It appears that, according to the Internet Movie Database, Mel Gibson isn't finished mining the Middle East for religiously-themed movies:

[Gibson] wants to make a movie about the origins of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. Gibson - who was criticized by some quarters of the Jewish church, who accused his epic The Passion Of The Christ of blaming Jews for Jesus Christ's death - has hinted he may make a filmed account of the Revolt Of The Maccabees, the story behind Hanukkah.

The 46-year-old says, "The story that's always fired my imagination is the Book of Maccabees. "The Maccabees family stood up, and they made war. They stuck by their guns and they came out winning. It's like a western." The Maccabees led a three year war, 200 years before the birth of Jesus, against Antiochus, a king who forced the Jews to worship false gods. The war led to the liberation of Jerusalem.

Gibson's interest in Jewish history concerns the Jewish Anti-defamation League. National director Abe Foxman says, "My answer would be, 'Thanks but no thanks.' The last thing we need in Jewish history is to convert our history into a western."

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Well, if Mel makes it, I'll watch it. I'm not Jewish (y'think?) and so I'd probably miss out on the culture-specific tidbits, but it couldn't be all bad. As for the odious Abe Foxman, I would suggest that the last thing Jewish history needs is someone like him trying to control it.

A good swords 'n sandals epic about a revolution against an oddball king which leads to victory (in the short term) and the establishment of Hannukah would probably be interesting. We know that Gibson would be faithful to whatever source material his research people could turn up. Phooey on you, Foxman.

Posted by: Country Pundit at 01:41 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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