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Hamlet
Shepperton Film Studios - 1990
Back home I wasted no time concocting a quick treatment and budget to make a documentary about the production of 'Hamlet'. Working with another college friend, Anthony Palmer we decided to pitch more than just a film promotion but make a broadcast television documentary about playing the Danish Prince, and to re-envision Mel Gibson as a classically trained actor (which he is). I called the studio and asked to speak with Teri De Paolo, Mel's personal assistant with whom I had briefly met in Thailand. Teri answered the call and I made my hasty pitch. Coincidentally she said they had just been discussing what to do about, 'behind the scenes' and so agreed to a meeting with producer, Bruce Davey later that week.
MEL GIBSON
Anthony and I turned up at the studio as agreed and an office gofer (runner) directed us to a small boardroom. In the room sat next to Bruce and Teri, I was surprised to see Mel Gibson, dressed casually in jeans, polo shirt and trainers. I can't recall much of the meeting as I machine-gunned my mouth round a verbal assault of a pitch. Anthony, my so-called 'producer' said I just directed the entire three quarter hour barrage directly to Mel paying the briefest of attention to Bruce and Teri.
At one point Mel had asked if he could have editing facilities put in his dressing room so he could contribute to cutting the documentary, which I agreed to but pointed out he would never have a moment to do anything other than focus on his acting. Anthony thought that a bit risky telling Mel how he best spend his time. The following day Teri de Paolo called me saying Mel wanted me to be involved and agreed to scrap the editing idea. We began filming the following week, one week before principal photography.
I had an initial meeting with the flamboyant Italian director Franco Zeffirelli to explain my approach to documenting the film and said I would like to do an initial interview before filming began, his response was to tap under his chin with the back of his hand and said, “Just be kind with your lighting!” I also asked if he planned any rehearsals or script 'read-throughs' with the cast that I could film. He explained everything was ready to go but then agreed to ask the principal cast to return for one last read through of a scene if I thought it was needed! By the way, if you have seen Zeffirelli's, 'The Champ' and did not cry at the ending then you probably fell into a coma or died before this scene began.
As this was to be a fairly unique if contrived one-off event involving; Mel Gibson, Paul Schofield, Glenn Close, Alan Bates, Ian Holm and Nathaniel Parker I hired an additional cameraman for the shoot, the brilliant Chris Morphet. I had been an occasional assistant to Chris previously and he was a truly remarkable intuitive hand-held documentary cameraman who could film while walking backwards and seem to see behind him, as he would samba around obstacles as if Google earth was guiding him. I wondered if it was like 'Rain Man' and Chris had a strange ability to map a room or location then view it in his head as he filmed? His talents were truly wasted on this job but a comfort for me to have such sure-footed support on the day.
The cast gathered round a grand rosewood boardroom table in the Old House, as it is known at the back of Shepperton Studios (Littleton House, built in 1698). Zeffirelli sat mid-table to oversee this mocked up rehearsal. I never found out if they knew it was just being done for me but they all played along.
There was a separate 'top table' of studio executives observing these events, most of whom I recognised but one mystery woman seated with them proved to be my nemesis and a prickly introduction to the reality of dipping my toe deeper in the production pond. After the mock read-thru Mel invited me to his office which I naturally thought was for a possible grilling but he just wanted to show me a copper etching of Hamlet that had been given to him as a gift. He was like a kid at Christmas, his eyes wide with genuine euphoria about this 18” x 12” metal plate, which I found quite touching given his tough guy image from Mad Max and Lethal Weapon. A row of foot worn trainers toed the office wall, his desk tidily laid out with scripts for future projects. We chatted briefly about the film and the documentary, it was slightly surreal talking so freely with such a 'movie star' but he made no allusion to his Hollywood status and made me feel confident in my conviction to deliver all I had promised in our first meeting. Mel made no demands about how I should continue and left the entire project to my best judgement. All did not however go to plan.
After the first few days of filming I was introduced to the mystery woman who had attended the mock rehearsal, Ruth Jackson, who I later found out was the wife of one of the producers who had financed the movie. She humored me for the first day but unlike Hamlet himself, I failed to smell a rat behind the Arras. She bluntly, and with the all the grace of a Nazi storm trooper told me she was taking over the project and I would no longer be involved in anyway. I had to hand over all the material I had filmed so far and quietly walk away, which I did. To my knowledge Mel knew nothing of this Machiavellian manoeuvre and interestingly Mel parted company with Teri De Paolo, his P.A. of some eight years after completing Hamlet? The documentary that ultimately surfaced began with sequences I had done prior to the coup, and Ruth Jackson did not even have the good grace to give me any credit whatsoever. That, as they say, is show business?
I later read this quote from philosopher Henri-Fredric Amiel that I retained when considering future forays into production:
“Learn to limit yourself; to content yourself with some definite work; dare to be what you are and learn to resign with a good grace all that you are not; and to believe in your own individuality.”
Henri Frederic Amiel (1821-1881)