don't get the region 2 version, as I reckon that's what's wrong with my DVD. |
| Rating | | | Date | January 24, 2005 | | Summary | Tremendously Painful Film | Content
| Looking for a means to relax, I browsed the movies "on demand" through my cable service. I read the description and decided to give this film a chance. Though the nearly 2 hour film starts slow, I continued to watch. Set in the late 1960's, the injustice served in this film is probably even more so in today's society. Intolerable justice which leads to a painful closing; maybe bittersweet for others. No tears, just pain. Like other films I have watched and in some cases reviewed (watch L.I.E. or Eban and Charley for alternate viewpoints and storylines), this one deals with the bond between a man and a young boy - in this case, a boy seeking the guidance, knowledge and friendship of someone older and wiser. The child, Charlie is from a broken family (divorced mother, nagging sisters and an alcoholic father now deceased), Charlie seeks a way to gain acceptance into a boarding school. In doing so, he seeks out and befriends a disfigured man (played by Mel Gibson). As mentioned, a slow start that keeps you tuned in and eventually has you hooked. The ending hurts, and shows us once against how bigotry and circumstance continue to shield justice on our country - then, as it does now. I would rather not share the twisted plot that results. I would refer to this film as a sleeper, and one I very much enjoyed, and yet knew nothing about before watching.
NOTE: After writing this review, I received an email from an avid reader (of which I am not). I have since learned the the film adaption of the book is NOT a true portrayal. In the book, the disfigured character was, in fact, gay. He & the teenager have a sexual relationship (although it is only tastefully referred to & not depicted). Based on this blatant change of context, Mr. Gibson apparently was more interested in making big Hollywood money, or has some personal issues with the story line...I'm sure that is the subject of forums elsewhere. Shame on him for rewriting the book. |
| Rating | | | Date | December 27, 2004 | | Summary | Read the book instead | Content
| Isabelle Holland's The Man Without a Face is a strong, daring work that deserves wider attention than its placement in the ghetto of "young adult" fiction. Unfortunately, Mel Gibson's film version does to the story what the car accident did to the visage of his character--disfigures it beyond recognition.
Here the original is bowdlerized and trivialized. It's decent enough entertainment, but it should have been so much more.
Read Holland's novel and skip the movie. |
| Rating | | | Date | April 04, 2004 | | Summary | Where is Mom when you need her? | Content
| This film is about people who judge another without knowing a thing about him - just make up a story! It also portrays how the members of some families in American today occasionally cross paths knowing little about each other. Throw in an incompetent, egotistical, selfish mother who is less interested in her children than in her next lover, and it is no wonder the boy turns to a stranger who is badly scarred for acceptance, encouragement, guidance, help and love. Too bad, McLeod could not have been accepted for who he seemed to be - a man who had been through a horrible ordeal trying to live in peace with others. Instead, all because he tried to befriend and aid a child (who, by the way, was a very dishonest child), he was silently judged guilty of who knows what crimes, all without trial, by a few disgusting bigots in this lovely vacation town. An interesting study of a dysfunctional fatherless family being raised by a single mom who has more money than brains. Good thing Gibson was in the movie to save the day, and the boy played his part well. |
| Rating | | | Date | August 05, 2002 | | Summary | A Powerhouse of a movie | Content
| This movie is an incredible moving expierience. Nick Stahl plays Chuck Nordstatt in this coming of age drama. The charming kid is beleved to be "too unstable and removed" to complete his dream: to be a pilot in the army. Once more, he doesn't have any recollection of his father, and his mother refuses to divulge such secrets. His older sister, and many of his friends think he is seriously disturbed. So he begins to question his self worth, and begins to think he is crazy. Then he meets with resident town freak,( Mel Gibson in his most powerful performance ever) an ex-teacher who decides to tutor him to help him acquire his dream. The movie teaches a valuable lesson, but doesn't come off as preachy(which is to it's benifit) Both charachters find what they are searching for in each other. The resoloution is visually stunning and touching. It proves that someone you've known for only a short time can impact you for the duration of your life. |
|
Picture 01 (20)
